Whey Protein Products

Uncover the Best Whey Protein
Powders and Products

Q: Hi Frank, can you explain to me the difference between isolate and concentrate whey protein and which is the best to use on the Bully Xtreme Fat Loss program (BXFL).

A: Proper nutrition is as or more important than training. The muscles in order to grow must have at least these 3 key elements:

• Progressive Overload: You must continually push yourself to increase your "power meter" reading on the Bully Xtreme.
• Nutrition: Your body must have the proper amount of protein. For practical muscle-building and body-composition improving purposes, the important thing is to consume between 25-50 grams of complete protein (depending on your needs) every three hours
• Rest: The old Bullworker program had you working out everyday, this unhealthy and DANGEROUS. You want to give your body enough time to recuperate and rebuild the muscle. The major benefit of training is that it breaks down muscle tissue. The better your immune system and the higher your natural testosterone levels the more muscle and you will be able to put on. Unfortunately all of us men are fighting the clock on this one.

The Whey It Is

"The whey it is" is a very good report, and Will Brink is a very dependable source of info on supplements. Further down you will be able to download it for FREE. Here are my views on proteins and protein supplements to use!

Protein powders can be a very useful supplement. I use them myself - although I do not depend on them. Your primary source of nutrition should come from whole foods.

One thing you want to keep in mind when considering protein supplements is that much of the information about supplements comes from the companies that sell them, and they often make it sound like you NEED to use them or that they are superior to food.

The next time you read an article about protein supplements, keep in mind who is writing the article. Don't be surprised if you get a sales pitch at the end of the article with an 800-number for easy ordering. This is why I recommend guys like Will brink, who are independent researchers.

Then you have endorsements. If a bodybuilder ever recommends a particular brand of protein, or makes outrageous claims like, "I gained 15 pounds of solid muscle just by switching to brand X protein", check to see if they have an endorsement contract.

I have to laugh when I read that a bodybuilding champion claims to have built their physique by eating 50-80% of their calories in the form of protein powder, while they have a contract with the company that makes it. If anybody is extremely gung-ho about a particular type of protein, look for the bias – it's usually there.

That being said, it's true that whey is definitely a great source of protein. Lately it has been downplayed and the "flavor of the day" now seems to be casein or a multi-species blend that includes casein. These are also quality forms of protein powder, and some suggest, better for meal replacements, while whey should be reserved for the post workout period.

Whey Protein

Whey is still an excellent protein, however. Whey has a high biological value (BV). A high BV means that the amino acid ratio is excellent for building muscle and that a large proportion of the protein consumed is absorbed and utilized by the body. In addition, numerous studies from reputable researchers have shown that whey has immune-system enhancing and other potential health benefits.

Whey is a dairy protein that is a by-product of the cheese making process. In its raw state, whey contains substantial amounts of fat and lactose (milk sugar).

You wouldn't want to eat raw whey. That's why it is filtered and processed: to remove most of the lactose and fat. If you've ever heard of microfiltration or "ion exchange," those are simply methods of separating the fat and lactose from the protein. The end result is a more concentrated protein – either concentrate or isolate (which is what you want).

The primary difference between isolate and concentrate is that the isolate is more pure. In other words, isolate contains more protein with less fat and lactose per serving. Based on whose figures you go by, whey isolate usually contains between 90-94% protein while whey concentrate has a protein ratio of 70-85%.

If you are lactose intolerant and you have problems with gas and bloating, then the isolate might be a better choice for that reason. But being more "pure" doesn't necessarily mean that whey isolate is better in terms of producing greater muscle growth.

Whey protein concentrate is still an excellent source of protein. Besides, isolate does have disadvantages: For one, it is more expensive than concentrate. Isolate has also had some of the valuable immune-boosting protein subfractions such as alpha lactoglobulins and lactoferrins removed in the filtering process.

In the long run, I don't think it makes much difference whether you use concentrate or isolate. Some of the concentrates are pretty high in quality these days, as will's report explains. Nutrition companies will surely bicker back and forth forever over whose protein powder is the best, and the marketplace will always demand new types of "souped-up" protein powders, but choosing your protein isn't something you should lose sleep over.

Protein nutrition is very simple: For practical muscle-building and body-composition improving purposes, the important thing is to consume between 25-50 grams of complete protein (depending on your needs) every three hours. Whether it comes from whey isolate, whey concentrate, egg whites, chicken, fish, lean red meat or whatever – I just don't think it matters that much.

I often throw a couple scoops of vanilla flavored whey protein powder in my oatmeal in the morning instead of making egg whites. It's a great convenience and timesaver as "protein oatmeal" is about as quick and easy a meal as you can make.

Drinking your protein is definitely easier than preparing, cooking and eating it. Still, 80-90% of my protein comes from food sources such as egg whites, chicken, lean red meat), and occasionally some tuna, salmon or other fish.

The primary benefit of protein powders and meal replacements is convenience, and I can recommend their use for that reason. There may be other specific benefits of the various types of protein powders (whey = fast, casein = slow, etc), and some companies no doubt, put out a higher quality product than others, but to this day, I am not convinced that any type of protein powder is superior to real food when it comes to results - more muscle, less body fat.

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