"The
Whey It Is"
By Will Brink, author of:
Muscle
Building Nutrition
http://musclebuildingnutrition.com
Muscle Gaining Diet, Training Routines by Charles Poliquin &
Bodybuilding Supplement Review
Diet
Supplements Revealed
http://aboutsupplements.com
Real World Fat Loss Diet & Weight Loss Supplement Review
"The
Whey It Is"
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.
About the Author - William D. Brink
Will Brink is a columnist, contributing consultant, and writer
for various health/fitness, medical, and bodybuilding publications.
His articles relating to nutrition, supplements, weight loss,
exercise and medicine can be found in such publications as Lets
Live, Muscle Media 2000, MuscleMag International, The Life Extension
Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Inside Karate, Exercise For Men Only,
Body International, Power, Oxygen, Penthouse, Women’s World
and The Townsend Letter For Doctors.
He is the
author of Priming The Anabolic Environment and Weight Loss Nutrients
Revealed. He is the Consulting Sports Nutrition Editor and a monthly
columnist for Physical magazine and an Editor at Large for Power
magazine. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration
in the natural sciences, and is a consultant to major supplement,
dairy, and pharmaceutical companies.
He has been
co author of several studies relating to sports nutrition and
health found in peer reviewed academic journals, as well as having
commentary published in JAMA. He runs the highly popular web site
BrinkZone.com which is strategically positioned to fulfill the
needs and interests of people with diverse backgrounds and knowledge.
The BrinkZone site has a following with many sports nutrition
enthusiasts, athletes, fitness professionals, scientists, medical
doctors, nutritionists, and interested lay people. William has
been invited to lecture on the benefits of weight training and
nutrition at conventions and symposiums around the U.S. and Canada,
and has appeared on numerous radio and television programs.
William has
worked with athletes ranging from professional bodybuilders, golfers,
fitness contestants, to police and military personnel.
See
Will's ebooks online here:
Muscle
Building Nutrition
A complete guide bodybuilding supplements and eating to gain lean
muscle
Diet
Supplements Revealed
A review of diet supplements and guide to eating for maximum fat
loss
He can be contacted at: PO Box 812430
Wellesley MA. 02482.
BrinkZone.com
Email: will@brinkzone.com
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