Bodybuilders and other athletes take protein supplements to add extra protein to their diets. They need more protein than a normal person because of the extreme amount of damage they do to their muscles while working out. Whey protein is one of the most common types of protein used in protein powders because it is of such high quality and it is easy to synthesize. There are three types of whey protein on the market today: hydrolyzed whey protein isolate, whey isolate and whey concentrate.
Hydro Whey
Hydro whey is a type of whey isolate that is touted as being the highest-quality form of whey protein. It is called hydro when because the protein is hydrolyzed, which is the process of turning intact proteins into peptides. This enables the protein to be absorbed faster and more efficiently by your body.
Whey Concentrate
Whey concentrate is the most common type of whey protein used in protein powders because it is less expensive to produce than hydro whey and whey isolate. That is because it only goes through one step of the protein making process. Whey concentrate is often considered by many athletes to be of lesser quality than hydro whey and whey isolate because it contains more fat carbohydrates and lactose.
Whey Isolate
Whey isolate is used in many premium brands of protein powder. It is the purest form because it contains the highest protein-to-fat/carbohydrate ratio and usually has little, if any, lactose in it. Keep in mind that the only difference between ordinary whey isolate and hydro whey is that hydro whey has gone through the hydrolyzing process.
Cost Comparisons and Effectiveness
Hydro whey is the most expensive whey protein, followed by whey isolate and then whey concentrate. Whey isolate is more expensive than whey concentrate because it is purer, and hydro whey is more expensive than whey isolate because it is faster acting. Many athletes argue over the effectiveness of each, claiming that hydro is the most effective and concentrate is the least effective. The fact is, all of them are equally effective. Hydro whey is just digested more quickly and whey concentrate just contains more fat, carbs and lactose. If you are trying to get lean for a bodybuilding competition or you need to recover very quickly from your workouts, it may be worth it to you to spend the extra money on whey isolate or hydro whey. However, if you are just trying build mass and help your muscles recover after a workout at a normal rate, whey concentrate will get the job done for less money.
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