Protein
Yes, I Love Whey Protein This Much…


I’m surprised when people are asked the three things they’d bring to a desert island; a dump truck full of whey protein never comes up. It reminds me of the goop they had in The Matrix. Protein combined with synthetic aminos, vitamins, and minerals. Everything the body needs.

It isn’t a magical muscle building substance by any means. My college buddy had a jug of whey and would down shakes like a fiend but he was only getting fatter and obviously upset. I asked him how often he was going to the gym and he said he wasn’t. He figured eating protein mixed with creatine would work wonders. He also may have been mixing it with McCormick. Ah, the old college try…

Were people able to get in shape before whey protein? Of Course. Are whole food sources tastier and more nutritious. Definitely. But is Whey Protein a smart buy if you want to build strength and lean muscle? You bet. Mixed with resistance training whey can help you arrive at your fitness destination that much faster.

Here are just a few reasons why I love my jugs of whey.

Incredible Value – For forty dollars you can get five pounds of whey delivered to your doorstep. This works out to 77 scoops at 24 grams of protein each for a total of 1848 grams of protein. To equal that same amount of protein it would take -

26 dozen eggs (6 grams per egg)
15 gallons of milk (8 grams per cup)
46 cans of tuna (40 grams per can)
16 pounds of flank steak (22 grams per 3 oz.)

These guys are all high value protein sources as well.

Incredible Convenience – Imagine having 26 dozen eggs or 15 gallons of milk in your fridge at the same time. Tough to compete with a canister that’s a cubic foot. Preparation is about 10-15 seconds from jug to belly. Scoop n’ stir. No cooking, highly portable, super long shelf life. My co-workers would make fun of me for bringing freezer bags filled with whey to drink between training clients. However one of them called me the ‘MacGyver of Protein Shakes’ which made it all worthwhile.

Incredibly Nutritious – High quality protein with several amino acids and very low carb. Most have artificial sweeteners, usually sucralose, but there are plenty of unflavored and au naturale’ brands if that is your dietary style.

The Highest Biological Value – Foods with a high a biological value allow a greater amount of the protein to actually be utilized by the body. It doesn’t get any higher than whey.

Feeling of Satiety – I don’t use it for this reason but there have been a few times when I slammed a shake post workout right before heading out to a restaurant. I could barely finish my meals those times I felt so full. Whey can help stomp out any unhealthy eating habits or late night cravings that may pop up from time to time.

Fast Acting – Whey protein peaks in about and hour and a half compared to other foods such as chicken (2 1/2 hours), eggs (4 1/2 hours), & cottage cheese (7 1/2 hours). It is a great choice to add at breakfast time and as an easy to digest snack pre-workout and post workout to both fuel your efforts and aid recovery.

Bonus Fun Facts: Here is an excellent video detailing the history of whey protein by the makers of my favorite protein powder. It is considerably more convenient than going to your local cheese factory.

Fitness tends to have an upward spiral effect. Your workout requires you to eat better and causes you to sleep better which in turn gives you more energy for your next workout. You continue to have better workouts, better eats, and better sleep. Smart supplementing can help support that spiral and whey protein along with fish oils and a multivitamin are all intelligent choices.