Whey Protein Powder Promotes Lean Muscle

Are you looking to shrink fat and build lean muscle? Protein is a key component to provide the building blocks to help achieve your goals.

Whey protein isolate powder is an easy and efficient way to increase your daily protein intake. It is chalked full of all nine essential amino acids required to promote protein synthesis and anabolic processes.

Essential Amino Acids

Amino acids bond together to form proteins. There are twenty amino acids found in the human body. Eleven amino acids the body synthesis. Nine of the amino acids the body cannot synthesize and must be consumed. The following nine essential amino acids are ordered from the highest percent content in human muscle mass to the lowest.

1. Lysine is necessary for calcium absorption and collagen formation. Calcium and collagen are the building blocks of bones, joints, and connective tissue. Lysine is also important for carnitine production. Carnitine transfers and metabolizes fatty acids to produce energy.
2. Leucine is vital to positive anabolic functioning and protein synthesis. Leucine’s magic capability to help burn fat and spare muscle protein makes it the perfect supplement for athletes and individuals looking to lose weight. Leucine helps regulate blood glucose levels, produce growth hormones for increased muscle mass, and aid in the growth and recovery of muscle and bone.
3. Valine, besides being vital for cognitive functioning, is important in positive anabolic functioning. During physical activity, valine supplies extra glucose to muscles to provide energy and enhance endurance while aiding muscle tissue recovery. Valine also helps suppress appetite, quiet the nerves, and improves sleep.
4. Phenylalanine is intricately involved in brain chemistry. It helps uplift mood, promotes alertness, and suppresses appetite.
5. Isoleucine is vital to positive anabolic functioning. It helps regulate blood glucose levels, energy level, and participates in red blood cell production. By increasing energy levels, isoleucine may naturally increase performance endurance. It also helps enhance recovery from resistance training by aiding in repairing microfiber tears.
6. Threonine supports healthy organ functioning and helps boosts the immune system. It aids in the production of muscle tissue, bones, and teeth.
7. Histidine helps regulate and utilize essential trace minerals including iron and zinc.
8. Methionine helps supply the body sulfur for metabolism and growth.
9. Tryptophan is an essential building block of proteins, enzymes, neurotransmitters, serotonin, and melatonin. It aids relaxation and good sleep. Tryptophan may help mediate central fatigue.

Essential Amino Acid Content Table

The following table relates the amount (in grams) of each amino acid per 100 grams of human muscle and whey protein powder. It also gives the US recommended daily intake (RDA) for an adult in milligrams per kilogram of body weight and calculates the appropriate daily intake for a 180-pound adult. 

* plus nonessential amino acid tyrosine
** plus nonessential amino acid cysteine
° In acid hydrolysis, tryptophan is decomposed and unable to be detected.
+ US RDA obtained from “Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, Amino Acids.” The National Academies Press. 2005.

Types of Whey Protein Supplements Available on the Market

Whey is a milk-based protein supplement. Not all whey protein powders contain equal amounts of amino acids.

Whey protein concentrate (WPC) has simply had the liquid removed from liquid whey. The protein content of WPC varies. WPC80 contains 80% protein, 6.6% fat, 5.3% carbohydrates. WPC34 contains 34.4% protein, 3.9% fat, and 50.8% carbohydrates.

Whey protein isolate (WPI) has the liquid removed, too. However, it is a form of whey protein where the proteins are isolated from fat and carbohydrates. WPI contains 90% protein, 0.5% fat, and 0.5% carbohydrates.

WPI’s packed protein content and high bioavailability help to quickly provide additional energy and promote building, repairing, and rejuvenating muscle tissue after strenuous activity. The high levels of valine and phenylalanine help suppress appetite.

Powdered WPI Available from SOS

SOS conveniently carries high-quality WPI with no added flavors or sweeteners. Add it to your favorite smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal, soups, pancakes, protein bars, or any other recipe to increase your amino acid uptake.

Discover the power of WPI to support losing fat and increasing lean muscle mass while aiding endurance, muscle strength, muscle recovery, and muscle repair. SOS’s WPI power can be purchased on our website or on Amazon.com.

Seek appropriate medical advice before starting any weight loss program including a high protein diet. Whey protein supplementation is generally considered safe. However, long-term side-effects resulting from overconsumption of protein include the risk of developing gout and arthritis from uric acid buildup.  

The content of SOS’s website is for information only, not advice or guarantee of outcome. Information is gathered and shared from reputable sources; however, SOS is not responsible for errors or omissions in reporting or explanation. No individuals, including those taking SOS products, should use the information, resources or tools contained within to self-diagnosis or self-treat any health-related condition. SOS gives no assurance or warranty regarding the accuracy, timeliness or applicability of the content.

Sources

• Gorissen, Stefen H. M. et al. “Protein Content and Amino Acid Composition of Commercially Available Plant-Based Protein Isolates.” Amino Acids. 2018 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6245118/ 
• AminoAcidsGuide.com 2019. https://aminoacidsguide.com/ 
• Kubala, Jillian. “Essential Amino Acids: Definition, Benefits, and Food Sources.” Healthline. 2018. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/essential-amino-acids#sources-and-intake 
• Mizera, Justyna and Mizera, Krzysztof.  SPORTS NUTRITION HANDBOOK: Eat Smart. Be Healthy. Get on Top of Your Game.  Velopress. 2019
• “Whey Protein Concentrate Commodity Fact Sheet.” US Aid. 2016. https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security/food-assistance/resources/whey-protein-concentrate 
• “Whey Protein Isolate Standard.” American Dairy Products Institute. https://www.adpi.org/Portals/0/Standards/WPIStandard_book.pdf