What Is Whey Powder & Where Can It Be Purchased?

Whey is source of protein that bodybuilders and other fitness aficionados use. Boiled down to a powder form, whey is both a common ingredient in everyday foods and a dietary supplement. It's widely available from both online vendors and bricks-and-mortar stores.

Identification

Cheese is made by adding an enzyme to milk that causes it to clot. Whey is the liquid that remains after the solid product, curds, is removed from the coagulated milk. Its dehydrated form, whey powder, is an ingredient in the processing of a variety of everyday foods. Manufacturers use whole whey powder in baked goods such as biscuits and in binding meats like sausage, according to whey powder producer Cargill. Manufacturers also can remove minerals from whey powder and use it as a dairy ingredient in ice cream, milk chocolate and other milk-based products. Isolated proteins from whey powder go into whey protein, a common dietary supplement.

Composition

Whey powder in its whole form is mostly lactose, the sugar found in milk, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Nutrient Database. Most of the other content is protein, and it contains a small amount of fat. Minerals include potassium, sodium and calcium, and vitamins include vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and vitamin B-12. Most whey protein supplements remove these other components, leaving only the protein. Whey protein isolate is almost entirely protein by composition. Whey protein concentrate still contains some of the lactose and fat. Labels should indicate what percentage of protein a powder contains.

Purchasing

You'll find a wide variety of whey powder supplement brands at your local health food stores or large chains. You also can buy it from major online retailers. Besides standard whey powder, all these vendors also sell it with different flavorings, such as chocolate, vanilla or strawberry. Additionally, the vendors sell energy bars with whey protein as the main ingredient. If you're not sure whether you like the taste of whey powder and want to try it before purchasing a large jar, you can try a small amount in a smoothie.

Uses

The protein in whey powder provides essential amino acids that help the body build muscle with strength training, according to the American Council on Exercise. Depending on the composition, one scoop added to milk, yogurt or juice usually will give you about 20 g of protein. If it's your supplement of choice, the American Council on Exercise suggests consuming it either before strength training or within three hours after training. You might be able to use it even if you're lactose intolerant, as long as it's a whey protein isolate that contains little lactose.