Science says you need to eat 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight to build muscle mass. For reference, a kilogram is 2.2 pounds, which is .73 grams to one gram per pound of bodyweight. (1)
That’s cut and dry, but consuming enough protein — approximately 200 grams if you weigh 200 pounds — can be challenging. Leaning on a protein supplement is a simple way to jack up your protein intake without over-stuffing yourself. So how does one consume enough protein? Alternative protein sources, like whey protein, used in shakes, smoothies, and the like, can make reaching that daily protein goal easier. (2)(3)
Protein shakes aren’t always the most inclusive snack despite being quick and easy. Whey, the most popular and, in many ways, effective protein powder choice, is an animal-based product that utilizes milk from cows, sheep, or goats.
That is why Myprotein created a new protein powder alternative called Whey Forward — a dairy-identical protein that offers a similar impact on muscle strength with the upside of being environmentally friendly. Furthermore, it can help you feel full while achieving daily protein goals. (4)(5)
This whey protein drink mix is animal-free, environmentally friendly, and packs 20 grams of protein alongside 4.7 grams of BCAAs per serving. They are available in 10 or 20-serving tubs.
Per Myprotein, a whey protein like Whey Forward ” is completely animal-free, thanks to Perfect Day’s four-step fermentation process. Tiny organisms called microflora are fed simple plant sugars, which they convert into dairy-identical protein.” Microflora is bacteria inside the intestines that help digest food. (6)
Let’s dive into the other benefits of animal-free whey protein.
What Does Dairy-Identical Mean?
According to a double-blind crossover study in Nutrients, “whey protein supplementation enhances whole body anabolism — which builds up metabolism, as opposed to catabolism, which does the opposite — and may improve acute recovery of exercise performance after a strenuous bout of resistance exercise.” (7) So whey is effective for building muscle, but can it be made sustainably?
The short answer is yes, but how? Myprotein’s partnership with Perfect Day is a solution. They use a “four-step fermentation process” that utilizes microflora instead of milk from cows. Rather than being farmed the way most traditional milk-based whey is, Whey Forward feeds microflora simple plant sugars in a fermentation process to convert a “dairy-identical protein.”
Dairy-identical means that the product maintains the creamy texture and nutritional value of protein derived from dairy. The benefits whey offers your training and recovery remain relatively consistent.
Of course, more research is needed, but whey protein concentrate has been shown to be just as effective as milk protein concentrate at stimulating muscle protein synthesis — the process of muscle growth. Furthermore, whey protein has been shown to cause muscle protein synthesis to occur faster than milk protein after exercise. (8)(9)
That speed could lead to better gains. Due to the rapid digestion and absorption of whey protein, it is the most effective for increasing post-exercise muscle protein synthesis rates. (10)
What’s In Whey Forward?
A single-scoop serving of any of the three Whey Forward flavors — Creamy Mint Chocolate Chip, Decadent Chocolate Brownie, or Rich Salted Caramel — includes 20 grams of protein and 4.7 grams of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) without any sugar. BCAAs — valine, leucine, and isoleucine — are “essential amino acids with protein anabolic properties,” per Nutrition & Metabolism. (11)
While the research to date should be considered with caution, in specific conditions for resistance-trained individuals, BCAA supplementation “could diminish the outcomes of exercise-induced muscle damage.” (12)
Journey the Whey Forward
There are a lot of different whey proteins on the market. However, they are not all created equal despite offering similar amounts of protein and relatively similar calories per serving.
Myprotein and Perfect Day’s Whey Forward offers all the benefits of whey protein while being more sustainable and environmentally friendly than their dairy-derived counterparts. A sustainable future is necessary, and making the simple switch to a dairy-identical whey protein for your supplement cabinet is an easy step in the right direction.
This whey protein drink mix is animal-free, environmentally friendly, and packs 20 grams of protein alongside 4.7 grams of BCAAs per serving. They are available in 10 or 20-serving tubs.
References
- Stokes, T., Hector, A. J., Morton, R. W., McGlory, C., & Phillips, S. M. (2018). Recent Perspectives Regarding the Role of Dietary Protein for the Promotion of Muscle Hypertrophy with Resistance Exercise Training. Nutrients, 10(2), 180. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10020180
- Burd, N. A., Beals, J. W., Martinez, I. G., Salvador, A. F., & Skinner, S. K. (2019). Food-First Approach to Enhance the Regulation of Post-exercise Skeletal Muscle Protein Synthesis and Remodeling. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 49(Suppl 1), 59–68. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-018-1009-y
- Lam, F. C., Khan, T. M., Faidah, H., Haseeb, A., & Khan, A. H. (2019). Effectiveness of whey protein supplements on the serum levels of amino acid, creatinine kinase and myoglobin of athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Systematic reviews, 8(1), 130. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-019-1039-z
- Sánchez-Moya, T., , Planes-Muñoz, D., , Frontela-Saseta, C., , Ros-Berruezo, G., , & López-Nicolás, R., (2020). Milk whey from different animal species stimulates the in vitro release of CCK and GLP-1 through a whole simulated intestinal digestion. Food & function, 11(8), 7208–7216. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0fo00767f
- Lim, M. T., Pan, B. J., Toh, D., Sutanto, C. N., & Kim, J. E. (2021). Animal Protein versus Plant Protein in Supporting Lean Mass and Muscle Strength: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients, 13(2), 661. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13020661
- NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. (2022). Retrieved 18 August 2022, from https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/microflora
- West, D., Abou Sawan, S., Mazzulla, M., Williamson, E., & Moore, D. R. (2017). Whey Protein Supplementation Enhances Whole Body Protein Metabolism and Performance Recovery after Resistance Exercise: A Double-Blind Crossover Study. Nutrients, 9(7), 735. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9070735
- Mitchell, C. J., McGregor, R. A., D’Souza, R. F., Thorstensen, E. B., Markworth, J. F., Fanning, A. C., Poppitt, S. D., & Cameron-Smith, D. (2015). Consumption of Milk Protein or Whey Protein Results in a Similar Increase in Muscle Protein Synthesis in Middle-Aged Men. Nutrients, 7(10), 8685–8699. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu7105420
- Kanda, A., Nakayama, K., Sanbongi, C., Nagata, M., Ikegami, S., & Itoh, H. (2016). Effects of Whey, Caseinate, or Milk Protein Ingestion on Muscle Protein Synthesis after Exercise. Nutrients, 8(6), 339. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8060339
- van Loon L. J. (2013). Role of dietary protein in post-exercise muscle reconditioning. Nestle Nutrition Institute workshop series, 75, 73–83. https://doi.org/10.1159/000345821
- Holeček M. (2018). Branched-chain amino acids in health and disease: metabolism, alterations in blood plasma, and as supplements. Nutrition & metabolism, 15, 33. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12986-018-0271-1
- Fouré, A., & Bendahan, D. (2017). Is Branched-Chain Amino Acids Supplementation an Efficient Nutritional Strategy to Alleviate Skeletal Muscle Damage? A Systematic Review. Nutrients, 9(10), 1047. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9101047
Featured image courtesy of Myprotein.
