Drinking Whey Protein vs Eating Chicken Breast.. Is there a difference?

[demonwareltd]

When I diet for a show, 5 of my 7 meals use whey powder instead of whole foods. I only eat chicken/fish with lunch and dinner. Don't much care for egg whites. It works fine. You would think it's more expensive, but it's really not much of a difference.

[noaddedhormones]

whey has all the bcaa's u need post workout with quick digestion, chicken is better for eating throughout the day. i believe in shakes between meals, keeps the stomach expanded, keeps a surge of protein through my body, and then im still able to eat 2 chicken breasts every meal

Your brosceience is strong

[wake_me]

Yes, there is a difference, Protein Supplements aren't regulated.

I think this is a valid point.

[BlueRev]

Satiety, cost, ease, taste, variety, portability.

But other than that, no, there's no difference...

This.

[BlueRev]

When I diet for a show, 5 of my 7 meals use whey powder instead of whole foods. I only eat chicken/fish with lunch and dinner. Don't much care for egg whites. It works fine. You would think it's more expensive, but it's really not much of a difference.

lb for lb its not more expensive to have shakes...

Think about it whey is usually low fat
Expensive cuts of meat with low fat cost just as much as whey shakes lb for lb

[BogusForLife]

I'm just confused.

Ron Shipman gets banned with every new account he creates while Bill Nye, the Science Guy clearly has numerous accounts and is posting in this very thread.

[JerG]

lb for lb its not more expensive to have shakes...

Think about it whey is usually low fat
Expensive cuts of meat with low fat cost just as much as whey shakes lb for lb

If you can buy chicken for 1.99/lb then it will be cheaper than any whey protein out there, calorie for calorie. But yeah you would be right for "expensive cuts" but I'm not sure why anyone would need to buy them when you can just get stuff in bulk.

[braskibra]

This.

but there is a difference, whey protein will more than likely (study only involves whey bolus vs pulsed stimulating slower digesting protein) stimulate MPS greater than chicken postwo, more recent research indicates that the most effective postwo drink is multiple sources of protein whey/casein rather than straight whey. so if it really comes down to it a blend postwo provides the most effective manner to gain LBM

[rmaini]

In regards to body composition, it wouldn't matter.

[demonwareltd]

lb for lb its not more expensive to have shakes...

Think about it whey is usually low fat
Expensive cuts of meat with low fat cost just as much as whey shakes lb for lb

Completely agree. My lunch consists of 6 oz of white albacore, costing around 3 bucks. 2 scoops of whey give the same protein and costs much less.

[BlueRev]

If you can buy chicken for 1.99/lb then it will be cheaper than any whey protein out there, calorie for calorie. But yeah you would be right for "expensive cuts" but I'm not sure why anyone would need to buy them when you can just get stuff in bulk.

With chicken you have to spend money
A. Buying it
B. Prepping it
C. Cooking it
D. Cleaning up dish's you use

Plus lets not mention the time it takes to do all this.
Which time ='s money

Whey is ready, You mix it, Drink it, Rinse the bottle and your good.

Also i do not see why people are calling protein shakes unnatural... yes they have added stuff but whey is from milk..
whey is a high protein low fat.. which in tern ='s a high quality protein source.
High quality low fat cuts of meat get expensive.

[Elliptical Envy]

If you can buy chicken for 1.99/lb then it will be cheaper than any whey protein out there, calorie for calorie. But yeah you would be right for "expensive cuts" but I'm not sure why anyone would need to buy them when you can just get stuff in bulk.

The expensive steak tastes better than the cheap steak

[wake_me]

The expensive steak tastes better than the cheap steak

Nothing better than a peppered angus.

[sleseur93]

Don't bash people because of their preference to eat chicken over whey. Most whey shakes are good but they are still so processed that I would rather take a little time out of my day to make that chicken. I actually have both post workout and it's been great.

[Elliptical Envy]

Nothing better than a peppered angus.

Ribeye > bottom round

I think I'll have a steak today

[wake_me]

If you can buy chicken for 1.99/lb then it will be cheaper than any whey protein out there, calorie for calorie. But yeah you would be right for "expensive cuts" but I'm not sure why anyone would need to buy them when you can just get stuff in bulk.

Also depends where you live. Chicken tends to be more expensive here in Canada than USA.

[demonwareltd]

Don't bash people because of their preference to eat chicken over whey. Most whey shakes are good but they are still so processed that I would rather take a little time out of my day to make that chicken. I actually have both post workout and it's been great.

No bashing going on here, just people sticking up for those who say you HAVE TO eat solid food protein meals all the time and that they are so much better than whey shakes. Reality is that they make little difference. Like another guy said, I think satiety is the biggest problem. I will trade a shake in for some solid protein if I'm more hungry than normal, but most of the time, I go with the shake...

[vkarthik]

Can someone explain why the chicken is superior to a protein shake? Not that I have a problem with chicken, but I prefer a protein shake due to convenience and I like the taste much better. I'm sure we've all heard that a protein shake will be absorbed and digested by the body much quicker. Liquid meals digest faster than solid food meals, especially when the solid food contains fat. I realize there is debate about whether the timing is important, but it is hard to dispute that getting a quick source of aminos after a workout is a good thing. Even though most nutrients should come from broken down food, how can the post-workout shake be worse than food?

You eat chicken raw without any seasoning?

[BetterThanLife]

You eat chicken raw without any seasoning?

I'm not an anti-meat activist, but I rarely eat it myself. A majority of the protein in my diet comes from shakes, which makes me feel like I get to live off of cinnamon rolls, Reese's cups, and chocolate dipped fruits. I can't complain about that lifestyle.

[jwardmagic]

It's funny how people make absurd bro-science claims without any backing. They just reason that chocolate flavored powder is less superior than animal flesh because it makes sense to the mind best.

Whey has the best amino acid profile, it has a TON of immune system benefits that chicken doesn't have, it typically tastes better, it costs less, it has calcium for those who don't get enough for their daily needs, and it is micronutrient dense.

You need to stop thinking of whey as an artificial magic muscle powder inferior to whole food. Whey IS food. It's powdered, flavored food. If I could grind chicken breast into a powder, get some sucralose and flavoring and put that on the chicken, does it make it inferior? Now I do know the process isn't that simple, but you get the point. The idea that whey is inferior to real food has been proven time and time again the be mute in point. One thing that IS better about chicken is studies support that protein shakes are partially disposed by the body when compared to "real" food. Nonetheless, WNBF bodybuilder Josh Hyaduck claims to get ALL of his protein needs via whey, and his physique in my opinion, is up and running to be one of the best in the entire WNBF.

So if you're not a pro bodybuilder and aren't concerned with the little 1 and 2% differences that build a physique, go ahead and replace whey for your whole foods if you like. I personally don't but I very highly doubt you won't see the results. Your body doesn't see a Scivation label and immediately think to itself, "Oh this isn't REAL food and it's pretty tasty so I'm not gonna build muscle or use up the full caloric value".

My 2 cents.

Whey protein is best used strategically, before and after workouts etc. But not as a substitute for whole food. No, it is not a form of food. It is a macronutrient. If you drank pure glucose or something similar, would you call that real food? No, it isn't.

Yes whey provides immune benefits... but only to those with a very good digestive system. In the majority of people, consuming whey increases blood acidity levels putting stress on various buffer systems in the body. Over consumption can lead to calcium leaching from the bones to neutralise the acidity, which can lead to osteoporosis in the long term.

A huge number of people these days have slight gut dysbiosis going, and when this is the case, whey protein certainly doesn't inrease immune function. The lactose and sometimes casein (which is one of the most allergenic substances) ferments in the gut, leading to decreased numbers of immune boosting, B vitamin producing, SCFA producing helpful bacteria, and the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria and fungus in the digestive tract.

When used sensibly and knowledgably, it is a very helpful aid, but it is not healthy to use whey protein as your only protein source.

And no, if you grind up chicken you won't be left with a whey protein. Whey protein is produced from milk for a start, and the carboydrate is lactose, which most people do not produce enough lactase to completely break down.

I am a nutritional therapist.

[powercage]

Chicken has more benefits

[MasterBench]

Why don't people just eat what ever they want that fits into their macros post workout? It's really not that big of a deal.

[whiskeysticks]

All this steak talk...it's 6:30 in the morning and now I want steak. Thanks.

[Wert813]

Food is always better than a shake. Majority of your protein should come from food. But there's obviously nothing wrong with a shake.

Repped

[Charuto222]

No bashing going on here, just people sticking up for those who say you HAVE TO eat solid food protein meals all the time and that they are so much better than whey shakes. Reality is that they make little difference. Like another guy said, I think satiety is the biggest problem. I will trade a shake in for some solid protein if I'm more hungry than normal, but most of the time, I go with the shake...

My main issue is with the processing of whey. It's said that the pasteurization process - particularly the way everything is being ultra-pasteurized now - essentially kills the nutritional value of milk and denatures the protein. Thus I would assume that any high heat means of processing would have a similar effect on whey?

I know there are methods of extraction like cold filtration and cfm that aren't supposed to further denature the protein in whey but how do we know those aren't being extracted from milk that has already been ultra-pasteurized and could be nutritionally worthless as a result?


On paper whey vs chicken shouldn't be an issue but in spite of how things look on paper I stopped taking whey due in no small part to the aforementioned issue.

[tmd17]

My main issue is with the processing of whey. It's said that the pasteurization process - particularly the way everything is being ultra-pasteurized now - essentially kills the nutritional value of milk and denatures the protein. Thus I would assume that any high heat means of processing would have a similar effect on whey?

I know there are methods of extraction like cold filtration and cfm that aren't supposed to further denature the protein in whey but how do we know those aren't being extracted from milk that has already been ultra-pasteurized and could be nutritionally worthless as a result?


On paper whey vs chicken shouldn't be an issue but in spite of how things look on paper I stopped taking whey due in no small part to the aforementioned issue.

Denaturing does not effect the nutritional value of the protein.

[jiggamanbill]

One service of whey protein is generally around 130 calories with 24 grams of protein.

A 4oz serving of skinless/boneless chicken breast is generally around 120 calories with 26 grams of protein.

So the chicken offers more protein with fewer calories. I can also eat 4oz of chicken a lot faster than I can drink a glass full of whey.


Is there a difference between drinking a whey protein shake after a workout vs eating 4oz of chicken breast?

I try to stick with whole foods as much as possible and use shakes here and there. Your body will also use more energy digesting the food vs. the shake.

[Diesel0022]

You do realize Whey Isolate and Concentrate Protein have a higher BV than chicken.

BV is negligible in the grand scheme of things.

Chicken has more benefits

Si

[MikeNice81]

I would suggest a shake PWO since it will take time for your body to break down the chicken breast and the powder is already broken down. I normally save my chicken breast for my meal about an hour after my PWO shake.

Chicken breast and a glass of skim milk. Get that whey for the spike. Casein and chicken will keep nitrogen higher longer and help keep the protein synthesis going for hours. Plus, you get fats that your body needs.

[Black_Label]

whole foods tend to have more benefits to your diet compared to supplements. Supplements are just easier