We examine the critical active ingredients in various sports supplements. We award high marks to those with existing supportive data, real-world results and innovation in formulation. Here we put SAN PLATINUM WHEY under the microscope.
INSTANTIZED WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE
Is a high-quality form of whey protein that mixes easily in water or any other fluid. Whey protein is the soluble portion of the protein in milk, making up about 20 per cent of the total protein in milk. One of the main reasons that whey protein is so popular today is that research confirms its superiority when it comes to stimulating protein synthesis (the process in muscle fibres that leads to increased muscle growth). There are several ways that whey works to boost muscle protein synthesis. The most critical is its rapid rate of digestion. Whey is one of the fastest digesting protein powders you can buy. That means its amino acids, such as the critical branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), get rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and travel to the muscles, where they can quickly stimulate protein synthesis. The second reason is due to whey’s high concentration of BCAAs, which include leucine, isoleucine and valine. In fact, San Platinum Whey has about 5 g of BCAAs per scoop, with leucine making up two of those grams. This is important because research shows that leucine acts as a key, turning on protein synthesis in muscle fibres. The third reason why whey is so effective at stimulating protein synthesis is due to the fact that whey boosts insulin levels. The anabolic hormone insulin is also important for instigating muscle protein synthesis. In addition to protein synthesis, whey has many other benefits, such as its ability to dilate blood vessels. This means that taking whey protein before workouts will widen the blood vessels feeding the working muscles, increasing blood flow and delivering more critical nutrients (such as the amino acids from the whey and glucose), anabolic hormones (like growth hormone and testosterone) and oxygen to them. This improves energy and strength during the workout, allows for a bigger muscle pump and enhances muscle recovery and growth after the workout. Whey also increases levels of the powerful antioxidant glutathione in the body, lowers total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, and may even help to reduce the risk of certain cancers. Whey protein concentrate is produced by filtering out the carbohydrates and fat from milk in a process that involves minimal processing. This leaves most of the beneficial whey peptide micro-fractions, such as beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, bovine serum albumin peptides, immunoglobulins, lactoferrin and lactoperoxidase, in place, all of which provide performance- and physique-enhancing benefits, as well as antioxidant and immune-boosting properties. The whey protein concentrate in SAN Platinum Whey is instantised. This process produces a protein powder with greater surface area, which prevents the powder from clumping when stirred into water or fluid, making it easier to mix without the need of a blender.
Grade: 5 STARS
Reason: A plethora of research confirms whey’s benefits and that it enhances muscle growth when taken around workouts. Whey protein concentrate also provides health benefits due to its minimal processing.
WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE
The other primary form of whey protein, is also included in SAN Platinum Whey. Whey protein isolate is produced through more rigorous processing than whey concentrate goes through, processing that includes cross-flow microfiltration. This is a natural, non-chemical filtering process that employs high-tech ceramic filters, without the use of chemical reagents or high temperatures. This helps to retain the two most important subfractions of whey, beta lactoglobulin and alpha-lactalbumin, with virtually no undenatured proteins. Beta-lactoglobulin is the largest protein fraction of whey and is rich in BCAAs. Alpha-lactalbumin, on the other hand, is a small protein fraction of whey that is easily and quickly digested and absorbed. Despite the fact that this form of whey protein isolate undergoes a very gentle manufacturing process that does not compromise the quality of the protein, it still removes the majority of the carbohydrates and fat from the milk, leaving a protein powder with a concentration that is more than 95 per cent protein.
Grade: 5 STARS
Reason: Whey protein isolate is the purest form of whey protein you can get, and it delivers more BCAAs and a faster digesting protein. Research indicates that this form of whey protein maximises muscle growth and strength gains when taken before and after workouts. FLEX
