Choosing a supplement to invest in can be a frustrating task. Just when you’ve made your mind up what to buy, an advertisement pops up or you stumble upon some intriguing advice about another product and before you know it, your search begins all over again. If you’re thinking of buying whey protein, I urge you to read this article and follow through with buying it. But not for no reason. In this article I’ll give you several of the core whey protein effects, and as you’ll soon see, whey protein can be used to very positive effect in a variety of very different ways.
Muscle Building
Whey protein is mostly used by athletes looking to bulk up on lean muscle mass. Enabling a trainee to build lean, fat free muscle mass is the most commonly sought of all whey protein effects.
Why is this so? Well, I’m sure you know protein is crucial to building muscle, and for optimum muscle gains, a lot of protein is needed; most agree 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight, minimum. Sure, this is a lot of protein, and sure, having a supplement like whey protein can make filling your protein quota much easier – but that’s not the main reason why it excels at building muscle. There are 3 main other reasons.
1. Whey protein is a complete protein
What does this mean? Being a complete protein – as opposed to incomplete – means it contains all essential amino acids – which to you and me means it contains everything the body needs to build maximum muscle mass. Incomplete proteins will build muscle too, but not nearly as good as complete proteins do.
2. Whey protein has an incredibly high biological value
You may have heard the saying ‘not all calories are created equal’, well, the same goes for nutrients – protein included. Not all protein is created equal. The most beneficial of all whey protein effects is the fact it has an incredibly high biological value. What this means is, the body finds whey protein very easy to build muscle with. Proteins with lesser biological value are less good at building muscle.
To give you an idea of just how good whey protein is, consider this: Rocky cracked raw eggs into a glass and gulped them down because raw eggs were considered the best source of complete proteins, with their biological value long considered the benchmark of all proteins.
Well, if Rocky would’ve known whey protein was even higher in biological value than Egg, he would’ve been drinking a chocolate shake, or something.
3. Whey protein is absorbed very quickly
Just because a protein is complete and has a high BV (biological value) doesn’t mean it will be absorbed quickly. This is an important point. Take milk, for instance. Milk has a very high BV but the type of complete protein which makes up milk – casein – is slow acting. Whey, on the other hand, is very fast acting.
Whey, therefore, is a very useful protein for post workout meals when the muscles are extremely receptive to protein and nutrient intake. This is the time the muscle building effects of whey protein will be put to maximum use.
Fat Loss
Yes, whey protein is also useful for fat loss, too. The main reasons for this are that whey protein helps to build (and in the case of going on a calorie deficit fat loss regime – maintain muscle mass) muscle mass which is crucial to losing fat. Presence of lean muscle mass helps to burn fat because muscle uses calories to maintain and grow.
When a person begins losing fat, they only stand to lose some muscle mass along with the fat because calorie excess is required to build muscle, and calorie deficit required to lose fat; and we can’t have it both ways at the same time. But, with continued training keeping the muscles in a demanding state (demanding nutrients for repair and growth, that is) whey protein makes maintaining them easy by taking the direct route to repairing them fully – or almost as fully as can be – so the muscle stays, and the fat loss continues at a fast pace. (Less muscle kept, less fat lost.)
Another of whey protein’s effects on fat loss is the fact whey helps to release insulin and keeps blood sugars under control, this helps to put excess blood sugar to use – by ushering it into the muscles for repair and maintenance rather than letting it turn into fat.
Anyone trying to lose fat – particularly a considerable amount of fat – I strongly recommend they utilize the powerful effects of whey protein to do so.
Overall health benefits
Enjoying a balanced diet is what being healthy is all about, and proteins – complete proteins, especially – are a crucial part of being healthy. While I’ve told of the main uses of whey protein, the benefits aren’t exclusive to athletes or those looking to lose fat. Each and every person needs complete proteins to be healthy and repair and maintain muscle – especially as we get older. There is no reason why the excellent health effects of whey protein can’t be enjoyed by everyone.
I’m sure you’ve also heard of type 2 diabetes – the type which people aren’t born with, but develop later in life (formerly known as adult onset diabetes). Usually (but not necessarily always) brought on by less-than-healthy lifestyle. Well, as I’ve pointed out already, whey protein has a positive effect on bringing down blood sugar levels – which is crucially important in those who have diabetes type 2, as their bodies ability to deal with blood sugars are compromised.
With levels of diabetes type 2 on the rise worldwide, this is a huge issue. Persistently high blood sugar is not only a symptom of diabetes type 2, but is also a cause of diabetes type 2. Perhaps for regular folk, then, the most valuable of all whey protein effects lies in the fact it can help keep blood sugar levels under control.