What Is Whey Concentrate and What Are The Benefits?

Whey Concentrate is the most popular form of Whey Protein available but you may well be wondering what it is exactly! We've given you the details you need on what Whey Concentrate is and the benefits. Remember that when you choose Supreme you can rest assured that our products are Informed Sport tested and verified to guarantee only the best quality protein and ingredients.  

What is Whey Concentrate? 

Derived and filtered from milk and like all proteins such as chicken, beef, egg, soy, rice, hemp etc —whey is composed of amino acids, which the body can use for muscle growth and tissue repair. Whey Concentrate, has a high concentration of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), especially leucine, that sets this protein apart from the others.

Firstly, whey is a complete protein, meaning it has all nine essential amino acids necessary for protein synthesis (lets call this muscle growth). We call these amino acids "essential" because your body can't make them and therefore you must consume in them in your diet.

So.. We've established that Whey is a complete protein and one of the best in the business. But what are the benefits? How can it help you?

1. Promotes Muscle Growth 

Whey is particularly high in the group of three essential amino acids known as BCAAs: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. These help to build and maintain muscle, and can also serve as an energy source during prolonged or intense workouts.

For muscle growth, whey protein has also been shown to perform better compared to other types of protein, such as casein or soy (456)

Also, if combined with resistance exercise it appears to offer up greater gains in muscle strength and muscle mass over just resistance exercise alone. A study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism concluded that those who supplemented with whey protein during resistance training had an almost 5-percent (or 5.5-pound) greater increase in lean tissue mass compared to those who didn't supplement. Not bad!

2. Supports Healthy Weight Loss

Increasing your protein consumption is a well-known weight loss strategy 

Eating more protein may promote fat loss by:

  • Suppressing appetite, leading to reduced calorie intake (35).
  • Boosting metabolism, helping you burn more calories (41, 42).
  • Helping to maintain muscle mass when losing weight (43).

Whey protein has been shown to be particularly effective, and may have a superior effect on fat burning and satiety compared to other protein types (17, 36, 37, 44, 45).

3. Enhance Your Body's Antioxidant Defences 

Antioxidants are substances that act against oxidation in the body, reducing oxidative stress and cutting the risk of various chronic diseases.

One of the most important antioxidants in humans is glutathione.

Unlike most antioxidants we get from the diet, glutathione is produced by the body.

In the body, glutathione production depends on the supply of several amino acids, such as cysteine, which is sometimes of limited supply.

For this reason, high-cysteine foods, such as whey protein, may boost the body's natural antioxidant defenses (3, 29).

A number of studies in both humans and rodents have found that whey proteins may reduce oxidative stress and increase levels of glutathione (30, 31, 32, 33).

4. May Lower Cholesterol 

There's still further tests to be made but the signs are promising. High cholesterol, especially LDL cholesterol, is a risk factor for heart disease.

 

In one study in overweight individuals, 54 grams of whey protein per day, for 12 weeks, led to a significant reduction in total and LDL (the "bad") cholesterol (17).

5. It Can Help To Reduce Hunger

Just like supporting healthy weight loss, whey protein has been shown to increase satiety (fullness) and reduce short-term food intake. A 2009 study compared the effects of different protein sources on appetite and found that whey protein decreased hunger more than soy or casein. Furthermore, the amount of food consumed three hours after the protein meal was lowest after the whey protein meal.

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The Supreme Nutrition Team

Nutrition