Damn Broscientists At GNC

[michael dowling]

Stopped in to buy some whey protein powder and the guys says "whoa that's a concentrate not an isolate" I was like "ok, what does that mean", he said my body won't absorb the protein after a workout before it goes into a catabolic state. So I said "sounds like a lot of broscience but go on" knowing that the isolate will probably cost double the price for half the amount and contain a GNC label and of course it did.

Pretty sure he was full of shit but figured I would ask the folks here. I just bought the Gold Standard ON Whey that I always do. Is there really any advantage to the wheybolic extreme he tried to sell me? I'm second guessing myself, I wish i could go into GNC and just buy a product they're selling without being told it's crap.

[51M0n]

Its broscience. Isolate is only needed if you are lactose intolerent or doing really low carb. Its just been filtered to remove more of the carbs.

Sounds like the guy believes the protein timing myth (that you need protein asap post workout).

[li4alex]

Isolate is absorbed slightly better than concentrate, but it's not worth the increase in price. Anybody talking about the body going into a catabolic state without immediate liquid nutrition post-workout has a PhD in broscience. The primary benefits of protein powder are cost and convenience. That said, ON is one of the priciest powders around, though I have heard it has amazing taste.

[FKYT]

From what I understand, usually GNC employees know they're selling broscience, but the company makes them try to push the GNC brand whey.

[morbidlyfat]

I prefer isolate over concentrate but I don't shop at GNC.

Easiest thing to do is to compare the labels, see how the macro and micro content compare.

[Mike C]

Buy metabolic drive...it's basically milk without the carbs - whey isolate with micellar casein, and it tastes good.

[forgeforth]

Isolate is technically the purer form of whey in that it has has a fraction of the fats and carbs found in the concentrate. But why does this matter? Unless you're a bodybuilder prepping for a pageant, will 2.5g of carbs and 1.5g of fat per serving really harm you, especially if they fit within your overall macronutrient requirements and are half the price?

More broscience nonsense. I buy Body Fortress whey concentrate for $18 from Wal-Mart and I'm doing just fine. I'd avoid GNC in general unless you enjoy spending more money. The fitness industry is filled with zealots.

[MEbigUsmall]

I buy from true protein or protein factory. I prefer isolate. concentrate gives some people horribly smelling gas.
But which ever you decide on GNC is the worst place to buy it.

[michael dowling]

And now that I look at the label the ON Gold Standard Whey says "Whey Protein Isolates" so I assume his point was moot anyway?

I typically hate GNC but it's convenient because it's literally right across from where I work.

[devnull]

Whey concentrates are created by pushing the milk through a very small filter that allows water, minerals, and other organic materials to pass though. The proteins, which are too big to pass through the filter, are collected, resulting in protein powder. This process yields a protein powder that is 70-85% protein and up to 5% lactose. People with lactose intolerance may have trouble with this.

Protein isolates is the next step up in purification; the protein is purified again using more filtration or a technique called ion-exchange or cross-flow microfiltration. Protein isolates have very low levels of carbohydrates and fat and are almost exclusively pure protein.

Which one is better? Depends on what you are after. For strength training recovery, the cheap stuff is better. _It_has_the_same_proteins_ plus some sugars and fat. The sugars and fat _may_ slow down absorbtion (as in possible but we are certainly in the realm of hair splitting here) but for all intent and purposes it doesn't matter. At this point you want the fats, and sadly enough it doesn't have enough sugars. You need the sugars to spike your insulin which in turn will drive protein synthesis during the time muscle cells are insulin sensitive and your fat cells are insulin resistant (see what i did there, nutrition timing baby).

If your goal is to lose fat or to jack up your protein levels (for recipes or to meet some comsumption goals), having pure protein is convenient. For everything else, the cheap stuff is not only adequate but better.