Thursday, April 21, 2011

Why Whey Protein Powder Might Be The Right Choice For You

By Charles Moore


You just turned 30, and the morning of your birthday you looked in the mirror and decided to get back in shape. You used to run track in high school and you did a little weight training in college but nothing too ambitious. You realize that getting back to that kind of condition will be more difficult at 30 than it was 10 years ago but you're prepared for that; you have never been one to be put off by a little hard work if the goal was worth it. A smart-ass friend of yours recommended on the night of your party that perhaps you should look to supplements of some sort to give you a little extra edge 'now that you're an old man.' And even though he got a punch in the shoulder for that little crack you did acknowledge that you had been thinking the same thing.

## I have wandered by a few of these supplement shops in malls and I've seen the folks who shop there. It seems a little hard core.

The huge selection of powders and supplements at your typical supplement shop is a little intimidating for the uninitiated. And most of the products are marketed (quite understandably) towards the supplement industry's most lucrative demographic which is to say the hard core body builders. BUT just because a supplement is labeled with a picture of a guy who looks as though he could tear a fire hydrant out of the sidewalk doesn't mean that it won't be of benefit to someone with less aggressive goals.

## All I am attempting to do is lose a little weight, maybe start running again for cardio, and hit the gym to tone up and maybe get a some muscle back.

All of those sound like completely moderate and reasonable goals and there is no reason you can't be helped by the proper nutritional supplement. What you probably want to find is a good whey protein powder. It sounds as though you are probably going to want to look at your diet, eliminating refined sugars and processed foods and switching to whole grains etc. If you want to lose a little weight and gain a little muscle at the same time then a whey protein supplement is a natural choice.

## So what do I need to know about whey protein?

Well, whey is one of the most common and effective protein supplements. It's derived from milk as a co-product of the cheese making process. Casein also known as curds (along with some of the milk fats) are drawn off to make cheese and the whey protein is filtered and refined from what's left. Depending on the level of refinement the resulting powder is either classified as a concentrate or an isolate. An isolate must be at least 90% pure whey protein and therefore contains very little (if any) fat or lactose. Proteins apart from simply being a good source of energy also contain essential amino acids which are the building blocks for muscle growth and repair. Whey is a especially good source of these amino acids and is readily absorbed into the body.

## Right, now, when I go to the supplement store what should I be asking for?

For what you're talking about you do not need to be sold up to any elaborate expensive meal replacement powder or exotic weight loss protein supplement. Just get yourself a simple whey protein powder (preferably an isolate) that is as pure as possible and free of artificial flavors and colors.

You can find good whey protein supplements at most health food stores, supplement shops and online. If you are eating properly and exercising regularly then this will be precisely the kind of edge your smart-alecky friend was talking about.




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