Whey Protein: what is it, what is it for and how to take it

There whey protein, also known as milk whey protein, is the liquid portion produced by milk coagulation during the cheese production process. This liquid is characterized by being rich in proteins of high biological value, being used to prepare nutritional supplements of protein in octopus, to fortify foods such as yogurts, cereals and bakery products, and it is even used in the elaboration of infant formulas.

In the present, the supplements of whey protein They are mainly used for sports, as they improve muscle recovery and increase the concentration of proteins in the body, favoring an increase in muscle mass.

It is important that for your consumption you go to a sports nutritionist, put the intake of whey protein must be accompanied by a healthy diet. In addition, the amount that should be taken during the training will depend on several factors such as age, gender, weight and the goals that the person wants.

As it is a complete protein supplement, it whey protein brings benefits such as:

• Increase muscle strength and training performance;
• Prevent muscle degeneration;
• Improve muscle recovery during training;
• Increase the feeling of satiety, as it could favor weight loss;
• Increase the production of proteins and muscles.

It is important to bear in mind that in order to take full advantage of the aforementioned benefits and improve the performance at the time of training, the protein supplement must form part of a healthy diet. Know what he is doping in the sport and which substances are prohibited.

Other possible benefits

There whey protein It is a protein of high quality and is very well used by the body and, therefore, in addition to being recommended for people who practice physical activity, it can be used in cases of heritable skin ulcers, ulcers or bed sores to promote wound healing fabrics. It could also be used to prevent or recover muscle mass loss in people undergoing cancer treatment or HIV.

In addition, some scientific studies indicate that the whey protein It could have antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, as it has been considered to have high potential to prevent and treat diseases such as diabetes, heart, liver, autoimmune and obesity problems.

The recommended amount of whey protein It varies according to age, gender, weight and the intensity of the physical activity practiced, even though it is more intense and training, a greater amount of protein will be necessary to recover the muscles. Therefore, it is very important to consult a nutritionist or a doctor to adapt the dose before taking any supplement.

In general, it is recommended to take 20 to 40 g of supplement per day, which can be divided into two daily doses, can be taken about 20 minutes before training or up to 30 minutes after training. It is also important to know that men need a greater amount of protein than women can have a greater amount of muscle in the body.

This product can be purchased at sports stores, pharmacies and online stores.

There are three types of whey protein, as they vary according to the form of production and the amount of proteins present in the supplement:

• Focused: It goes through a simpler process and, therefore, also contains carbohydrates, fats, milk and minerals. In general, the protein concentration is around 70 – 80%.
• isolated: It is the purest form of protein due to which extra fat is removed from the formulation of the supplement, so the concentration of protein is less than 90%.
• Hydrolyzed: in addition to being a pure protein, this type of supplement goes through a process in which the proteins are “predigested”, so that their intestinal absorption is faster.

There whey protein hydrolyzed is the one that has the highest price, while the one that is concentrated is the cheapest.

There whey protein You can gain weight when you take it in excess or when it is not recommended by a nutritionist, you can increase the amount of calories in the diet, which leads to weight gain.

There whey protein It is mainly composed of branched-chain amino acids, better known as BCAAs, whose advantages are that they are digested and absorbed faster at the intestinal level, if compared to other types of proteins such as casein, for example, which require to be digested.

The BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine and valine) represent 35% of the amino acids that form the proteins of the muscles. for what to ingest Whey protein, the amount of these circulating amino acids that stimulate the increase of the muscular mass is increased.

Learn more about what BCAA supplements are for and what they are for.

Mainly, protein supplements cause side effects when consumed in excess, which can cause gas, nausea, vomiting, cramps, decreased appetite and headache. In the case of allergy to milk proteins, dermatitis can occur or in the most severe cases, an anaphylactic shock.

Likewise, this type of supplement is contraindicated in children under 18 years of age, in embarassed women or during lactation and in cases of kidney disease, gout, milk protein allergy or lactose intolerance.