Whey Protein Isolate v Whey Protein Concentrate : What IS the difference?
I have used Whey Protein but never fully understood what it was. I had noticed my stomach was somewhat upset, with bloating and gas after I had taken my Protein Powder so I decided to do a bit of research. For those of you that don’t already know, here are some facts about Whey and Protein Powder, and the difference between Concentrate and Isolate.
Whey is actually the by-product from making cheese and is an excellent Protein Source however, in its raw state, whey is not something a person would want to eat so, to make it more fit for consumption it is put through a process which separates the protein, lactose and fat. This produces a highly concentrated protein which is made available to you as a protein powder. The two resulting Protein Powders are Whey Isolate and Whey Concentrate.
I didn’t even know there was a difference. I wanted Protein Powder and just bought the cheapest one available. I hadn’t tried Whey Protein Isolate until recently as it is more expensive than Whey Protein Concentrate but why?
Well, Isolate is a much more pure version of protein powder and that’s why the price is higher. Concentrate Whey Protein Powder contains less protein and more fat and lactose per serving than the Isolate version so it is cheaper. Concentrate typically contains 70 to 85% protein, where as Isolate contains around 90 to 97%. Most versions of Whey Protein available are made up of Concentrate with a small amount of Isolate mixed in and this is the type I had always bought.
I have discovered that many bodybuilders are, from experience, of the opinion that there isn’t really any difference in the effectiveness to actual muscle building between Isolate and Concentrate. Whey Protein in general is however excellent for muscle building as it has a high BV or ‘Biological Value’. In simple terms it means that the amino acid ratio is fantastic for muscle building as a large proportion of the protein is absorbed and used easily.
So it seems as though the main benefits to using Isolate over Concentrate really come down to the facts that it is lower in fat, which may make a slight difference when you are preparing for a competition and watching every gram and that it is much lower in lactose, meaning you are less likely to suffer with gas and bloating after taking it if you are lactose intolerant.
Concentrate Whey Protein Powder also has its benefits though. It is cheaper than Isolate, is just as good for muscle building and retains more of the valuable protein sub-fractions that support the immune system, most of which are filtered out of Whey Isolate in the filtration process.
Basically, both products have their advantages and disadvantages and it is up to you to decide which benefits you prefer above the others. I hope my research has been helpful to you and helps you when choosing your next protein powder.
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Native Whey Protein Isolate – Undenatured Whey Protein
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