"The Whey It Is"
by Will Brink.
If there is one thing that continues to perplex me, it is the disparity
between how popular whey protein is (thanks in large part to yours truly)
and how much confusion there is regarding this immensely popular
supplement.
Why are people so confused about whey?
I have to conclude that it's part deceptive advertising by some
unscrupulous supplement, companies, poorly researched articles put out by
self proclaimed "guru" types, and the fact that whey is indeed a
complicated protein. In this article I will endeavor to clear it all up
once and for all. Lift the vale of secrecy, strip away the myths, and
shatter the hyperbole surrounding this ultra popular supplement.
By the time you are through reading this article, you will know all that
is needed to know regarding the differences in whey, such a concentrates
vs. isolates, micro filtered vs. ion exchange, and many other answers to
questions that seem to persist no matter how hard wise guy writers like me
have tried to dispense with all the myths and
misinformation/disinformation surrounding whey. Read this article
carefully, put it to memory, and you will be the resident whey expert in
the gym and amaze your friends at the next cookout if whey becomes a topic
of discussion (man people go to some boring cookouts!).
What is whey?
When we talk about whey we are actually referring to a complex protein
made up of many smaller protein subfractions such as: Beta-lactoglobulin,
alpha-lactalbumin, immunoglobulins (IgGs), glycomacropeptides, bovine
serum albumin (BSA) and minor peptides such as lactoperoxidases, lysozyme
and lactoferrin.
Each of the sub fractions found in whey has its own unique biological
properties. Up until quite recently, separating these subfractions on a
large scale was either impossible or prohibitively expensive for anything
but research purposes. Modern filtering technology has improved
dramatically in the past decade allowing companies to separate some of the
highly bioactive peptides from whey, such as lactoferrin and
lactoperoxidase.
Some of these sub fractions are only found in very minute amounts in cows
milk, normally at less than one percent. For example, though one of the
most promising subfractions for preventing various diseases, improving
immunity and over all health, lactoferrin makes up approximately 0.5% or
less of whey protein derived from cow milk (where as human milk will
contain up to 15% lactoferrin). Over the past few decades, whey protein
powders have evolved several generations from low grade concentrates to
very high grade concentrates and isolates.
What's so great about whey?
Whey protein has become a staple supplement for most bodybuilders and
other athletes and for good reason: it's a great protein for a wide
variety of reasons. Whey has more recently caught on with the anti
aging/longevity minded groups also, for it's effects on immunity.
A growing number of studies has found whey may potentially reduce cancer
rates, combat HIV, improve immunity, reduce stress and lower cortisol,
increase brain serotonin levels, improve liver function in those suffering
from certain forms of hepatitis, reduce blood pressure, and improve
performance, to name a few of its potential medical and sports related
applications. Whey also has an exceptionally high biological value rating
(though sellers of whey make FAR too big a deal of that fact) and an
exceptionally high BCAA
content.
One of whey's major effects is its apparent ability to raise glutathione (GSH).
The importance of GSH for the proper function of the immune system cannot
be overstated. GSH is arguably the most important water-soluble
antioxidant found in the body.
The concentration of intracellular GSH is directly related to lymphocytes
(an important arm of the immune system) reactivity to a challenge, which
suggests intracellular GSH levels are one way to modulate immune function.
GSH is a tri-peptide made up of the amino acids L-cysteine, L-glutamine
and glycine. Of the three, cysteine is the main source of the free
sulfhydryl group of GSH and is a limiting factor in the synthesis of GSH
(though the effects of whey on GSH is more complicated than simply its
cysteine content).
Because GSH is known to be essential to immunity, oxidative stress,
general well being, and reduced levels of GSH are associated with a long
list of diseases, whey has a place in anyone's nutrition program. Reduced
GSH is also associated with over training syndrome (OTS) in athletes, so
whey may very well have an application in preventing, or at least
mitigating, OTS.
Pertaining directly to athletes, some recent studies suggest whey may have
direct effects on performance and muscle mass, but this research is
preliminary at best. Some studies have found oxidative stress contributes
to muscular fatigue, so having higher GSH levels may allow you to train
longer and harder, as some recent data suggests.
Different types of whey:
Most of the confusion surrounding whey, appears to be in understanding the
different types of whey: concentrates, isolates, ion exchange, etc, etc.
In the following sections, I will attempt to clear it all up for the
reader.
Pro's and con's of concentrates:
First Generation whey protein powders contained as low as 30-40% protein
and contained high amounts of lactose, fat, and undenatured proteins. They
were considered a "concentrate" and were used mostly by the food
industry for baking and other uses. Modern concentrates now contain as
high as 70-80% plus protein with reduced amounts of lactose and fat. Many
people are under the impression that a WPC is inherently inferior to an
isolate.
This is simply untrue. Though WPCs will contain less protein on a gram for
gram basis than an isolate, a high quality WPC contains all sorts of
interesting compounds not found in the isolates. Good concentrates contain
far higher levels of growth factors, such as IGF-1, TGF-ß1, and TGF-ß2.
They contain much higher levels of various phospho lipids, and various bio
active lipids, such as Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), and they often
contain higher levels of immunoglobulins and lactoferrin. Although data is
lacking as to whether or not these compounds found in a good WPC will
effect an athlete's muscle mass or performance, studies do suggest these
compounds can improve immunity, intestinal health, and have many other
effects that both athletes and "normal" people alike may find
beneficial.
The drawbacks of WPCs are they have slightly less protein gram for gram
than an isolate, and contain higher levels of fat (though these fats may
in fact have beneficial effects) and higher levels of lactose. People
should not be under the impression that a well made WPC is inherently
inferior to a WPI and may in fact be a superior choice, depending on the
goals of the person.
For example, some people don't tolerate lactose well or are trying to
watch every gram of fat in their diet, etc. while other may want the
potentially beneficial effects of the additional compounds found in a high
quality concentrate.
The pro's and con's of isolates, and the micro filtered vs. ion
exchange debate.
WPI's generally contain as much as 90-96% protein. Research has found that
only whey proteins in their natural undenatured state (i.e. native
conformational state) have biological activity. Processing whey protein to
remove the lactose, fats, etc. without losing its biological activity
takes special care by the manufacturer. Maintaining the natural
undenatured state of the protein is essential to its anti-cancer and
immune stimulating activity.
The protein must be processed under low temperature and/or low acid
conditions as not to "denature" the protein and this becomes an
even greater concern when making high grade isolates vs. concentrates.
WPI's contain >90% protein contents with minimal lactose and virtually
no fat. The advantage of a good WPI is that it contains more protein and
less fat, lactose, and ash then concentrates on a gram for gram basis.
However, it should be clear to the reader by now that whey is far more
complicated than simple protein content, and protein content per se is far
from the most important factor when deciding which whey to use. For
example, ion exchange has the highest protein levels of any isolate. Does
that make it the best choice for an isolate? No, but many companies still
push it as the holy grail of whey.
Ion exchange is made by taking a concentrate and running it through what
is called an "ion exchange" column to get an "ion exchange
whey isolate." Sounds pretty fancy but there are serious drawbacks to
this method. As mentioned above, whey protein is a complex protein made up
of many sub fraction peptides that have their own unique effects on
health, immunity, etc. Some of these subfractions are only found in very
small amounts.
In truth, the subfractions are really what ultimately makes whey the
unique protein it is. Due to the nature of the ion exchange process, the
most valuable and health promoting components are selectively depleted.
Though the protein content is increased, many of the most important
subfractions are lost or greatly reduced.
This makes ion exchange isolates a poor choice for a true third-generation
whey protein supplement, though many companies still use it as their
isolate source due to the higher protein content. Ion exchange isolates
can be as high as 70% or greater of the subfraction Beta-lactoglobulin,
(the least interesting and most allergenic subfraction found in whey) with
a loss of the more biologically active and interesting subfractions.
So, the pros of an ion exchange whey is for those who simply want the very
highest protein contents per gram, but the cons are that the higher
protein content comes at cost; a loss of many of the subfractions unique
to whey. Not an acceptable trade in my view considering the fact that the
actual protein differences between a micro filtered type isolate is
minimal from that of an ion exchange.
This segues us nicely into looking at the micro filtered whey isolates.
With the array of more recent processing techniques used to make WPI's -
or pull out various subfractions - such as Cross Flow Micro filtration (CFM®)
ultra filtration (UF), micro filtration (MF), reverse osmosis (RO),
dynamic membrane filtration (DMF), ion exchange chromatography, (IEC),
electro-ultrafiltration (EU), radial flow chromatography (RFC) and nano
filtration (NF), manufacturers can now make some very high grade and
unique whey proteins. Perhaps the most familiar micro filtered isolate to
readers, would be CFM®*.
Although the term "cross flow micro filtered" is something of a
generic term for several similar ways of processing whey, The CFM®
processing method uses a low temperature micro filtration techniques that
allows for the production of very high protein contents (>90%), the
retention of important subfractions, extremely low fat and lactose
contents, with virtually no undenatured proteins. CFM® is a natural
non-chemical process which employs high tech ceramic filters, unlike ion
exchange, which involves the use of chemical regents such as hydrochloric
acid and sodium hydroxide. CFM® whey isolate also contains high amounts
of calcium and low amounts of sodium.
To sum this section up:
- The pros of concentrates is there may be higher levels of various -and
potentially beneficial - growth factors, lipids, phospholipids, and other
potentially interesting compounds. The cons are lower protein gram for
gram than isolates, and higher levels of fat and lactose that some people
may wish to avoid. Like all whey proteins, not all concentrates are
created equal in their levels of the above mentioned compounds of
interest.
- The pros of Ion exchange isolates is extremely low fat and lactose
levels, with the highest protein levels (on a gram for gram basis). The
cons -which outweigh the pros in my view - is the loss of important
subfractions in favor of higher amounts of Beta-Lac.
- The pros of well made micro filtered isolates, is a high protein content
(90% or above), low lactose and fat levels, very low levels of undenatured
proteins, and the retention of important subfractions in their natural
ratios. There really are no cons per se, unless the person wants the
additional compounds (e.g., higher levels of growth factors, CLA,
etc.) found in a well made concentrate.
* = CFM® is a trade mark process (hence the annoying trade mark sign next
to when ever I write CFM) of Glanbia Nutritionals, a large dairy company
out of Ireland with offices in the US.
New directions/the future for whey
There are several interesting directions in the development and processing
of the next generation of whey proteins.
- Optimizing sub fraction ratios, etc: Another fairly new development in
whey processing is the ability to isolate out certain bio active sub
fraction proteins on a large scale from whey proteins, such as lactoferrin
or Glycomacro peptide, using some of the processing methods mentioned
above. This was not possible to do on a large scale just a few years ago
but can be done today with modern filtering techniques employed by a small
number of companies. This allows for a truly tailored protein supplement;
the ability to add back in certain subfractions in amounts that can't be
found in nature.
Take for example the subfraction lactoferrin. In many whey products, it is
nonexistent due to the type of processing employed. The best whey products
will contain less than 1% lactoferrin and more like .5% of this rare but
important micro-fraction. Some companies are now able to add in a specific
subfraction to get a truly "designer" protein. One company is
also working on making an isolate that will have higher levels of the
beneficial subfraction , alpha-lactalbumin, and lower levels of the more
allergenic and less nutritive subfraction, Beta-lactoglobulin. "High
alpha-lac" whey isolates would be potentially superior to what is
currently on the market in large scale production.
On the concentrate front, there is a company that is producing a
concentrate with much higher levels of the aforementioned growth factors
(IGF-1, TGF-ß1, and TGF-ß2), and other bio active compounds, such as
various phospho lipids, Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), immunoglobulins,
and lactoferrin and has a fat content of approx 15%, which is 5-10% higher
in fat than most concentrates, but it's the fat that contains those
compounds.
- Hydrolyzed proteins make a comeback: Most people remember hydrolyzed
proteins were all the rage a few years ago, then dropped off sharply.
"Hydrolyzed" basically means the protein has been 'broken down'
partially into peptides of different lengths. Because the protein is
already partially 'broken down' it is absorbed faster, which may have
positive effects under certain circumstances, such certain metabolic
conditions (i.e., burn victims or people with certain digestive disorders
and pre term infants). Whether or not hydrolyzed proteins are truly an
advantage to athletes has yet to be proven.
The hype over hydrolyzed proteins was based pretty much on one rat study
that found fasted rats given Hydrolyzed protein had higher nitrogen
retention then rats fed whole protein. Too bad no one ever followed up
with a human study with athletes showing the same thing. Regardless, the
reason Hydrolyzed protein supplements never became more popular was due to
the fact they tasted awful, were expensive, and lacked enough data to
really support its use. The way they were produced at the time also
denatured the protein heavily. One company has a method for Hydrolyzing
whey protein that uses an enzymatic process that tastes OK and does not
denature the protein. It also appears to be fairly cost effective. This
type of Hydrolyzed whey may have some interesting, albeit poorly
researched, applications for bodybuilders and other athletes.
- Got milk minerals? Another potentially useful product to bodybuilders
and other athletes, is a process for extracting milk minerals from the
milk. This gives a highly bio available form of calcium without the fat
and lactose of dairy products, and also contains other minerals and
nutrients, such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc, needed for
optimal bone formation and metabolism.
Recent research suggests that higher calcium intakes are associated with
lower blood pressure, and other positive effects on health. Most
interesting to bodybuilders and other athletes however, is a growing body
of research that has found higher calcium intakes leads to reduced bodyfat
levels and may help shift the metabolism to increased lipolysis (fat
breakdown) and decrease lipogenesis (formation of fat). Though bodybuilder
types don't tend to suffer from bone density issues, many may not be
getting an optimal intake of calcium to see changes in bodyfat levels.
This new milk mineral product added to various protein formulas, might be
just what the anabolic doctor ordered for athletes looking to minimize
bodyfat and maximize muscle mass.
Conclusion
Well there you have it. I hope this article finally clears up the major
confusion people have surrounding whey, so the reader can now be an
educated consumer when they go to buy that next can of whey. Don't be
fooled by the hype. Whey is great stuff for many reasons, but you wont
"add mounds of muscle in ultra short time" from the simple
addition of whey to your diet - I also suggest people keep an eye out for
some of the newer developments I outlined above that will probably be
finding their way into the next generation of whey based formulas.
Will Brink
See Will's ebooks online here:
Muscle Building Nutrition http://www.musclebuildingnutrition.com/cgi/at.cgi?a=236024
A complete guide bodybuilding supplements and eating to gain lean muscle
Diet Supplements Revealed http://www.aboutsupplements.com/cgi/at.cgi?a=236024
A review of diet supplements and guide to eating for maximum fat loss
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