“What is the best type of whey protein to build muscle mass? Whey protein isolate, whey protein blends, or whey protein concentrate?”

This is a good question, a question I hear and over and over, and read constantly on bodybuilding and fitness forums. The short answer is, all of them are the same. That’s right, cheaper whey protein concentrate has exactly the same muscle building potential as pure whey protein isolate.

To date, there has been no studies showing that whey protein isolate has better bioavailablily, digestion or absorption as it’s lower quality counterpart whey protein concentrate. You’re probably thinking, why should I spend more money and get a protein blend or a protein isolate over a concentrate? We’ll, it depends on your goals.

The main advantage whey protein isolate has over concentrate is that it contains more whey per serving, and less calories. This means you get more for less. This is especially important if you want to limit your fat intake or you’re cutting down for a competition, photo shoot, or just for the summer.

Personally, I’d pay the extra few dollars for a good isolate protein supplement. The powder is finer, it mixes better (in my experience), it’s more watery and less filling, and you get about 2-5g more protein per scoop. For me, that’s worth the extra cash. But if you’re on a budget, bulking, and don’t mind the extra calories, the you’ll get the same muscle building effects from a concentrate or blend as you’d get from a pure whey protein isolate.

Any questions? Post them below and I’ll be more than happy to answer them!

Here’s some product features:

• No Artificial Flavors or Sweeteners
• No Synthetic Colors
• Made with Whole Grain Oats Supplying 4 Grams of Dietary Fiber
• 24 Grams of All-Whey Protein
• Packed with Premium Whey Protein Isolates (WPI)
• Smooth, Drinkable Consistency

Have you tried Natural Oats and Whey? I have some on order and will be posting a review up here soon. If you have tried this new whey protein and oats product let me and the readers of this site know by leaving your reviews and comments at the bottom of this page.

As you can see whey protein wins on almost every count. The most important points you need to note from that table are biological value (BV) and amino acid score. These are the 2 most important factors that makes whey protein the ultimate product for lean muscle growth.

I see casein protein playing a major role in building muscle. Whey protein is quick digesting, but that can also be its downfall. There are 2 times of the day where I would definitely choose casein over whey. They are:

1. Before bed
2. During the day (not after a workout)

These 2 times when casein rules. Why? Because of casein’s slower release into the body. Casein takes up to 7 hours to be fully absorbed by the body, that’s 7 hours of vital protein being delivered to muscles that are repairing after intense training sessions (yeah, you’re training intense right?!).

Casein is often referred to as night time protein, and it is. I have personally experienced more muscle and weight gains just by switching to casein at night times. Now, I would never take whey before bed.

The other time of the day I like to take casein is about 2 hours before my workout. For exactly the same reasons, I want that protein to be made available to my muscles during my workout. If I wanted to do this with whey, I’d have to take it right before I trained which would leave me feeling bloated.

So don’t write casein off, it has its place, and you can build more muscle taking it!

Today I’m going to list some of the whey protein facts. Facts that make whey protein the best source of protein. The fact is that whey protein is a superfood and almost anyone can benefit from consuming it. Here’s the facts about whey protein…

Whey Protein Facts:

1. Whey protein is the best source of amino acids available. It has a complete amino acid profile, no other protein source contains this. Amino acids are not only vital for many body functions, they are the building blocks of protein and are essential to muscle growth and recovery. Without adequate amino acids in the diet performance and muscle growth will be hampered.
2. Whey protein is absorbed faster than any other protein source. This makes it ideal for drinking after workouts, and first thing in the morning when the body needs nutrients and aminos as quick as possible.
3. Whey protein is actually a by product of cheese. It’s what’s left over in the cheese making process. In the old times, whey protein used to be thrown away, being dumped in rivers close to the cheese factories.
4. Whey protein isolate (the most purest form of protein) contains the highest biological value of any protein source. Biological value (BV) is a measure of how quickly and efficiently the body can use a protein source. The higher the better. Eggs have a BV of around 100, whey protein isolate can be up to 150!
5. Whey protein can help with type II diabetes. For people with type 2 diabetes, adding whey to high-carbohydrate meals stimulates insulin release and reduces spikes in blood glucose levels after meals.
6. Whey protein can help you lose weight! Protein takes more energy for the body to process than carbs and fats. This means more calories are need to process it, and more calories are burned. This leads to a faster metabolism and faster weight loss.
7. Good whey protein supplements are also high in Glutamine. Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body, and is responsible for muscle repair and regrowth as well as being the primary fuel for the immune system.
8. Some studies have shown that whey protein can help increase memory power in stressful situations.
9. Whey protein supplements are also sold as “tasteless”. These tasteless forms of whey protein can be mixed with just about any recipe to add extra protein without effecting taste.
10. Whey protein isolate is practically fat free. It’s also lactose free. Whey protein isolate is filtered and can be almost 95% pure protein!
11. Whey protein is now the most common ingredient in weight loss drinks, meal replacements and products.

Do you know any other facts about whey that I’ve missed? Leave them in the comment below! Enjoy your whey!

I know exactly where he’s coming from. I have tried around 5 brands of casein protein, and they all have the same mixing problems and “milky” taste that I really don’t like. So today I thought I’d post up a quick tip for those of you who can’t (or don’t want to) take casein protein.

Whey + EFAs alternative to casein protein:

Fat slows down digestion, so what better way to slow down fast digesting whey protein than with some healthy fats! EFAs are essential for muscle building and overall health, and are often the most overlooked part of a bodybuilders/athletes diet.

You can buy good EFA supplements in oil form, a good example is Udo’s Essential Blend. These supplements contain the correct ratio of omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 oils.

All you need to do is mix 10ml of essential fats into your 35g of whey protein and bam, you have yourself a slower digesting protein shake. It might not be as slow digesting as casein protein, but it will do the job.

Note: In my experience essential oils don’t mix as well with chocolate as they do with other flavors. Most strawberry protein supplements I’ve tried can be mixed without even noticing the oil content. Choc however might leave an aftertaste of the oil. You’ll just have to try it out for yourself!

Questions/comments post below…

I can’t believe someone hasn’t done this before! I love cooking, and it’s going to be awesome (when it arrives) to add some extra top quality protein to my foods. Some of the foods you could possible add Any Whey to are:

1. Cookies
2. Cakes
3. Muffins
4. Breakfast cereal
5. Shakes and smoothies
6. Omelets

I must say, I’m a little skeptical about just how flavorless this protein is going to be, but from reports from other who’ve tried it, it sounds promising!

So if you want to add extra protein to foods and drinks, give it a shot. Post some of your recipes or food ideas in the comments below.