Sports Nutrition: Whey Protein Supplements

A lot of people usually use whey as supplementation, close by resistance exercise, to help enhance muscle protein synthesis and encourage the growth of lean muscle mass. This is the reason why many athletes want to improve how well they play sports. You may be eating a healthy diet to help you play sports at your best, but can sports supplements help? Well, we’re going to answer that here! 

WHAT IS WHEY PROTEIN? 

Milk contains two proteins, casein, and whey. Whey protein can be isolated from the casein in milk or formed as a secondary product of cheese making. Whey protein is known to be a complete protein for having all 9 essential amino acids. Plus, it’s low in lactose content. 

BRIEF FACTS ON WHEY PROTEIN 

• Possible benefits are based on single studies and more evidence is required before coming with a definitive judgment. 
• It’s a blend of beta-lactoglobulin, immunoglobins,alpha-lactalbumin, and bovine serum albumin. 
• It helps in weight loss and reducing cholesterol. 
• Potential risks include nausea and headaches if consumed in large doses.

BENEFITS OF WHEY PROTEIN 

• Weight loss
• Anti-cancer properties 
• Lowering cholesterol
• Asthma
• Blood pressure and cardiovascular disease
• Reducing weight loss in people with HIV

POSSIBLE DANGERS (If taken in very high doses)

• Cramps
• Stomach pains 
• Reduced appetite 
• Nausea 
• Headache 
• Fatigue 

DOES IT REALLY WORK? 

Yes, whey protein supplements do give high-quality protein in your diet. However, there are several health organizations that recommend that it’s better to get your protein from food and not from supplements if you have the choice. You can rely on fish, poultry, legumes, tofu, eggs, nuts, seeds, and milk, which are all good sources of the essential amino acids people need. 

Early studies have claimed that taking whey protein supplements before or after exercise can improve muscle strength, lean-muscle growth and immunity and these people are less like to visit doctors for infections according to the research published in 2003 in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

IT IS SAFE? 

If taken in moderate doses, whey protein supplements are not dangerous. It’s safety actually depends largely on the dose. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), most Americans eat twice the protein they need in the body. And any excess in protein will be stored as fat in the body, which will, later on, increase the risk of dehydration. 

Since whey is a dairy product, people with milk allergies should avoid whey protein. So if you’re lactose intolerant, you should take caution. Since there are plenty of whey proteins available in the market, they may vary in calories, fat, and lactose content. Any type of protein supplement may cause additional strain on the kidneys if a person has a kidney condition. We highly recommend that you look for organic health stores that sell whey protein supplements so you can be sure that it’s 100% safe. 

Author Bio: Ivandrea Ollero is a writer for Healthy Being- Online Health Food Store, that caters to a wide range of health products, natural foods, and organic supplements. She is also a content crafter who researches and writes custom content about travel, fashion, finance, business, home improvements, health, and beauty, in order to provide helpful information and tips for her readers. Ivandrea graduated from St. Scholastica’s College, Manila, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism in 2016.