Articles
Whey Protein
Often when I consult with my clients, I recommend
that they take a whey protein supplement to ensure
that they get enough protein. The most common
response I get is- "What is whey protein?"
and "Is that the nasty stuff?"
Among athletes and gym rats, whey protein is no
mystery. But, even they are not sure why they may
take it, as opposed to eating a piece of fish. So,
what is whey protein all about and why can it be
considered to be better?
To begin, I want you to understand the importance
of protein. Protein is what we are made up of. Our
whole bodies are nothing more than "connect the
dots" of amino acid complexes, thus, creating
protein. When we eat protein, it gets broken down
into amino acids to be used as to how the body sees
fit. Protein is primarily needed to rebuild and
maintain cells, tissues, and organs in the body.
They can be used as energy, but this is the
body's last resort to find energy (a completely
different issue altogether).
When it comes to our metabolism and increasing
muscle tone, protein is needed to build muscle.
Fortunate to our survival, protein will go
everywhere else in our body first. Places like the
skin, the brain, and the liver. These organs are
needed for survival. Unfortunately, protein will go
to the muscles last. Therefore, if you do not get
enough, you will not improve muscle tone and
actually suffer from muscle atrophy.
Most recently, many people are not getting enough
protein throughout the day. This has led to protein
supplements, including whey, egg, and soy based
products. Of the three, whey protein has
demonstrated to be the best due to a few
reasons.
Reason 1 - Biological
value - Proteins are not that easy to
breakdown. So, the easier they breakdown, the better
for the body. Whey has a high biological value
compared to other protein sources and is the easiest
to breakdown and absorb.
Reason 2 - Quality - Best
of all, whey has all essential amino acids (the
amino acids needed to be ingested). Some of these
essential amino acids are glutomine and arginine.
These amino acids can act as antioxidants, improve
the immunity, promote healing, decrease cholesterol,
and decrease high blood pressure to name a
few.
Reason 3 - Taste - Whey
protein supplements seem to have the best taste
compared to other protein supplements. They usually
come in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. They mix
the easiest, which makes it more convenient.
Whey protein actually comes from milk protein. Some
objections to taking it can be that it has lactose
in it. Lactose intolerant individuals will not like
it. However, most whey protein supplements have less
than 1% lactose, so most intolerant to lactose do
not feel the side effects.
This article is not intended to aimlessly guide
someone toward using whey protein as a supplement.
It is intended to inspire you to increase protein
consumption, when needed, for a compete, healthy,
balanced diet.
In an America, where it seems we get plenty of the
bad carbs, we are not getting enough of the good
protein until late in the day. As always, it is
recommended that you consult an expert to determine
what your protein consumption should be.
Kelly Huggins, B.S., ACSM HFI
The Fitness MythBuster
404.303.8305 kelly@kellyhuggins.com
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