Whey Protein Isolate (WPI)

The goal for any serious body builder is to add lean, hard muscle and as much of it as possible. In order to achieve this there are several things that need to happen. It's not enough to train hard or have a balanced diet. The building blocks of muscle tissue are proteins, and if you want to add muscular bulk, you will need to ingest more protein than you 'burn' training. It will also help if this protein source is very low in the cholesterol, lactose and 'bad' fats that tend to be a part of many protein sources.

Whey has emerged as an almost perfect protein source. Derived from milk, increasingly sophisticated extraction methods mean that you are able to access the protein you require, with almost no cholesterol, lactose or 'bad' fats. And increasingly you will hear about 'whey isolate' and even 'fractions', often abbreviated to WPI. This refers to the increased ability to divide whey up into the things you want, and discard what isn't helpful to body builders. In fact these days it is possible to even get a very specific blend of the amino acids that make up protein itself. There are some twenty amino acids, of which eight are considered absolutely essential for life, but each has functions to play in metabolism, and some are very specific to muscle creation and repair.

Few people realize that muscles are constantly 'reorganising'. New muscle is being created and older muscle cells are reassimilated into the body. It is therefore vital for body builders to always be supplying their nutrient hungry muscles with more than enough protein. Whey has emerged as a protein source that is easily ingested and free from many of the things body builders don't want, and has taken the world of body building supplements by storm. Whey isolates provide an extremely concentrated dose of protein in a form that is extremely easy to 'stomach'.

Supplements that utilize whey isolates

Whey is extremely popular on the body building scene because it is an easily ingested protein source, largely free from things like lactose, 'bad' fats and cholesterol. And increasingly sophisticated extraction processes have allowed supplement companies to deliver very specific combinations of amino acids. Supplements that use whey isolates include:

There are a great many whey isolate supplements on the market, which bears testimony to what an amazing protein source it is.

Why use whey isolate supplements?

Any serious body builder needs a easily ingested, quick release protein source and whey fits the bill. The increasingly advanced extraction processes mean that unwanted things like lactose, 'bad' fats and cholesterol are left behind, and specific ratios of amino acids can now be achieved. Whey is easy on the stomach and generally comes in formulations which are extremely soluable, so it can be added to almost any drink. There is no doubt that whey is now an essential part of any serious body builder's supplement armoury and in order to find the one that is best for you it is suggested you do a little research, and pay special attention to what other body builders are saying. There is certainly a vast range of choice!