Fitness Articles

What Is Whey?

A glass of milk is about 88% water, 5% carbohydrates, 4% fat and 3% protein. Whey makes up around 20% of that protein with another milk protein, casein, providing the remaining 80%.

Whey is a fast digesting complete protein containing all of the Essential Amino Acids (EAAs) that your body can’t make on its own. These EAAs include the Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine. All play an important role in muscle building and recovery. These qualities make whey protein a popular choice for before or after exercise.

History of Whey

You can trace the use of whey all the way back to ancient times, where the father of medicine, Hippocrates, recommended its consumption for health. Drinking whey to support health was also a popular practice at European spas during the 1800s. Then during the 1960s, bodybuilders discovered whey’s muscle building potential. Driven by athlete demand and modern dairy processing technologies, whey went from mostly unwanted waste product to sports nutrition gold.

Different Forms of Whey Powder

Whey is a byproduct of cheese making. Liquid whey is separated from the curds, which are solid casein. Using different processing techniques, this liquid whey can be made into Whey Concentrate (34% to 80% protein), Whey Isolate (up to 90% protein) and Hydrolyzed Whey (“cut” into smaller pieces) powders.

Whey Shakes For All Goals & Tastes

Supplement companies provide so many options for whey protein, selecting the right one for your needs can be confusing. If taste is your preference, a powder made mostly with Whey Concentrate can be a good choice. You’ll get more calories, carbohydrates and fat per serving, but also more milkshake-like flavor. If you’re trying to build muscle while losing body fat, Whey Isolate will likely have fewer calories, carbohydrates and fat.

Combinations of these two types of whey offer a balance of both flavor and attractive macros, so check the label Facts Panel for details. For pure performance, hydrolyzed whey protein isolate is another great option. Choose the whey that is ideally suited to meet your goals.

What Is Casein?

A typical glass of milk is about 88% water, 5% carbohydrates, 4% fat and 3% protein. Slow digesting casein makes up around 80% of the protein with fast digesting whey providing the other 20%. A serving of powdered casein provides half the Daily Value for calcium compared to less than 10% in a scoop of whey.

Both casein and whey are complete proteins, providing all the Essential Amino Acids (EAAs) including the three Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine. EAAs play important roles in muscle building and recovery. Your body can’t make them, so EAAs must be taken in through food.

History of Casein

In ancient Egypt, casein was used as a binder for pigments. In the 1900s, it was used as a plastic to make buttons, knitting pins and other items.

We mostly know casein for food sources like cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and supplements. Optimum Nutrition was first to market a micellar casein powder in 2005. Micellar is considered the natural form of casein. 

Supplementing With Casein Protein

Casein is a good choice for times when nutrients won’t be available for a while. Usage occasions include between meals and before bed. Its slow digestion delivers amino acids to recovering muscles for longer than fast digesting whey protein.

As a powdered mix, a 34 gram serving of micellar casein provides 24 grams of protein containing nearly 5 grams of Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) and nearly 5 grams of glutamine – the most abundant amino acid in muscle. This nutrient profile can help active adults build muscle size and strength.