Protein is incredibly important macronutrient and irreplaceable as it serves important roles in our body. They act as enzymes, messengers, antibodies and provides structure to the body. It is needed at every phase of our life , at an early stage for proper growth and development ,also at later phase for building muscle mass and maintenance.
There are many sources of protein
Animal sources :- milk and milk products , eggs, seafood , chicken, meat
Plant sources :- soybean, peas, rice
Nowadays, Protein Supplements are popularly used to meet the increased needs of athletes, any chronic ailment where there is muscle wasting , or physiological condition. Although , each supplement has its own advantages but as per research , milk derived proteins (whey and casein), particularly whey protein are widely acceptable, as they are nutritionally balanced and offers muscle building and health benefits.
Overview of % of milk proteins
Basic difference between Whey and Casein
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Whey protein |
Casein Protein |
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More soluble form |
Less soluble form
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20% of milk protein portion |
80% of milk protein |
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Fast digesting protein |
Slow digesting protein |
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Has higher % of BCAAs. Leucine is the main BCAA which is the king anabolic amino acid to increase muscle mass |
Has lower % of BCCAs as compared to Whey. Glutamic acid is the main amino acid which offers immunoprotective properties |
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Presence of immunoglobons which help strengthen immunity. |
Presence of bioactive peptides offers health benefits such as better immunity and may help lower blood pressure. |
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Best for instant recovery Within 30 minutes post workout or sports |
Best for overnight recovery To be taken at bedtime |
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PDCAAS score 1.14 |
PDCAAS score 1.0 |
Benefits of Whey and Casein
Building Muscle Mass - Muscle synthesis and maintenance for recovery
Positive nitrogen balance
Supply essential amino acids and BCAAs
Weight management - Provides better satiety
Improves body composition
Influencing glucose homeostasis
Cardiovascular health - May help reduce blood pressure
More facts about Whey protein
- Whey protein is natural and high quality protein , a rich source of essential amino acids.
- Whey protein are fast releasing proteins and are easy to digest, which provides it with excellent metabolic efficiency.
- It has the highest biological value (BV) of any protein.
- If we compare it to any single protein source, they offer the highest concentration of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) , being 23– 25%. Check SN Best Whey Protein Range.
Three forms of Whey protein
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Whey Protein Concentrate
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Whey protein isolate |
Hydrolysed Whey protein concentrate and isolate |
|
It is available in various protein concentrates depending upon the manufacturing level.
WPC-34% WPC 50% WPC -80% |
It is manufactured when whey protein concentrate undergoes processing at 90% or above, it is the purest form of protein
WPC-90% -95% |
It is manufactured by use of hydrolysis process to cleave protein to peptides ( small chains). Pre digested partially hydrolysed form of protein
HWPC > 80% HWPI > 90%
|
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Higher level of bioactive compounds |
Lower level of bioactive compounds |
HWPC has higher level of bioactive compounds as compared to HWPI |
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Low in fat 1-9% (varies with protein concentration) |
Negligible fat and carbohydrate content 0.5-1% |
HWPC < 10%
HWPI < 1% (varies with protein concentration) |
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it has variable % of lactose content (4-54%) |
It has negligible lactose content (<1%) |
HWPC <8% HWPI > 1% |
Gangurde H (2011)
In a nut shell, both whey protein, their different three forms and Casein promotes protein synthesis , prevents muscle catabolism and offer optimal recovery. But they vary primarily in respect of absorption rate and % of BCAAs
References
Whey protein. Scholars’ Research Journal / Jul-Dec 2011 / Vol 1 / Issue 2