Hydrolyzed Whey Protein

About Hydrolyzed Whey Protein

Hydrolyzed whey protein is a dairy protein that has undergone hydrolysis, which utilises either acids, heat or enzymes in their manufacturing. This can be compared to the human body’s digestive processes, which involve gastric hydrochloric acid, standard body heat (we run at 37 degree celsius) and the proteolytic enzymes pepsin and protease.

The process of hydrolysis breaks some of the peptide bonds that hold amino acids together, which make up protein. Larger protein molecules become smaller units, some of which may even be broken down into free amino acids, depending on the degree of hydrolysis. This processing technique creates a predigested protein powder, composed mostly of dipeptides, tripeptides and free form amino acids, which are ready for absorption without further digestion.

Some amino acids actually absorb more efficiently in dipeptide (two amino acids joined together) and tripeptide (three amino acids) form as opposed to free form amino acids. The exceptiopns would be branched chain amino acids isoleucine, leucine and valine. This absorption preference for di and tripeptides makes some biological sense, given that our absorption processes have likely adapted over time to less than complete protein digestion end-products. If protein molecules larger than tripeptides were absorbed, there is a greater risk for an allergic immunological response, which the digestive tract is designed to prevent.

Hydrolysed whey protein has three major advantages over standard whey protein isolates:

• Beneficial for anyone with digestive weakness or reduced digestive capacity.
• Less likely to cause nausea or gastric upset when taken during or immediately before intense exercise.
• Ultra Rapid absorption.

Hydrolysed whey protein is naturally quite bitter, as the closer we get to free form aminos, the more bitter a protein becomes. If you’ve tasted unflavoured and unsweetened amino acids before, you will understand. Except for those with tough palates, flavoured hydrolysed protein powder is ideal. Hydrolysed whey protein has all of the anabolic advantages of regular whey protein isolate, naturally containing a high percentage of essential amino acids, a high proportion of which are branched chain amino acids (BCAAs).

Hydrolysed Whey Protein is perhaps the finest quality protein powder, due to the fact that it is a more readily assimilated form of whey protein. Whey protein isolate already has a high biological value. This is the ideal protein powder for use around exercise time, bearing in mind that due to its rapidity of absorption, the biological effects will likely wear off faster than any other form of protein powder. To clarify, this means that if you are chasing a constant anabolic state, refeeding with quality protein food may need to happen much sooner.