2009 Studies & Research Blog

Chances are, if you walk into any gym and ask ten people what they think the most important supplement in their arsenal is, nine will probably offer the same response - whey protein. At some point, whey was crowned the king of protein supplements, most likely due to its high bioavailability and low fat and carbohydrate content. As a result, most strength athletes make it a staple supplement, without even thinking why - and that’s a problem.

Despite what Joe Bro and most of the supplement industry will tell you, whey protein is not the best source of protein. Alarming, I know. And the grand irony of the entire situation is that the very feature that is touted as whey’s best aspect is actually the reason it is ineffective. This characteristic is whey’s rapid absorption. While speed has its advantages in some cases, whey protein is just a bit too quick. In fact, almost 60% of it can be oxidized by your liver for glucogenesis, meaning it never reaches your muscles (1). Simply put, the speedy absorption of whey makes it ineffective at battling catabolism (muscle breakdown).

The only way that scientists were able to make whey effective at preventing catabolism was to administer two grams of it every 20 minutes for seven hours; this slow delivery proved to be more than three times better at fueling muscles than a single dose (2). Unfortunately, that’s not a realistic option. So what’s the solution? A protein blend, preferably one with micellar casein, egg albumin, and other sustained-release proteins.

Studies have shown there is a "synergistic effect between solubleproteins and caseins," meaning that a combination of protein sources is superior. Combining a slow-digesting protein source such as casein with whey provides a steady stream of amino acids for utilization by the muscles; one group of researchers specifically noted that whey’s "too-rapid dietary amino acid delivery cannot support the anabolic requirement" in the post-workout period (3).

By contrast, the sustained delivery of a protein blend yields much better results. One study found that using a blended protein supplement in conjunction with exercise resulted in twice the drop in body fat percentage, twice the gains in lean mass, and twice the gains in strength compared to whey and exercise (4). Given this information, the choice is clear - you can either work twice as hard with whey, or ditch the broscience and let a blend do the work for you.

SOURCES:

1. Jungas RL, et al. Physiological Review, 1992: 72: 419-448.

2. Biorie Y, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 1997: 94 (26): 14930-5.

3. Lacroix, Magali, et al. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2006: 84(5): 1070-1079.

4. Demling, Robert H., and DeSanti, Leslie. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2000: 44:21-29.