Protein powders are a staple when it comes to muscle growth and recovery! These are the components that are essential for every athlete or fitness enthusiast, especially if they train frequently.
You may have seen “whey” or “whey isolate” on the packaging of your protein powder, now what are those? Whey Protein Concentrate and Whey Protein Isolate are two common types of supplements. While they are alike to some extent, they do have some important differences that should be known. Let us begin with a general understanding!
What is Whey Protein?
Whey Protein is said to be a supplement that many people use alongside strength training, the best whey protein helps to boost muscle protein synthesis and grow lean muscle mass.
Whey protein is a complete protein, i.e. it incorporates all 9 essential amino acids that should be obtained from food. It is simply the protein from whey, the watery part of milk that separates from the curd while making cheese. This is an excellent option to improve our diet’s nutrient content and influence the immune system.
Types of Whey Protein
There are three major types of whey protein: Whey protein isolate (WPI), whey protein concentrate (WPC), and whey protein hydrolysate (WPH). Let us understand these terms in detail.
Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC)
Whey Protein Isolate (WPI)
Whey protein hydrolysate (WPH)
Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC)- Whey protein concentrates are a very common form of whey protein. It is fabricated when milk collides with the enzyme rennet (an enzyme utilized to make cheese) causing curds and whey (the watery part of milk) to separate. In simple words, it is produced by removing a certain amount of percentage of non-protein constituents from pasteurized whey obtained from cheese processing. The best whey concentrate is obtained from this watery portion and is a common ingredient in various protein powder supplements. Further, the whey concentrates may include 25% to 90% pure protein.
Whey Protein Isolate (WPI)- Talking about Whey protein isolate, it is just whey protein concentrate that has been further processed to pull out most of the fat and lactose. Majorly, the best whey protein isolate is made up of a minimum of 90% protein. Further, it goes through a much more intense fabrication process than whey protein concentrate.
Whey protein hydrolysate (WPH)- Whey protein hydrolysate is not talked about generally; it is a subset of Whey Isolate. Hydrolyzed whey protein or hydro whey can be made from Whey protein Isolate or Whey Concentrate. The process includes taking wither forms of whey proteins and breaking them down into smaller amino acid chains (hydrolysis) with the help of an enzyme. So, depending on the type of whey that was used to start with it could have up to 90% of protein (if WPI was used) or up to 80% of protein (if WPC was used). Moreover, it is considered a high-quality protein that is quick digesting and is a viable option for athletes and active individuals in need of serious recovery.
As we are concentrating on Whey concentrate & Whey Isolate, let us now discuss some of the essential differences between these two.
Difference Between Whey Protein Concentrate & Whey Protein Isolate
There are various nutritional differences between both. These can be caused by the diverse processing methods. Even the best Whey Concentrate can sometimes cause bloating due to the carbs and lactose in it, while on the other hand, whey isolate contains no, or a low amount of lactose that results in no bloating.
Both whey concentrate and whey isolate will digest in the body at the same speed and include the same quantity of amino acids (building blocks of proteins).
Based on 100-calorie servings, the following differences can be seen between whey isolate and whey concentrate supplements in the table:
Whey Isolate Whey Concentrate
Processing More Less
Protein 23 grams 18 grams
Carbs 1 gram 3.5 grams
Fat 0 grams 1.5 grams
Lactose Up to 1 gram Up to 3.5 grams
Cost Higher Lower
Talking about the results, both whey concentrate, and whey isolate provide similar results to the consumer when it comes to harnessing your training goals. However, many people choose whey isolate over the concentration, the reason being the lower carb and fat content.
One thing to keep in mind is that whey isolate is far better for individuals who are lactose intolerant, and they should be careful while buying the protein and should avoid the blend of both, isolate and concentrate. Even if you are cutting down calories or preparing for bodybuilding competition, then whey isolate is a preferable choice.
Moreover, if you’re concerned about the amount of protein intake per day, let’s tell you that the advised Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is approximately 0.8 grams of protein per Kg of your body weight, or 0.36 grams per pound. For example, if a person weighs 75 kilograms, then they should consume 60 grams of protein per day.
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