This article will explain in details how to use whey protein for best results. We will discuss how much it can contribute to your fitness goals and whether it is suitable for everyone. Whey protein is a great supplement to build muscle mass but it also can be used as a meal replacement for fat loss. Check below headlines for easy navigation :
2- What is Whey Protein Good For ?
4- How Much of Whey Protein Do I need ?
6- Does Whey Protein Really Work? How Much Progress to Expect ?
7- Whey Concentrate vs Isolate vs Hydrolyzed
8- Best Products to Choose – How to Choose the Best Whey Protein ?
9- Do I Need Mass Gainers, How to Use it?
10- Best Whey Protein for Muscle Mass ?
11- How to Use Whey Protein for Building Muscles ? Tips to Consider.
12- 12 things to consider when bulking
13- Does Whey Protein Cause Fat Gain ?
14- How to Use Whey Protein for Fat Loss?
15- Can I Use Whey Protein Without Training?
1- What is Whey Protein ?
Whey protein is naturally available in milk in small concentrations. It is the fastest type of protein in terms of absorption. The main purpose of whey protein powders is to provide high amount of whey protein with very few amounts of other macro nutrients.
Naturally, whey protein is found mainly in milk and it represents 20% of the total protein available in milk, the rest 80% of milk protein is casein protein. What you need to know is the total protein available in milk is around 33 Gram in 1 Liter (3.3 gr Per 100 ml). This means that only 20% of the 33 Gram is available as whey protein in every 1 Liter. If you do the math, it means you are getting around 6.6 gram of whey from drinking 1 Liter of milk. The difference between whey and casein (the 2 major components of protein in milk) will be discussed in next paragraphs.
In general, protein is an essential macronutrient for human body, whether it is from chicken, meat, egg, whey or casein, we need protein to be available in our diet. This need can vary from individual to another, but in general it is around 0.8 grams per Kilogram of body weight (around 50 - 60 grams for average healthy adults). This amount can increase depending on muscular activity, and can reach 2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight in case of professional athletes. In general, whey protein is sold as powder of which one serving represents one scoop that contains around 18 - 25 grams of whey protein. The reason why whey protein is the most known type of protein powder is because it is the fastest in terms of absorption when compared to other types of protein like casein and egg protein.
2- What is Whey Protein Good For ?
Along with proper exercise and plan, whey protein can be used to increase muscle mass, promote fat loss and improve other fitness areas like endurance and strength. It is also useful to replace unhealthy snacks, and as a healthy addition to homemade snacks instead of using high caloric additives.
The benefits of using protein powders in general represents in supplementing your daily needs of protein in case you can not reach it for some reason and of course its ease of use. Average individuals need around 50 – 60 grams of protein depending on gender and physical activity, which can be achieved easily. But others who seek a physical progress like enhanced strength or more muscle mass, may need double the previous amount. For lot of people, achieving such amount is hard to do, and this is where whey protein powders can be very beneficial. Also, the fast absorption of whey protein is another advantage in terms of muscle recovery.
Another point to consider when thinking about protein powders in general, is that one serving (usually represents one scoop) contains 22-25 grams of protein on average and total of 100-150 calories. This is considered a very low caloric option and a great snack considering the taste which is often sweetened in different flavors. Thanks to the current boom in whey protein market, you can choose from a variety of flavors available. Chocolate and other flavors of protein shakes can replace many unhealthy snacks especially for individuals who lacks the time and discipline to eat healthy all the time.
However, you cannot rely on protein powders to get the majority of your protein need because this sweet low caloric shake lacks a lot of other nutrients you need. Protein shakes are great option to supplement your needs and replace unhealthy snacks but not to replace natural food.
3- Do I Need Whey Protein ?
The short answer is no you do not. Basically, as long as you are getting your dietary protein needs, you can completely rely on regular foods to achieve your goals. On the other hand, if you are unable to reach your daily need of protein or you are unable to maintain a healthy diet all the time, you can use protein shakes as an easy tool to keep you away from unhealthy options and help you achieve your daily need of protein. When to start using whey protein? It is better to spend at least 3 months or more of regular training before starting to use whey protein and this is applied even if you were not able reach your protein needs. The reason of this is because as a beginner your muscle cells are just starting to seek more blood flow and nutrients in the first weeks of training and there is absolutely no need to be obsessed with big amount of protein at this time.
What happened for most beginners is they got a recommendation to use whey protein from the first week and they started to feel the muscle pump and may experience more muscle mass. But the reality is that this early improvement is happening for all beginners with or without using whey protein, simply because their muscles are undergoing new resistance that was not applied before. Therefore, it is better to give your body some time to improve on natural, regular foods and then you can start using whey protein when you need another push in improvement.
You need to understand that whey protein has no superior advantage over other natural protein sources in terms of nutrition value other than its protein content. Eggs for example, have omegas, minerals and lots of essential amino acids beside egg protein itself, which are all beneficial for muscle growth and overall physical performance and health. Another example is milk which contains both types of protein, whey and casein. Therefore, beside Vitamin D and calcium provided by milk, you will benefit from the fast absorbed whey and also the slow released casein.
In terms of mind set, it is always recommended to try your best to get your dietary needs from natural sources and limit the usage of protein powders and other supplements to times where you really need it in order to prevent being reliant on such products all the time.
4- How Much of Whey Protein Do I Need ?
Around 25 - 50 grams of whey protein per day should be fine for most people. This can be 1, 2 scoops or more depending on the product. The reason why it is not recommended to have more than this amount is because the importance of getting the most of daily protein need from regular food as mentioned in previous paragraphs. Let us take below example:
Assuming you are an active person who exercises enough to use his/her muscles more than the average, you may need 1.2 – 1.5 grams of protein for every kilogram of your target body weight (For example 80 kg). This means you need 96 – 120 grams of protein daily, and since whey protein is just a supplement, a logical diet plan should target the majority of this need from natural food like eggs, beef, and others. Therefore, considering a daily need of 120 grams protein per day, it is recommended to have at least 70-80 grams consumed from natural foods, and supplementing the remaining 40-50 grams from whey protein.
5- Is Whey Protein Safe ?
Yes it is ! But like any supplement, whey protein can be misused especially through lack of hydration and over consumption. The recommended amount to consume daily is discussed in the previous paragraph. However, there are more points you need to consider. One of them is the importance of hydration and rest in general when you raise your protein intake. Your body organs need to process this amount of nutrients and therefore, you need to make sure to have a enough amount of sleep and water. Another point is to watch your body response to any supplement you use, and if you notice any adverse effects or unusual symptoms, it is better to have a medical check-up.
One great tip I used to implement is to avoid taking many supplements together. This is mainly to avoid any extra load on kidneys and liver. For example, if I am bulking, I like to combine whey protein with creatine only. If am cutting weight, I tend to use caffeinated supplements as a pre-workout and combine it only with carnitine or CLA for example. Check This blog for more tips on supplements usage protocols.
6- Does Whey Protein Really Work? How Much Progress to Expect ?
Yes, whey protein does work! The amount of progress you will have is strongly depended on the quality of diet you have beside supplementing with whey protein. On the other hand, you should have already spent few months exercising regularly before starting using whey protein, so your muscle cells have already started to demand and seek more blood flow and nutrition. In optimal scenarios you can expect to notice improvements in muscle mass (around 1-2 lbs) and strength from the first month after using whey protein daily (with good nutrition and proper exercise of course).
Let us discuss why whey protein really work! Two main advantages has contributed to whey protein efficacy, the first one is the natural quick absorption of whey protein itself as explained in earlier paragraphs, and the second one is the ease of use which makes it a powerful tool to achieve your daily need of protein and in the same time to prevent unnecessary calories from unhealthy snacks.
How much progress to expect from whey protein ?
In case you are not reaching your daily need of protein, the most proper example to set in order to describe how much progress you can achieve using whey protein, is to imagine removing one unhealthy snack you used to eat every day ( a chocolate croissant for example) and replace it with a 100 – 200 grams of white tuna for one month. In other words, removing unhealthy calories and replacing it with less calories of pure protein for a period of time. So not only you will get leaner because you remove excess calories, but also you will get more muscle mass and strength because you are adding up more protein needed for muscle recovery.
The amount of progress is also correlated with the total amount of daily protein intake so you need to make sure that you are reaching your needs while supplementing with whey protein. As mentioned previously, optimal results are associated with optimal diet. You can not expect to get a noticeable improvement in muscle mass and recovery by supplementing with whey protein while your overall diet is low quality.
An important point to consider is that some individuals are already reaching their daily needs of proteins without using whey protein. In this case, such individuals may not experience noticeable difference in strength and muscle mass from using whey protein, but they might get leaner or bulkier depending whether they are using whey protein as a replacement for one meal or they just add it to their existing diet (respectively).
7- Whey Concentrate Vs Isolate Vs Hydrolyzed
Aside from the literature and marketing available online on this topic, the results seen from using the 3 types of whey protein separately are actually the same. In fact, some brands with the regular whey concentrate can give better results than others that have isolate or hydrolyzed. Although there are many claims about the enhanced bioavailability and absorption in isolate and hydrolyzed compared to the regular whey protein (concentrate), it is good to remember that whey protein itself already has a good absorption and bioavailability.
On the other hand, even if you are cutting weight, you still need certain amount of carbs and fat in your diet, and the deletion of the very few amounts of carbs and fats from regular whey in order to have the isolate form is actually pointless unless you are hyper sensitive to such content. What you really need to check when choosing a whey protein is the amount of protein provided per serving or scoops, and the product quality especially in terms of amino spiking, packing, texture and solvency.
8- Best Products to Choose | How to Choose The Best Whey Protein ?
Packing
A typical Whey protein should have a compact inner seal to prevent moisture from getting inside and affecting the powder solubility and quality in general. Also, It is better to avoid products with semi transparent packs because it is less defensive from the solid ones against sun light.
Equal Texture and Good Solubility.
Even though good solubility is not a guarantee for good product, it is strongly recommended to be available because full dissolved powder will have much quicker and better absorption than the powder which does not dissolve completely. On the other hand, equal texture is a must for any powder form of supplements and lacking it, not only represent very bad quality but also needs to be reported to the seller.
Cost vs Actual Protein Content
The best way to compare between two protein powders in terms of cost and nutritional value first to make sure that both are providing the same type of protein which is mostly whey protein. The second thing is you need to know which product have the lower price per 1 gram of protein. If you are not able to decide which one is better, you can use the following method. First, check the amount of protein provided in one scoop (not each serving) from both products. If the amount provided per scoop is the same for both products, then you can easily spot the better product in terms of cost from the number of scoops. On the other hand, if the amount of protein provided in both scoops is different (for example, one scoop in A provides 25 grams and one scoop in B provides 18 grams), then you need to multiply the amount provided per scoop with the total number of scoops for each product, and the higher number will represent the better product in terms of cost.
Taste
Tasty whey protein powders are not superior in terms of quality or nutrition value, but it may have better overall experience for lot of people and help them stay motivated for training. On the other hand, bad taste protein powders may prevent consistent consumption and therefore trigger low appetite which may affect your diet plan. However, we should be aware if the bad taste is actually a result of expired or damaged whey protein. If bad taste is associated with low solvency, there is a high chance that such product is damaged or the whole brand is low quality.
9- Do I Need Mass Gainers ?
Yes and No. First, let us discuss protein gainers or what so called mass gainers. A scoop of mass gainer is simply a whey protein combined with lot of carbohydrates and sometimes sugars. This is why the serving size here is relatively bigger compared to a regular whey protein. Whether you like or not, carbohydrates are essential requirement for muscle mass and athletic performance improvement, and the main idea behind mass gainers is to use carbohydrates to raise insulin for hard gainer individuals so their muscle cells can absorb as much nutrients as possible including protein. However, one thing to point out is you can actually add honey, bananas, dates, oats and other carbs to your normal whey protein shake and absolutely get more value than the mass gainer itself!
If you are hard gainer and you are really determined about your goals, you can easily leverage regular carbs by adding it your whey protein shake, unless you are very busy to do so, then you can use mass gainers.
As mentioned, the serving size in mass gainers is too big compared to other whey proteins, and this is why a 5 lbs of mass gainer for example can have as little as 16 servings only, which makes it last for only 8 – 16 days depending on how much protein you need.
Because of serving size and actual amount of whey protein provided in each scoop, mass gainers can be misused a lot. Depending on the product, serving size can be 1 or 2 scoops and one serving can have 25 or 50 grams of protein. This is why you should be aware of the numbers every time you purchase a protein powder and especially gainers. For example, some products can have a 25 grams of protein per serving but you notice that one serving is actually 2 scoops. This means that if you are planning to have 50 grams of whey protein daily, then you need 4 scoops of that powder. For cost reasons, beginners tend to use one scoop only in order to use the product as long as possible, but this is pointless as they will not get that jump in improvement.
A mass gainer product usually lasts between 8 to 16 days only (sometimes more depending on the product), and because of that, it is better to plan your workout and diet before you take it so you can make sure to have the optimal results. A perfect diet would be high in carbs in order to facilitate the bulking process. On the other hand, for optimal workout plan, try to have 1 -2 days off per week (consider 2 if you are struggling a lot with muscle gain) and try to focus more on the muscle group you want to develop first (back for example) and hit it 2 or 3 times a week with different movement in order to prevent injuries. For compound movements like pullups and squats, it is better to have a variety of repetitions range (consider drops sets, high volume and low volume reps, slow negatives and others). Lot of hard gainers struggles with gaining muscles because they miss one or more factors for building muscles, things like choosing the wrong exercises for hypertrophy, not resting enough, depending on supplements mainly instead of food and poor hydration.
10- Mass Gainer Vs Whey Protein | Best Whey Protein For Muscle Mass ?
You have 2 main options when you look for a whey protein for the purpose of adding more muscle mass:
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Typical Protein Powders that include Only Whey Protein (Most common).
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Mass Gainers, Which include Whey Protein with Carbohydrates and Sometimes Creatine.
The most recommended type is the first option which is the regular whey protein powder that has no combination. In case you primary goal is adding muscle mass, then you should use creatine monohydrate beside whey protein. Creatine is the most powerful and proven supplement in term of adding more muscles. However, it is not recommended to use protein powders that already has creatine, because you can not make sure of the accurate dose needed beside the solubility and quality of the creatine available in that powder. It is better to consume it alone with water and have it fully dissolved before consumption, while you can use your protein shake separately. This is especially recommended in case of beginners who did not use creatine before and they need to raise creatine levels in blood to have optimum results.
In terms of choosing the best formula among many products, you need to check the actual ingredients mentioned on the label. Top quality brands will include a blend of whey concentrate, whey isolate, and other types of whey. While lower quality brands will tend to mention the availability of some amino acids beside whey itself. This is called spiked protein powders which simply means it is not 100% whey.
11- How to Use Whey Protein for Building Muscles ? Tips to Consider :
If your main goal is to build more muscles, then make sure to have fast absorbing carbs blended in or consumed with your whey protein shake. Timing is also important, because you need to fuel your muscles immediately after your workout.
Check below example of a perfect diet for building muscles :
Assuming your target body weight is 80 kg and your current weight is 70 kg. You need to have a minimum of 1.8 grams of protein for each kilogram of your target body weight which is 80 kg. This means you need a minimum of 144 grams of protein daily. For carbohydrates amount, It should represent around 50 % of your total calories intake, while healthy fats will fill the remaining calories. In most cases, your total calorie intake for bulking can range between 2600 - 3000 based on several factors.
You can divide your calorie intake over 3 to 5 meals. Assuming you are busy, consider 3 meals (2 meals, and one protein shake):
1st Meal recommended within 2 – 4 hours prior to your workout, (4 eggs, 20 gr of butter, 50 grams of cheese & 2 loafs of barley bread) This will provide you with around 38 grams of protein | 2nd Meal recommended to be within 1-2 hours after your workout, (200 grams of chicken breast with 2 cups of cooked rice) This will provide you with around 60 grams of protein | 3rd Meal (Whey Protein Shake). The recommended amount is 50 grams of whey protein with a banana or few dates.
The above diet plan can provide a total of 154 grams of protein which is more than enough for a target of 80 kg lean muscle body weight. On the other hand total calories provided for above diet plan is around 2300 – 2500 Cal, which in most cases is considered low for bulking. However, you can increase the portions mentioned above especially slow and fast carbohydrates to fuel your muscles with energy. Note that adding fast carbohydrates like fruits and dates prior to your training will result in better performance. Remember that building muscles is not easy and will take a considerable amount of time & effort, so you need to be patient about progress and wait for a minimum of 3 months although some people can notice an improvement from the first month.
12- Tips and Habits to consider when bulking with whey protein
Reaching your protein intake requirement or supplementing with whey protein is not a guarantee to have the progress you want. You need to consider the following when you are training for the purpose of building muscles :
1- High quality carbohydrates should be included in your diet. (Rice, oats, etc ..)
2- Fruits are great fuel to use before your workout. Consume very little amount (apple slice, one strawberry, etc ..) and not too far from your training session (max 30 min).
3- Lagging muscles groups should be trained 2-3 times per week.
4- Concentrate while lifting & make sure to have mind – body connection.
5- Change your repetitions range every other week for continual progress.
6- Consider slow negatives in every workout. Use drop sets from time to time.
7- Rest enough in between sets (60 – 90 seconds). Extend it few more seconds when doing maximum lifts.
8- Immediate Hydration once you wake up.
9- Immediate Hydration after finishing your workout and before you have your protein shake.
10- After hydration, make sure to have high quality and fast absorbing carbohydrates with your protein shake (bananas, apples, dates, etc..). It is better to have it blended in your shake for optimum absorption.
11- Seven to Eight hours of sleep is optimal, sleep early, wake up early, take a nap when you need to.
12- Avoid Stress.
13- Does Whey Protein Cause Fat Gain ?
No, it does not! What actually makes you gain fat is eating far more calories than you actually burn. Since we all want to gain lean muscle or at least minimize fat gain while bulking as much as possible, monitoring your waist size will give you a hint about how much fat you are gaining while bulking. So in case you notice an excessive increase in body fat, then you can reduce the amount of carbohydrates (oats or rice) in order to bring down your calories intake. The opposite case is when you actually need more calories, and this might be obvious if you feel hungry all the time, or you feel tired in the middle of your workout. If this is your case, then you need to add more carbohydrates (considering your protein intake is already reached).
14- How to Use Whey Protein for Fat Loss?
Three Ways you can use whey protein to lose more fat:
- In general, consuming enough amount of protein will improve muscle strength and size. More muscle size means more metabolism. On the other hand, increasing strength improve your overall physical out put in a workout. Which means more calories burned.
- As a meal replacement, protein shake will prevent unhealthy snack or meal, especially when you do not have the time to prepare your food.
- Because it is often sweetened and comes with different flavors, whey protein will make your fat loss journey more enjoyable and therefore, it will help you maintain your fat loss routine.
15- Can I Use Whey Protein Without Training?
Yes! The most common scenario to use whey protein without training is when you are on a fat loss diet but you cannot include exercises for some reason. Whey protein is a smart choice to include if you want to use it as meal replacement that keeps you away from sugary snacks and unhealthy meals especially when you do not have enough time to prepare healthy food.
On the other hand, using whey protein as a regular supplement in normal routines that does not target fat loss, building muscles, or other fitness goal, is pointless! This is mainly because it has no nutritional value other than protein, and since regular individuals needs an average of 60 grams of protein, it is often easy to get this amount of natural food.