Whey Protein is the subject of today’s article. With this boom of the fitness industry nowadays, we can see in every single gym people with their protein shakes after their workout. But do these people really know the science behind it, or are they just shaking it up and down, and waiting to get crazy results in a short period of time? Most of them don’t really know what is Whey Protein, and I’m here to explain today. Let’s start from the beginning: 

Proteins are the most important macronutrients for building muscle mass, together with carbohydrates. You can find proteins in any kind of meat, like beef, chicken, in fish, in eggs, and also in milk and other dairy products. And that’s exactly where it comes from. Whey Protein is the protein taken from the whey of the milk, which is a liquid substance obtained during the production of cheese, and it has a high biological value, which means that it has a better absorption by the organism to become muscle tissue. Whey Protein is used for supplementing your body with some lack of protein ingestion you might be facing. Nowadays it’s getting harder and harder to get a good nutrition, because our work days are getting crazy, and at every corner there is a fast-food restaurant, making things “easier” for everyone. So, that’s one reason why to use Whey Protein in your diet. At any moment you can’t eat properly, you can still take your shake instead of eating at fast-foods. Whey Protein is used by gym goers because it has a high concentration of protein in a considerably small portion of the substance, being ideal for ingestion after workout, especially in a sport like bodybuilding, where there is rupture of muscle tissue. But all this information is really basic, and what most of the public doesn’t know is that Whey Protein is being used even in hospitals for patients in recovery, and there are ongoing researches about it being a probable form of reduction of risk and complementary treatment of diverse diseases. Some pre-clinical trials in rodents suggest that Whey Protein might have anti-inflammatory or anti-cancer properties!!! There’s nothing confirmed yet, and I’m not saying that Whey Protein cures cancer, but it’s a great research to be done! Whey Protein will help your immune system, hydration of your skin, high production of IGF-1 (Insulin-Like Growth Factor type-1, or Somatomedin C, is a protein produced in the liver in response to Growth Hormone production, with an important role in development of muscle mass, reduction of blood glucose levels, reduction of body fat levels, it alters lipid oxidation and enhances the protein synthesis). That’s a pretty good way to make your nutrition more tasty without necessarily making it more fatty or sugary. It is also a very practical option of snack, in case you have a meeting and no time to eat, as I mentioned before.

There are 3 kinds of Whey Protein:

Whey Protein Concentrate – it’s the pure Whey Protein, without any major changes, containing a few grams of carbohydrates and fat.

Isolate Whey Protein – It’s the purest protein source available. This Whey Protein comes with zero or almost zero carbohydrates and fat, and zero lactose as well. This is commonly used by athletes during their pre-contest phases for being less caloric than the Whey Protein Concentrate. And no, it’s not called “Isolate” because the cow was raised alone, you meme lovers 😀

Hydrolysate Whey Protein – this Whey Protein, besides being as pure as the Isolate Whey Protein, has its molecules already broken and ready to be digested. It is used right after the workouts, when you need nutrients as fast as possible to stop the catabolism caused by the heavy training (which is proven to not be true, but most gym bros still think this way).

There’s a lot more about Whey Protein and its properties, but the most important for me is that people who read this article will understand that Whey Protein is highly beneficial to anyone, not only athletes, and it should be part of your daily diet, instead of fast-foods or other miracle formulas offered in the tv.

PS: I am DEFINITELY NOT telling you to drink as much whey protein as you can. Make sure you talk to a qualified professional to check if you need it or if It will be beneficial to you.

Vegetarians/Vegans, worry not. There are other kinds of protein powder that can aid a lot in your nutrition without necessarily being made of whey. You can find pea protein, rice protein, etc.

Regarding the quality of products available in the European market, the regulations over here are quite strict when it comes to the product quality, so you will hardly find something that is not made with good quality. Search for the powder you like the most, and also for the ones with higher concentration of protein per 100g, consequently having less carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are cheap in the grocery stores and I see no reason why anyone would buy them from supplement shops.

*sources: PROTEIN – WHICH IS BEST? (Jay R. Hoffman and Michael J. Falvo)

The Department of Health and Exercise Science, The College of New Jersey, Ewing, New Jersey, USA

International Society of Sports Nutrition Symposium, June 18-19, 2005, Las Vegas NV, USA – Symposium – Macronutrient Utilization During Exercise: Implications For Performance And Supplementation

Teixeira FJ, Santos HO, Howell SL, Pimentel GD. Whey protein in cancer therapy: A narrative review. Pharmacol Res. 2019 Jun;144:245-256. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2019.04.019. Epub 2019 Apr 18. PMID: 31005617.

Bumrungpert A, Pavadhgul P, Nunthanawanich P, Sirikanchanarod A, Adulbhan A. Whey Protein Supplementation Improves Nutritional Status, Glutathione Levels, and Immune Function in Cancer Patients: A Randomized, Double-Blind Controlled Trial. J Med Food. 2018 Jun;21(6):612-616. doi: