Is Whey Protein useful in Weight Loss regimes

Whey protein offers an impressive range of benefits that most people are unaware of. Would you think that whey protein as an ingredient could help you manage your weight, help your immune system and cardiovascular health and support your bone mineral density? Did you know that consuming a quality whey protein at breakfast time, between meals or after exercise aids muscle repair, accelerates your recovery and helps to maintain your metabolic rate? Well adding whey protein to your diet, indeed can offer these benefits.

WHAT IS WHEY?
Whey protein is derived from milk and separated in the cheese making process. After this point a quality Whey protein such as Isopure is refined so that the fat and carbohydrates are removed and the lactose content is reduced. This results in a protein that is superior to regular food proteins in terms of digestion, absorption and health benefits. It is high in immune fractions, which provide support for the immune system, and rich in leucine, which has been shown to help preserve muscle tissue whilst promoting fat loss.

WEIGHT LOSS AND AGE
Studies show that maintaining a healthy weight can help reduce incidence of life threatening conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. As we age, there is a related decline in our metabolic rate due to a reduction in muscle on the body. This makes it harder for us to stay slim and toned. Each pound of muscle requires additional calories to support it, therefore, if we lose muscle, our bodies need fewer calories each year to maintain the same weight. Diets deficient in protein and calories have been shown to accelerate this muscle loss

A LONG-TERM STRATEGY FOR WEIGHT LOSS
A combination of regular exercise and a healthy balanced diet has been consistently shown to be the best longterm strategy for weight loss. As protein is responsible for renewing our hair, skin, nails and muscle mass, we should be looking to ingest a protein in each meal to prevent muscle loss. A regular exerciser looking to maintain their muscle tone (and avoid the decline in calorie demand) should consume approximately 1.5grams of protein for each kilo of their weight (e.g. A 70kg person should be ingesting 105 grams of protein a day). A practical way to measure this is to add a fist-sized portion of protein to each meal.

WHICH PROTEINS SHOULD I CHOOSE?
High protein foods that are preferable include lean meats such as chicken and turkey (Vegetarians may select Quorn or similar high protein alternatives) oily fish such as salmon and sardines. Whey Protein products such as Isopure provide quality protein for mid-morning, mid-afternoon or after training offering superior digestion, recovery and immune protection. It is also really easy to transport and prepare. Either add water and mix into a shake, add to a smoothie or choose an unflavoured product such as Isopure to add to your foods.

Thanks to Lyn Clay for some of the contents of this blogg.

Nitrogen Balance

This is another blogg on proteins - and starts to explain why protein is so important in gaining optimal physical performance....

Athletes tend to need more protein than sedentary individuals in order to achieve positive nitrogen balance.
In fact, protein is the key "building" nutrient for a variety of bodily tissues, many of which support muscle growth (enzymes, skin, hair, nails, bones, and connective tissue are all constructed from protein). Protein makes up 15-20% of ones bodyweight and is thus, next to water, the body's second most abundant substance..

There Are Three Basic States Of Nitrogen Balance

Positive: This is the optimal state for muscle growth - where the nitrogen intake is greater than nitrogen output. Essentially, it shows the body has sufficiently recovered from its last workout. The greater the nitrogen balance, the faster is workout recovery. This is the body's anabolic state.

Negative: This is the worst state an athelete can find themselves in - where nitrogen loss is greater than nitrogen intake. Not only is nitrogen drawn away from muscle, where it is needed for growth, it is also taken from the vital organs where serious damage can occur. Of course, negative nitrogen balance also destroys muscle and is consequently considered a catabolic state.

Equilibrium: This state should be what a bodybuilder might achieve at the very minimum - where nitrogen intake and loss are equal. The trainer in this state is not regressing, nor are they really gaining any appreciable muscle.

So, a caloric surplus of protein should be maintained at all times, to keep nitrogen balance positive. It is advisable to eat about six meals (each spaced two-three hours apart), each containing around 30-40-grams of protein, per-day.

An excellent way to increase the amount of protein is to purchase a high quality whey protein and one of the best on the market today is Isopure. But do make sure that you go to a high quality supplier to purchase you products.

Why use Whey Protein

What is whey protein? It is a rich source of essential amino acids needed by the body on a daily basis Whey protein is a pure, natural, high quality protein from cow's milk. In its purest form, as whey protein isolate, it contains little to no fat, lactose or cholesterol.

Most people now understand that increased protein in-take is important for athletes wanting to maximize muscle growth. But it is interesting to note that protein is an important factor in these other areas

Weight Management
The body requires more energy to digest protein than other foods (thermic effect) and as a result you burn more calories after a protein meal.
Protein also helps to stabilize blood glucose levels by slowing the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. This in turn reduces hunger by lowering insulin levels and making it easier for the body to burn fat.

Cardiovascular Health
Hypertension (high blood pressure) is one of the leading causes of heart disease and stroke. Exciting new research has shown that Whey protein may help in the battle against hypertension. Both human clinical and animal studies found that a hydrolyzed whey protein isolate assisted in reducing the blood pressure of borderline hypertensive individuals.

Cancer
Whey protein has been shown through animal and in vitro studies to inhibit the growth of several types of cancer tumors. Dr. Thomas Badger, head of the Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center in Little Rock, found that feeding rats whey protein resulted in their developing 50% fewer tumors than rats fed casein. The rats fed whey protein also developed fewer tumors than rats fed soy protein and the tumors took longer to develop

Diabetes
Whey protein , a high quality, high biological value protein, is a good choice for diabetics who need to carefully manage food intake. Whey protein provides more value than equal amounts of lower quality proteins that are often higher in fat and cholesterol. In addition, whey protein helps control blood glucose levels and has been shown to be beneficial for weight management, both of which are often a concern for type-2 diabetics.

Infant Nutrition
Certain types of whey protein based infant formulas have also been shown to help reduce crying in colicky infants. While breast-feeding is preferred, infant formulas containing whey protein are the next best thing when breast-feeding is not an option. In addition, whey protein is an excellent protein choice for the expectant mother who needs increased amounts of protein. Pregnancy can increase the body's protein needs by up to 33%

Healthy Aging
The benefit of whey protein for seniors is the ability to help prevent bone loss. A recent study conducted at Boston University showed that elderly individuals who consumed low levels of protein had a significant loss of bone density four years after the start of the study, especially in the hip and spine areas. A nutritious diet including whey protein may help keep bones and muscles healthy and strong.

Wound Care
When the body is working to heal wounds and surgical incisions it requires increased amounts of protein. Protein and its amino acids are the building blocks that initiate the growth of new skin during the healing process. Therefore a high quality whey protein is important in the diet.

One way to ensure you have the optimal protein in-take is to go to a high quality supplier of a whey protein and one of the specialist whey protein products now available is Isopure