Everything You Need to Know About Whey Protein

As an athlete, you probably know that proteins are very important for your body’s recovery after an intense workout. In the gym, you hear terms like ‘high protein,’ and in the supermarket, you come across various High Protein products. Protein shakes are also incredibly popular these days among both beginners and highly experienced strength athletes. Whey Protein flies off the (online) shelves, but what exactly is Whey Protein? On XXL Nutrition, you can read everything about Whey Protein and the importance of proteins!

What is Whey Protein?

Millions of athletes worldwide drink their trusted protein shake every day. And for good reason, because whey protein is one of the best protein sources you can find! Whey not only has an extremely high protein content, but that protein also has the highest possible biological value you will find. Combine this with a low share of carbohydrates and fats, and you have a recipe for success.

You’re probably curious about what Whey Protein actually is. Whey, also known as whey protein, is a byproduct that is created during the production of cheese. During this process, a sort of liquid whey is formed. This is then filtered, heated, and dried to leave behind protein powder. Ideal for mixing with water or milk and drinking at any time of the day to quickly get more protein. Those proteins that are so important for your muscle recovery indeed!

Why Use Whey Protein Powder?

Whey Protein is rich in proteins while containing almost no fat or sugar. This means that a whey protein shake provides a lot of protein while being low in calories. This is the primary reason for using Whey Protein—it's an ideal way to quickly get the proteins you need.

Your body uses the amino acids from protein for various processes within the body. For athletes and bodybuilders, protein has the important task of repairing muscles. Since whey protein is quickly absorbed by the body, your muscles receive the necessary amino acids immediately to stimulate recovery after an intense workout.

Another advantage of Whey Protein powder is that it helps you feel full. Because you stay fuller for longer and your blood sugar levels remain more stable, you are less likely to crave food (especially sugars). This makes a whey protein shake an excellent aid in sticking to a healthy diet, especially when cutting!

When it comes to cost, using Whey Protein is also a wise choice. A protein shake is, in fact, more cost-effective than a protein-rich meal. Protein-rich foods like chicken, beef, or salmon can be quite expensive. With a scoop of protein powder, you get the same amount of protein for a much lower price.

Whey Protein allows you to easily consume high-quality proteins while saving both time and money!

How Much Whey Per Day?

We can see Whey Protein as a supplement to your daily diet. But how much whey do you need per day? There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to this, as it depends on your personal situation and the amount of protein you get from your diet. In our blog about how much protein per day, we delve deeper into this topic.

Strength athletes and bodybuilders need around 1.6 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Therefore, it’s important to first calculate how much protein you need to consume daily. If you weigh 85 kilograms, you should aim for around 136 to 170 grams of protein daily. Next, you should determine how much protein you’re already getting from your regular diet. You might already have a nutrition plan that details this. If not, you can check the nutritional values of all the products you consume and track how much protein you’re getting in total.

Curious about your specific protein needs? Then use our handy macro calculator! Based on your body weight, age, and other factors, you can easily calculate how much protein you need per day. Try it now and optimize your nutrition intake for maximum results!

Now that you know how much protein you’re getting from your regular diet, you can easily see how much Whey Protein you need each day to meet your protein requirements. The label on our protein shakes clearly indicates how much protein you get per shake. You can simply add this to your total protein intake!

Features of the Types of Whey

• Whey Concentrate is the most commonly sold form of whey protein, with a protein content of up to 80%. This type also contains fats, carbohydrates, and fibres. Many athletes choose whey concentrate because it is cheaper than isolate or hydrolysate and has a better taste due to its slightly higher sugar and fat content.
• Whey Isolate is a more purified form of whey and contains around 85% protein. Due to this extra purification, isolate contains less lactose, fibres, and fats, making it more suitable for people with lactose intolerance. However, the taste is slightly less pleasant due to the lower sugar and fat content.
• Whey Hydrolysate is even more filtered than isolate, resulting in an even purer protein content. Hydrolysate is pre-digested into di- and tripeptides, which allows for extremely fast absorption around training and makes it better tolerated by people with lactose intolerance. Due to the intensive purification, hydrolysate is more expensive and has a less appealing taste than concentrate.
• Clear Whey Isolate offers an alternative for those who are not fans of thick protein shakes made with milk. This variant, also known as protein lemonade, dissolves quickly in water without lumps and contains 21 grams of protein per serving. It is fat- and sugar-free, low in lactose, and contains only 87 calories per serving.
• Not sure which whey is best for you? Use our protein selection guide to find the perfect protein supplement that fits your needs and goals!

What Are Proteins Good For?

You can’t walk into a gym without hearing about the importance of proteins. But what exactly are proteins good for? Protein contains amino acids, which we can consider the building blocks of proteins. Our body uses these amino acids to regulate various important physiological processes. We explain this in detail in our blog about the building blocks of proteins.

What’s important to know for now is that proteins play a crucial role in the recovery and growth of muscle mass. During training, you create tiny tears in your muscle fibres. Your body needs the amino acids from protein to repair this damage. Without these amino acids, you won’t recover well, making it more difficult to build strength and muscle mass.

Difference Between Protein and Proteine

Proteins, proteines, protein shakes, proteine shakes… you encounter many different terms when it comes to protein. You might be wondering what the difference is between protein and proteine. Is there actually any difference between the two?

We can be brief about this—no! Protein and proteine are exactly the same. So if you read about these terms, know that they always refer to the same nutrient.

Where Can You Find a Lot of Protein?

Curious about which foods are high in protein? Protein can be found in both animal and plant-based products. Below, we’ve compiled a list of protein-rich foods and supplements for you.

• Meat, chicken, and fish
• Dairy products such as milk, quark, Skyr, and yoghurt
• Cheese
• Peanut butter
• Eggs (read here how much protein is in an egg)
• Nuts and seeds
• Legumes
• Grains
• Tofu
• Protein powder
• Protein bars and snacks
• High-protein foods

Interested in these protein-rich products and how much protein they contain? Read our blog about where to find proteins and discover the best foods with a high protein content

Is Whey Protein Vegan?

More and more people are choosing to follow a vegan diet, which means they no longer consume animal products. Protein-rich foods such as chicken, beef, eggs, and dairy are avoided. However, when it comes to protein powder, this can be a bit confusing, as it’s not always immediately clear if it’s an animal-based product. So, what about whey protein? Is Whey Protein suitable for vegans?

As we explained in this blog, whey is obtained as a byproduct during the production of cheese. This means that it is a dairy product and comes from cow's milk. So, Whey Protein is not vegan! Keep this in mind if you're a vegan athlete looking to get enough protein. Using whey protein powder is not an option in that case.

Does this mean it’s difficult to get enough protein as a vegan? Not necessarily, as there are plenty of plant-based protein sources available, and the range of plant-based protein powders has grown significantly in recent years.

Plant-Based Protein Powder

Are you a vegan or vegetarian and want an easy way to get extra protein? Then you can opt for a plant-based protein powder. This protein powder contains only plant-based proteins and is therefore suitable for a vegan diet.

Plant-based protein shakes often contain protein from sources such as rice, hemp, peas, or soy. Good vegan protein shakes offer a mix of different plant-based protein sources. This way, they provide all the essential amino acids and have a high biological value. This means that the amino acid profile closely matches what the human body needs.

Losing Weight with Whey Protein in Your Diet

Since proteins play an important role in weight loss, many people use protein shakes for weight loss. Whey Protein is a popular supplement in the protein diet. The protein diet, also known as the proteine diet, is a diet that focuses on the intake of sufficient proteins while significantly reducing the intake of carbohydrates and saturated fats.

A protein shake is a perfect supplement for this diet, as protein shakes contain a lot of protein and almost no sugars and fats. Are you curious about what the protein diet can do for you and whether it is suitable for both weight loss and muscle building? Then check out our blog about the protein diet.

Should You Take a Protein Shake Before or After Exercise?

Are you planning to use Whey Protein as a supplement to your healthy diet? Then you’re probably wondering when the best time is to take your protein shake. In the gym, you’ve likely heard that you should take a protein shake immediately after your workout. This is supposed to help your body start the muscle recovery process right away.

But is this really true, or are we dealing with some ‘bro-science’? We’ve consulted scientific research to uncover the importance of the timing of protein shakes. The results might surprise you, so read on to find out whether you should take your protein shake before or after your workout!

Are There Any Disadvantages to Using Whey Protein?

If you’re new to using supplements, you might be a bit cautious. Or, if you’re a young strength athlete, your parents might be concerned about "a cupboard full of jars and powders." But is using Whey Protein bad for you?

Rest assured, you can read our blog about the disadvantages of Whey Protein, and be sure to let your parents read along too. Whey Protein is completely safe for your body. After all, it’s just protein that’s been processed into a powder. However, whey protein does contain lactose, which can be troublesome for those with lactose intolerance. Fortunately, in that case, you can opt for a lactose-free protein shake or a vegan protein powder to still easily get some extra protein.

Is Whey Really Necessary?

Whey Protein can be a valuable addition to your diet. When you engage in (heavy) strength training several times a week, your body needs more protein. But does this mean whey is absolutely necessary?

No, protein shakes are not essential to meet your daily protein requirements. They’re not magic solutions that will automatically lead to more muscle growth (unfortunately). What matters is that you get enough protein throughout the entire day. You can easily achieve this with regular food, and shakes aren’t required.

So, why are Whey Protein shakes so popular? Mainly because they make it easier to meet your protein needs. Plus, protein powder is cheaper compared to protein sources like beef and salmon. Consider it a good supplement, but never a replacement for healthy, protein-rich meals.

How Is Whey Protein Powder Made?

So, Whey Protein is a great byproduct of cheese production. But how do they turn cow's milk into a protein powder with good nutritional value and a delicious taste? Below, we’ll briefly explain how whey protein powder is made.

1. Milking the Cow
2. Pasteurising the Milk
3. On to the Cheese Factory
4. Drying and Filtering the Whey
5. Adding the Flavour
6. Quality Control
7. Packaging and Shipping

As you probably know, whey is a dairy product, which means it originally comes from cow's milk. The cow is milked, and this produces raw, unpasteurised milk that is not intended for consumption.

Raw cow's milk can contain bacteria that are harmful to the human body. For this reason, the milk is first pasteurised. During pasteurisation, the raw milk is heated for a short time to temperatures between 72 and 138 degrees Celsius, after which the milk is cooled back down to 4 degrees Celsius. This process destroys harmful bacteria while leaving the beneficial nutrients intact.

The pasteurised milk is then transported in large quantities to the next stop: the cheese factory! Here, the milk is treated with enzymes, causing the milk to separate. Milk naturally consists of about 20% whey, while the remaining 80% is casein. During the separation process, a liquid part forms, which is the whey that will eventually be turned into protein powder.

The separated whey is then moved to another department where it is dried and filtered through natural processes. First, the whey is treated with both hot and warm air. This removes the liquid, leaving behind a powder. This powder is then filtered using cold cross-flow microfiltration. This process ensures that the protein content remains as high as possible, while most of the carbohydrates and fats are left behind.

In step 5, the filtered protein powder is flavoured. The flavourless powder is placed in a large blender, where sweeteners and flavourings are added at high speed. This ensures that the ingredients are well mixed, and the flavour of your shake is always consistent!

Whey is all about quality. You want the highest possible protein content with as few carbohydrates and fats as possible. At the same time, it’s also important that the taste is consistently good. For this reason, our products are strictly controlled, both in terms of quality and taste.

The whey is ready, the quality has been approved, which means there’s only one step left: packaging in the well-known XXL Nutrition containers! This is an automated process, ensuring that the weighing is extremely precise, so you know you’re always getting the amount you ordered.

Buying the Best Whey Protein

Are you looking for the best Whey Protein? At XXL Nutrition, you’ll always find the highest quality protein shakes. All our protein shakes are made from the best ingredients and are carefully formulated. This results in delicious protein shakes that dissolve perfectly in water or milk. Check out our complete range of protein shakes here and find the perfect protein shake for you!