Whey Protein for Athletes
Whey protein is the highest quality protein since it’s very low in carbohydrates and has zero fat. As a result, it only makes sense that whey protein for athletes is a popular choice. What’s more, you can find it naturally in milk, it’s a complete protein, and it contains all of the amino acids that your body needs.
As such, including whey protein in your daily diet can give you a lot of great benefits. In this article, we’ll take a look at whey protein for athletes.
Ten reasons to take whey protein for athletes
As we’ve mentioned, adding whey protein to your daily diet may give you the fuel you need to get your best results during intense to moderate workouts.
Whey protein can help your body shed fat and preserve muscle. More specifically, it may help you lose up to 6 percent of your body fat without it affecting your muscle mass.
Further, it boosts your muscles’ size and strength. This is because your body uses protein to build and repair muscle tissue. What’s more, it may also act on enzymes, hormones, and other bodily compounds to help prevent the loss of bone tissue.
In addition, whey protein is a great appetite suppressant, meaning it curbs hunger. It makes you feel full for a long time after taking it, and even more than casein, soy, and rice protein.
Read more about: Foods that Reduce Appetite
Controls body weight
Whey protein can also help you to maintain a healthy weight since it promotes fat loss while building lean muscle mass. As a result, it’s an effective tool for diets.
What’s more, it boosts your immune system since it increases antioxidant synthesis. As such, it helps to protect your body against disease by bolstering your health.
It also controls your blood sugar levels and lowers the fat in your blood, meaning it tackles “bad” cholesterol and triglycerides.
Find out more: Foods to Lower Cholesterol
Helps to manage stress
Whey protein contains the amino acid tryptophan, which plays a crucial role in the production of serotonin in your brain. Indeed, low levels of serotonin lead to more frequent feelings of depression, anxiety, and restlessness.
Nutrition and disease prevention
Whey protein stimulates your metabolism and may help with aging. This is because it fights against free radicals and the signs of aging while slowing down cellular and bone degeneration.
Due to its nutritional qualities, it’s great for older individuals since it improves cardiovascular activity and prevents malnutrition.
May help prevent cancer
In addition, whey protein contains glutathione, which is one of the most potent antioxidants. Your body produces it naturally using cysteine, glutamine, and glycine.
It also absorbs free radicals, protects cells, making it ideal for use in cancer prevention, more specifically prostate cancer.
According to many studies, whey protein greatly improves performance, endurance, and overall strength. Further, it speeds up tissue recovery. As such, it’s good to take it one hour before and after exercise.
Whey is the most soluble and best-tasting type of protein. Indeed, it’s more nutritious than soy, rice, egg, meat, hemp, and other kinds of protein. Further, it has the highest biological value compared to those we’ve mentioned, it costs less, and is more widely available.
Protein is a macronutrient and gives your body what it needs to develop hair, organs, muscles, enzymes, and neurotransmitters. They’re essential for your health and the reproduction of your vital functions.
In conclusion, whey protein for athletes and bodybuilders is often taken as a daily supplement. More and more people use it every day to prevent age-related muscle loss and to improve muscle strength.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
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- Marshall, K. (2004). Therapeutic applications of whey protein. Alternative Medicine Review. https://doi.org/10.1038/417505a
- Luhovyy, B. L., Akhavan, T., & Anderson, G. H. (2007). Whey Proteins in the Regulation of Food Intake and Satiety. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2007.10719651
- Pennings, B., Groen, B., de Lange, A., Gijsen, A. P., Zorenc, A. H., Senden, J. M. G., & van Loon, L. J. C. (2012). Amino acid absorption and subsequent muscle protein accretion following graded intakes of whey protein in elderly men. AJP: Endocrinology and Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpendo.00517.2011
- Ha, E., & Zemel, M. B. (2003). Functional properties of whey, whey components, and essential amino acids: Mechanisms underlying health benefits for active people (Review). Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0955-2863(03)00030-5
- Tang, J. E., Moore, D. R., Kujbida, G. W., Tarnopolsky, M. A., & Phillips, S. M. (2009). Ingestion of whey hydrolysate, casein, or soy protein isolate: effects on mixed muscle protein synthesis at rest and following resistance exercise in young men. Journal of Applied Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00076.2009
