From Arnie’s Pump Club
Your Protein Powder Might Have a Dirty Secret |
The next time you buy a protein supplement, make sure you take a look at the fine print on the ingredient label. |
If you use a whey protein concentrate, you might be getting much less protein than you think. |
Whey protein concentrate is a high-quality form of protein, but because of the many loopholes in the supplement industry, it’s easy for companies to deliver a lower-quality product without your awareness. |
You can think of “concentrate” as a way to grade the purity of a protein. Whey protein concentrates can be anywhere from 20 percent to 80 percent protein by weight — but you don’t always know what you’re getting. |
Let’s say your protein supplement shows 20 grams of whey protein concentrate on the label. If the product uses WPC20 (whey protein concentrate that’s 20% protein by weight), the absorbable whey protein is just 4 grams — even though the label shows 20 grams. |
And you won’t necessarily know what percentage is being used because your supplement label does not need to specify the type of whey protein concentrate. It’s why we encourage you to look for NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport products, as both require label accuracy. Again, there’s nothing bad about whey protein concentrate. But the lack of clarity can mean you’re getting less protein than you think. |
Alternatively, you could buy a whey protein isolate, which is standardized at a minimum of 90 percent protein by weight. |
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