So you’ve seen your bestie sipping on whey protein after your latest workout and wondered how this miracle cure is giving her that lean figure? You go straight to Google and hit “women’s whey protein” and pay 2x as much as the guys do. It’s a harsh world but you’re a woman, you need women’s whey right?!
WRONG.

As great as the sports nutrition brands have been at popularising and giving easier access to whey protein, it’s time to fess up and just be honest about the whey that women need to take (and not take!)

There are common questions that women ask around the subject of whey protein. These include:

• Which whey should I take as aren’t they all designed for men?
• If I take it will it make me as muscly as Arnie?
• Will it help me lose weight?

We’ve all been fooled! #TheTruth

Unfortunately, many sports nutrition brands over the years have fooled women (& men!!) into thinking that they need different types of whey protein. The truth of the matter is that there isn’t a different whey for men & women - it’s all the same!!
There aren’t dainty cows producing women’s whey and bearded cows producing whey for men (although that would be quite fun to see) – a dairy cow produces milk and the same milk is used to provide ALL whey protein.

I’ve done a lot of research around the ‘women’s whey’ & ‘lean whey’ protein powders on the market & mostly they’re just whey Isolates (so contain the lowest levels of sugar, fat & therefore calories) and contain things such as green tea (as this miracle element makes you strip the fat by the second... research has shown 4-5 cups of green tea a day, not green tea extract, are needed to have any positive effect on weight loss).
They then stick a “women’s” or “lean” whey label on and charge more! Outrageous eh!?

Will taking whey alone make me muscly like Arnie?

Nice and easy this one, NO!

Firstly, whey is a supplement and not a muscle growth pill. It only works when coupled with regular resistance training.

Secondly, women are not genetically designed in the same way as men (they do not have as much testosterone) so they have to work even harder to bulk up. Whey is great for women in this aspect because women need that extra help to build lean mass due to lower testosterone.

Will whey alone make me lose weight?

Slightly more to this answer, but still relatively easy, NO! Sorry.

Wait…a 10 minute HIIT session once a week & a protein shake isn’t the equivalent of Kate Moss’s vodka and cigarette diet? That’s correct!

Whey is high in protein, choose a high quality whey & it’s as much as 90% protein. Even though it actively doesn’t burn fat, protein is the most satisfying micronutrient (compared to fat & carbs) so it keeps you fuller for longer and keeps the office biscuit stash at bay for longer.

Another reason whey is great for weight loss (when exercising!!) is that it helps with muscle protein synthesis (due to a high level of BCAA’s) - muscles are sought out during weight-loss when the body is looking for energy. So having more lean muscle can ensure your body goes after the fat stores for energy and not your muscles.

Whey also helps you recover so you can exercise more. Ever struggled to walk 2 days after an intense workout...try some whey to help rebuild your muscles back to normal! That means you're back on the work-out saddle quicker than you otherwise would be (ever wondered how the Victoria Secret models are always posting workout after workout?)

Can’t I just eat foods high in protein?
Hell yes! You’re getting it now!

Even though I run a sports nutrition brand I will still always advocate #FoodFirst - however, speaking from experience after working long hours in the City, it’s not as easy as it sounds to healthily supplement my diet on the go, so I use protein sachets. Throw a whey'd sachet in my bag in the morning and I'm good to go!

Recommendation

If you want to lose weight, then exercise regularly and eat high quality, nutrient dense foods rather than relying on the smallest green tea extract in your morning smoothie to burn the fat before heading to Starbucks for a mocha.

Whey powder is perfect for increasing the protein in your diet, especially if you’re a busy worker bee, so if that’s you and you want to give it a try - ignore the marketing lingo showing women’s or lean whey protein, opt for a high quality Whey Isolate or Whey Hydroisolate that’s high in protein & lower in sugar, fat & calories (plus it’ll be cheaper for you, win win.)

If you want to know more about the whey, what it is, what are all of the benefits (as there are a lot), what to buy & how much to use - drop me a line on adam@wheyd.com and I’ll send you a free copy of my best selling whey guide (an Amazon number 1).

Failing that, sign up for updates (or check back in when you’re free) as I’ll be sharing all of these elements on this blog over the next few weeks.

All the best,

Adam