Will Whey Protein make you fat? (1 Viewer)

[Kevin Alexander]

I have a friend who told me not to use Whey Protein because it will make you fat. So that got me worried and I stopped using it after a brief try. He recommended a "regular" protein powder instead. Also, when people talk about "weight gains" w/ certain proteins, are they referring to muscle or fat?

 

[Brian Harnish]

No particular food will make you fat unless it's a combination of simple carbohydrates (sugars) and fats. This deadly combination causes an insulin release which will create more of a propensity for your body to store the food as fat. You gain weight WHENEVER you consume more calories than you burn in a day. Also, Whey protein can be an essential tool in building muscle, especially if you adhere to a workout program that includes weight lifting.

And, whenever people talk about weight gain, the DESIRED weight gain is muscle, as the more muscle you have the more calories you burn at rest. So, building muscle helps increase your metabolism.

 

[Leila Dougan]

I agree with what Brian said. And to add, there's nothing wrong with whey protein. What, may I ask, does your friend consider "regular" protein?? Protein is protein, but it's source can vary considerably. Other than meat, the most widely available sources are soy and whey. If you have no issue with the source (allergy, moral objection, etc) then as far as the protein is concerned, it doesn't really matter.

 

[Shawn Solar]

Also weight gain products and protein are two different supplements. But, some of the weight gain shakes have protien in them. Look for something lower in carbs and calories is all. protein is essential for repairing and building muscle. Also make sure you get enough. This is where you want more than one protein souce as the normal intake is about 60-75grams per day. if you are trying to get more muscular than even more is better. some say 1 gram per lb but that can be tricky.

 

[Jay Taylor]

A high quality source of protein such as whey, fish & chicken will have a high P.E.R.

A low quality source of protein such as hydrolyzed gelatin protein will have a P.E.R. of almost zero.

One confusion factor concerning weight gain or weight loss with protein supplements is how you take it. You may replace a meal with a protein supplement mix to help lose weight, or take a protein supplement in addition to your normal meals to gain weight.

 

[Leila Dougan]

You are correct. I was going by the assumption that a person is eating a varied diet and only supplementing with a protein powder. If you're still eating meat and dairy, then I think you're probably getting all the essential amino acids anyway. I'm not assuming that a person is eating gelatin as their only source of protein (yuck!).

But in any case, I was merely comparing whey to meat and soy. When you start talking about other protein sources, then of course, the picture changes drastically. Not that I'm fond of soy or anything since I personally think whey and white meat are the healthiest forms of protein.

But anyway, I'm still curious what this friend considers "regular" protein. Protein from different sources might be utilized in the body differently, sure, but it's still all protein. That's what I was really getting at. . .the idea of a "regular" protein is kinda absurd.

 

[Kevin Alexander]

Any powdered protein other than whey protein.

 

[Chris_Morris]

I'm just curious where the friend got his information, and why whey would be worse than:
Casein (made from milk, as is whey)
Egg
Soy

Most of the "regular" powders (if there are any, most declare themselves as one of the 4 above) have whey in them, they are just severely cut with gelatin.

Sounds like mis-information from some "anti-animal-cruelty" group (like PETA, who claims milk will kill you).

FWIW, I lost ~70lbs a few years ago using whey as a post-workout drink and a snack at times. Of course I gained it all back and am starting the process of losing it again and will use lots of whey and heavy metal plates to do it.

 

[Chris_Morris]

PS: Show your friend this article:
The Whey it is by Will Brink

 

[Sami Kallio]

Also tell your friend that soy protein lowers testosterone levels. Not a good thing if you're trying to cut weight or build muscle.

 

[Dave Gorman]

Do you have a reference for that? (I'm not arguing I'd just like further information.)

 

[Chris_Morris]

A good source for references:
PubMed
It gives you the research studies if they have been indexed.

As for soy, alot of the studies have been done on animals, with few studies done on humans. The studies done have shown a small decrease of testosterone, which for most men would not be a bother. To those serious about adding muscle though, any decrease is bad
Here's a couple studies on humans:


Soy study 1
Soy study 2

 

[Sami Kallio]

http://www.google.com/search?client=...=Google+Search

 

[JonZ]

Why are you taking the protein shake?

IF your doing intense weight lifting then you definitely need it. If your doing moderate exercise, than you may want to break one shake in 1/2 and take it twice a day. Most shakes are between 20-30 grams of protein and you really dont need that much unless your trying to gain weight or doing rigorous exercise and need the extra calories.

I suggested to my father,who lost alot of weight during cancer treatment to start taking a shake a day and its helped put some weight back on him,but hes not exercising.

Also whey is a fast absorbing protein. Its absorbed by your system is about 2 or so hours. If you want something that will trickle into your system and last longer, you need casein. The best source is cottage cheese. I usually mix some fat free CC into my nitetime shake so that my body will get more nourishment longer thru the nite, since its not gonna eat again until 7am or so.

 

[Sami Kallio]

Cottage cheese is a good source. I use it with my salads to replace dressing.

Jon, if your father lost a lot of weight/muscle, he might want to talk to his doctor about hormone therapy.

 

[JonZ]

Ill see if he's had that discussion with the doc

"soy protein lowers testosterone levels"

This is true from everything Ive read.