Whey Protein At Work In The Body

Whey protein helps human cells to grow, as well as replace and repair themselves. In fact, protein is a key component of every single body system and every fluid (except bile and urine).

A human body can use its own 12 naturally occurring amino acids to manufacture some proteins by itself (the other 9 amino acids must be sourced from dietary protein). Whey proteins are one such source that is able to provide all nine of these ‘missing’ amino acids. In fact, whey proteins can provide the human body with everything that a nice, juicy sirloin steak can. However, the body is able to absorb whey proteins much faster than it can absorb red meat. The faster a body gets the protein it needs, the more quickly it can start building new muscle. Moreover, most whey proteins are low-fat or fat-free, whilst steak is not (sadly).

It is not always easy to accurately calculate the amount of protein an individual person will need. Whilst, the amount is largely dependent on the size of a person’s body, other factors such as body fat composition, activity levels and individual nutritional goals also need to be taken into account. However, an often useful rule of thumb is to look at consuming 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight. Athletes however should look at achieving more like 150 – 200% percent of this amount.