In 1936 he turned whey, the liquid waste from cheesemaking, into a protein powder. ALCHEMISTS SOUGHT to turn base metals into gold. They failed. But for body builders, Eugene Schiff, a pharmacist from Detroit, managed the next best thing. Athletes and gym rats now pay top dollar for the stuff. And whey has been joined by powders made from its fellow dairy product, casein, and from leguminous plants, namely peas and soyabeans. Which powder is best?
This is about 12% of whey powder’s mass and one of the 20 amino acids from which proteins are composed. But a study published in Nutrition & Metabolism in 2021 found little evidence they boost muscle synthesis any more than pure whey. A key ingredient to look for is leucine. But leucine has many talents. It also activates a biochemical pathway, called the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), that encourages protein synthesis. Whey itself comes in refined varieties. There are isolates with less lactose for those wanting to avoid calories, and hydrolysates pre-digested with enzymes to make the powder easier on the gut. Such concoctions are often touted as offering greater benefits owing to their more refined nature. For gym buffs looking for a quick recovery after a workout, then, a full dose of unadulterated whey is the best bet.
It is one of the nine dubbed “essential”, because humans cannot make them, so they must arrive in food.
A few ingredients are best avoided. Some powders are leavened with glycine and taurine, amino acids that can be synthesised cheaply. These inflate a product’s amino-acid count while doing little to stimulate muscle growth. Some makers bulk up their products with starches, gums and emulsifiers too. Buyers should remember: not all that glitters is muscle-building gold.
