isolate vs concentrate

[princessk64]

Can someone explain the pros and cons of whey protein isolate vs whey protein concentrate. I did a search but came up with nothing. Thank you

[LMW]

isolate is a lot more expensive but is higher quality protein

[princessk64]

Originally Posted by LMW

isolate is a lot more expensive but is higher quality protein

does it really make a diff I wonder?

[2 D]

Isolate is whey protein that is designed to be very quickly absorbed, where as the concentrate is not. Nothing inherently good or bad about either, both have pros and cons...

Isolate is harder to find generally than concentrate, usually comes in less flavors and is almost always more expensive. However it does get absorbed faster and many people take it because it eliminates gas/bloat/digestion problems that can occur with concentrate.

Concentrate is cheaper, easy to find, comes in all kinds of brands and flavors (much more so than isolates), is almost always cheaper, but it can cause some bad gas for many people.

Also the protein's they use in Isolates are much higher quality which is part of the reason why they are absorbed faster than those found in concentrates. It is really up to the individual as to which kind of protein to take, many people have preferences. I know that I get terrible gas with whey of any kind except a few types of isolates. I don't take whey anymore though, so that isn't much of an issue for me at the moment, but if I resume taking it any point it will definately be an isolate for me.

[princessk64]

Originally Posted by 2 D

Isolate is whey protein that is designed to be very quickly absorbed, where as the concentrate is not. Nothing inherently good or bad about either, both have pros and cons...

Isolate is harder to find generally than concentrate, usually comes in less flavors and is almost always more expensive. However it does get absorbed faster and many people take it because it eliminates gas/bloat/digestion problems that can occur with concentrate.

Concentrate is cheaper, easy to find, comes in all kinds of brands and flavors (much more so than isolates), is almost always cheaper, but it can cause some bad gas for many people.

Also the protein's they use in Isolates are much higher quality which is part of the reason why they are absorbed faster than those found in concentrates. It is really up to the individual as to which kind of protein to take, many people have preferences. I know that I get terrible gas with whey of any kind except a few types of isolates. I don't take whey anymore though, so that isn't much of an issue for me at the moment, but if I resume taking it any point it will definately be an isolate for me.

Thanks great info!!

[birdSky]

I always assumed that isolate is much more expensive and probably not worth it ... but guess what ... I found NOW Protein isolate (10 lb) even cheaper than ON Protein Concentrate (10 lb). The only tricky part is that isolate is flavorless so I add calorie free chocolate syrup to make it taste good.

[in10city]

Originally Posted by princessk64

Can someone explain the pros and cons of whey protein isolate vs whey protein concentrate. I did a search but came up with nothing. Thank you

Here's a good article on the WPC vs. Ion-Exchange WPI vs. Micro-Filtered WPI -> http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/willbrink3.htm

To Sum This Section Up:
The pros of concentrates is there may be higher levels of various and potentially beneficial - growth factors, lipids, phospholipids, and other potentially interesting compounds. The cons are lower protein gram for gram than isolates, and higher levels of fat and lactose that some people may wish to avoid. Like all whey proteins, not all concentrates are created equal in their levels of the above mentioned compounds of interest.

The pros of Ion exchange isolates is extremely low fat and lactose levels, with the highest protein levels (on a gram for gram basis). The cons - which outweigh the pros in my view - is the loss of important subfractions in favor of higher amounts of Beta-Lac.

The pros of well made micro filtered isolates is a high protein content (90% or above), low lactose and fat levels, very low levels of undenatured proteins, and the retention of important subfractions in their natural ratios. There really are no cons per se, unless the person wants the additional compounds (e.g., higher levels of growth factors, CLA, etc.) found in a well made concentrate.

[princessk64]

Originally Posted by in10city

Here's a good article on the WPC vs. Ion-Exchange WPI vs. Micro-Filtered WPI -> http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/willbrink3.htm

\

Thanks. This article really clears up the debate.