The guys at my work all seem to push the whey isolates as being the Holy Grail of muscle repair, to the point where they automatically talk someone out of another protein powder (even if it's something ridiculously marked up, like Nitrotech) because they're on 'isolate auto-pilot'. Blends are considered garbage to them. Why have anything else when you can be super anal-retentive about having one gram of carbs per scoop, instead of three?:nono:

As far as I know, an isolate isn't necessarily the best thing to take all of the time. The guys run on the idea that it absorbs faster. (Fast is good, right?:rolleyes:) Maybe right after a workout, sure... and that's probably where they're best used. That said, they're more expensive, so should they really be used more than necessary?

I get DOMS, they last a couple of days, and so I feel that my muscles need a more sustained release protein as they repair. Am I terribly wrong, here? I swear that I've read this before.

Personally, I could practically build muscle hitting the weights once a week and sleeping for the rest of it, but that's just my body type. It takes a lot for me to atrophy. I'm curious about the general opinions on whey protein and the needs of the general populous, though. I'd really like to find some articles to debunk this drivel I'm hearing (and to stop the criticism when I buy, oh, say, some ON Whey).

Anyone care to help me find some sources or correct me, if I'M wrong?

I get DOMS, they last a couple of days, and so I feel that my muscles need a more sustained release protein as they repair. Am I terribly wrong, here? I swear that I've read this before.


If you are talking about how fast they absorbed, there's not much issue in isolate versus concentrate, versus hydrolyzed versus ion-exchange whey... again, when talking rate of digestion. Some are faster, but not DRAMATICALLY so, especially for the average person.

Comparing whey to casein or egg protein, that's a different matter.

From my experience, if what you can afford is just concentrate, you might as well eat whole foods.

The advantages of the various types of whey have more to do with overall "availability", with how they affect your digestion (bloating or no bloat, etc) the amount of carbs and fats per gram of protein, the desired "taste" (bitter or bland).

If you really want ultra fast with maximum muscle glycogen reload, you certainly could by 100% pure ion-exchange whey and use waxy maize starch. But unless you're competing (and maybe even so) why spend that kind of cash.

For my money, I'd recommend a whey isolate in general over concentrate. But beyond that, it's only very fine shades of difference. (I actually use about 80% whey iso and 20% egg white protein ATM).

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/layne42.htm

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/layne42.htm

So if I understand this correctly: I'm not losing my marbles, and a slow-digesting protein is, indeed, good for fending of catabolism.

Makes sense. We as human beings started out eating that slow digesting stuff known as 'meat' eons ago, to keep ourselves from wasting away... and not ultra-mega-filtered, rocky road-flavoured protein isolates.

So if I understand this correctly: I'm not losing my marbles, and a slow-digesting protein is, indeed, good for fending of catabolism.

Makes sense. We as human beings started out eating that slow digesting stuff known as 'meat' eons ago, to keep ourselves from wasting away... and not ultra-mega-filtered, rocky road-flavoured protein isolates.

It depends on when you use the powder. Slow digesting, like micellar casein for example, is best at night or for general purposes. PWO however, most want something faster, and that's where whey is counted on.

The moral of the story: Fast absortion has its place and slow absorbtion has its place. Use both and push both. Your coworkers aren't quite on the cutting edge with that attitude.

See this thread I just posted (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=31485).