Last week we discussed casein proteins and how they are ideal as a meal replacement if time does not allow for a well-prepared meal. This week we are turning our attention to whey proteins, starting from the bottom rung.
Whey
Whey protein concentrate (WPC) is the next step up from casein and it comes from the liquid left over during the cheese making process (whey). In its raw form whey contains lactose, fat, salt, and other proteins. Originally all whey protein was made from whey sources left over from the manufacturing of cheese.
If supplement manufacturers use this lower quality source of raw materials, harsh acids have been used to separate whey from casein resulting in a lower quality whey protein supplement. Now there are companies that make whey and casein specifically for supplement manufacturers by extracting them from whole milk for the sole purpose of creating higher quality supplements, which makes the quality of whey protein today superior to the ones previously available.
There are many different processes designed to separate the valuable parts of protein found in whey. Whey protein derived from ultrafiltration is referred to as Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC). The ultrafiltration process does not remove any fat or damaged protein from the whey. For the WPC to be considered high quality, special processing prior to the ultrafiltration is necessary to remove the majority of the fat present in whey as well as separating out damaged protein and casein particles left over from the cheese making process if the whey was acquired secondary to the processing of cheese.
WPCs can yield a product ranging from 20% up to 85% protein. They could be 20% protein and 85% fat and lactose, which is usually the case when not specified in a product. If the concentrate consists mostly of protein, it usually states so in the label; if it consists mostly of fat and lactose, your intestines will let you know with gas and bloating.
The way to tell if your WPC is high quality is by looking at the label and calculating the percentage of protein compared to the total weight of the serving size. For example, if your protein serving size is 23.5g and it yields 20g of protein per serving, the easy math is 20 ÷ 23.5 = .8510 x 100 = 85.10% which means your protein serving contains 85.10% protein. Keep in mind that flavoring agents, sweeteners, gums, and even fiber in some supplements take up some of the volume of the total serving weight. This formula is to be used only with supplements that consists of only protein as a way of determining the percentage yield of protein per serving. This formula is NOT to be used with Meal Replacement Powders (MRPs) as these contain fat and carbohydrates in “meal-like-quantities” and would show the protein yield to be very low as it is being compared to the entire serving. Most protein supplement manufacturers “blend” or combine proteins for specific purposes ranging from slow gastric emptying time for meal replacement purposes, or quick gastric emptying time for post workout recovery. It is these different blends that can also make a product superior or low quality, depending on the differing qualities and quantities of the proteins used in their blends. So make sure you read the labels and understand what you are using!
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Whey protein is a natural byproduct from enzyme and acid produced cheese making. Whey protein is a component of all mammalian milk.