Studies suggest that athletes in training may take in as much as 25% of their entire day’s required protein intake after an intense training session when their muscles most need the support.
Whey Isolate is also a GREAT choice for dieters looking to lose weight, especially those on low-carbohydrates diets who can’t use complex carbohydrates for energy, because WPI will work as an alternative source for that energy instead of leaving your body to rob muscle protein and glutamine stores for the resources it needs.
The downside of using Whey Protein Isolate is that it IS more costly than other sources of protein. But even with this limitation, WPI is also much more qualified at providing you with a better return on your investment in the form of optimized muscle growth.
Whey Protein Concetrate – WPC (Max BV 104)
Back when researchers were first experimenting with isolating whey, they managed to isolate Whey Protein Concentrate first, with a max BV of 104. However, with the further development of Whey Protein Isolates, the concentrate has been rendered relatively useless.
Given that it only has four more points on the BV scale than eggs, you could save your money by using eggs instead of going with whey protein concentrate. Unfortunately, the supplements industry has been using whey concentrate as filler in many of their products, so it hasn’t disappeared all together.
But in my humble opinion, it isn’t worth the money.
Milk Protein (max BV of 91)
Personally, I’m not a big fan of milk as a protein source, but let’s face it... it’s cheap and does contain some quick and easy protein in both the slow-digesting casein version as well as the quicker digesting whey.
This combination may yield greater results for some people and because of its convenience should make up a large portion of your protein intake. Most meal replacement powders (MRPs) use a blend of casein and whey as the base for their mix of protein.
Casein (Max BV – 77)
The other protein successfully isolated from milk is casein with a max BV rating of 77. Often touted as the protein choice for skinny “hardgainers” who have a hard time gaining weight, casein digests much slower in the body, seemingly allowing the available proteins to be available much longer for use by people with faster metabolisms.
From my research, the jury (my jury) is still out on this theory based upon recent findings, but we do know that casein DOES digest slowly and has its place in an athlete’s supplement program. While it may be a good option for “skinny guys”, casein may also prove valuable during periods when you need a longer feed of amino acids, such as right before going to bed since you’ll essentially be going without protein for the next 6-8 hours while sleeping.
Soy Protein (Max BV – 74-95; higher BV with Soy Isolate)
While most bodybuilders shy away from soy protein chalking it up as a protein reserved for tree-hugging hippies, it actually performs several additional roles that prove beneficial to your body.
Soy can protect your cardiovascular system by lowering LDL, minimizing the likelihood of developing arterial diseases as a result of all that “bad cholesterol” you may be taking in from your primarily carnivore diet. In addition, soy contains a high level of the amnio acids l-Arginine and l-Glutamine, but beneficial in the maintenance and growth of muscle tissue!
Summary:
The well-informed training athlete would do well to NOT consume protein from just one source. Variety is key when it comes to getting a comprehensive profile of readily available amino acids for optimum cell function and muscle growth (in addition to making sure your diet doesn’t become to boring).
By learning which proteins will serve you best at which time of the day and based upon your body’s profile and goals, you can combine the benefits of each to reach you goals faster. The following is a good chart to use when it comes to bioavailability of each protein source...
Protein Source BV Rating
Ion-Exchange Whey Protein/ Whey Protein Isolate 110 – 159
Whey Protein Concentrate 104
Whey Protein Concentrate 104
Whole Egg 100
Cow’s Milk 91
Fish 83
Beef 80
Chicken 79
Casein (Found in milk and cheese products) 77
Soy 74-95
Rice 59
Wheat 54
Beans 49
A Word On Buying Protein Supplements...
There are several factors that determine the best value when buying protein, but the highest amount per serving may not be one of them. First, look at the source of the protein since you now know that certain types are more easily absorbed by the body than others.
Once you have the right protein source for your goals, take a look at the Serving Size (52 grams per serving sounds great...until you see the size of the 2 scoops they consider a serving!) and the size of the container.
Next look at the price. (Always a factor, right?) Now that you have all of the info you need, it's just simple math from here. Here's how to compare products to make the best choice... First, gather all of the products together (from the shelves or the catalog pages) that contain the best source of protein.
Then, looking at the Nutrition Facts label on the back of each container (or from the catalog info) and multiply the Serving Size (in grams) by the number of Servings Per Container. This will give you the total number of grams in the container you're looking to buy.
Finally, divide the container Purchase Price by the total number of grams in the container (from above). This will give you your “Cost Per Gram Of Protein” for each of the products.
Here's an example from ProtaQuest's Precision Whey Protein:
Serving Size: 1 scoop (32 g)
Servings Per Container: 70
32(g) X 70 (servings) = 2,240 grams per container
Purchase Price: $25.55
$25.55 divided by 2,240 = $.01 per gram
All things being equal (ignore the claims of containing "proprietary blends" of glutamine or other additives!), choose the product with the lowest cost per gram and you're all set!
Another Word...On Building Muscle On A Vegetarian Diet...
Many have wondered whether it is possible for bodybuilders to be vegetarians. It is possible, as many of the supplements outlined so far are vegetarian or come in vegetarian forms.
Although meat sources aren’t used, the highest bioavailable protein sources are derived from milk (meaning Whey Isolate, Concentrate, etc.) and if taken with a variety of other vegetarian protein sources such as legumes, should be ok. However, vegans (vegetarians who don’t even consume dairy or eggs) are unlikely to be able to achieve stage-winning muscles because of the limitation on protein sources for a full spectrum amino acid profile that’s ALSO readily assimilated.
To reduce the gap, vegans may need to work harder and take more time to recover from training just to make near the same gains as their meat-eating gym buddies.
In fact, the odds are against most vegans even being able to maintain a healthy lifestyle without thorough research and a broad spectrum of highly bioavailable non-animal proteins.
Then again, the same can be said for those who eat nothing but meat. The lesson here is that everyone needs supplemental nutrition to maintain a wellbalanced diet for proper support of your body’s ability to function and achieve the desired results.