I thought I knew the answers to these questions, but when I formulated all of the products for Ladder, I quickly learned that there’s a dark side of the supplement industry that has nothing to do with illegal ingredients or dangerous products.

In many cases, the “good” supplements you take might not be giving your body what you think. That’s because different types of whey proteins might make a difference in absorption.

And, more importantly, the number of loopholes on supplement labeling makes it almost too easy for supplement companies to lie about what’s on the label.

In the last 10 years, research shows that health officials have issued almost 800 warnings to dietary supplements containing dangerous ingredients. And, in nearly every case (98%), the USDA found that the ingredients in question were nowhere on the label.

If you want to make sure the label you’re reading is accurate, make sure you’re taking a product that has a third-party certification. Good options include NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Sport, and BSCG.

If there’s no third-party certification, just know that means no one has validated that what is says on the label is actually in the product.

Beyond smoke and mirrors on your protein label, here’s what you need to know about choosing between different protein powders and how to find the best whey protein for your needs and hard-earned money.

What is Whey Protein?

Whey protein is considered the gold standard protein for a few simple reasons: it’s high in protein per serving, lower in carbs and fat, and is loaded with all of the essential amino acids and high levels of the BCAAs. And, its absorption is very high, meaning your body can put that protein to work to help with muscle growth and recovery.

That doesn’t mean whey is your only protein option or that others aren’t good substitutes. After all, whey is dairy-based. So, if you have a dairy allergy, it could be an issue. If you’re just lactose intolerant (as you’ll find out), some whey options might not cause any issue.

But, if you’re looking for a convenient, affordable way to add more protein to your diet, whey protein is one of the best options you’ll find.

How Is Whey Protein Made?

Whey comes from milk and is a byproduct of the cheese-making process. When you turn a gallon of milk into a block of cheese, you add enzymes to the liquid. This causes the liquid to separate into liquid and curds. The leftover liquid is pure protein, which becomes whey.

Understanding how whey is made will help you make sense of why there are different types of whey, such as whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, and whey protein hydrolysate.

The more you process and filtrate the product, the more it makes little changes to the final version of the whey.

You’ll hear a lot of different benefits (and see that some proteins are more expensive), but most of it is just marketing hype.

Whey Protein Concentrate

Whey protein concentrate is the most basic form of whey protein. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, but there are regulations that mean whey protein concentrate can have a wide range of purity.

By law, being labeled as “concentrate” means that the product can be anywhere between 35 to 80 percent protein by weight.

This is a big deal if you’re worried about the amount of protein you’re using and absorbing. Put another way, if you scoop out 100 grams of protein powder, it can be called concentrate if anywhere between 35 and 80 grams of that scoop is protein.

That’s a pretty big range, which is why third-party certification is so important. If you don’t have someone validating the label accuracy and you see whey protein concentrate on the label, it’s harder to know exactly how much protein you’re really getting.

If the label is accurate, whey protein concentrate is a good option for most people because of its price and value.

But, it does have some limitations, if you need to consider smaller details like carbs, fats, and lactose in your protein.

If you want an idea of how whey concentrate is created, here’s a good visual: imagine liquid whey falling off a conveyor belt into a bucket. The liquid is filtered for impurities, dehydrated, turned into a powder, flavored, and there you go — delicious whey protein!

Because it’s such a simple process, whey concentrate tends to be the cheapest source of protein supplementation.

Whey Protein Isolate

Whey protein isolate, from a legal standpoint, provides a little more peace of mind about the purity of your protein. That’s because earning “whey protein isolate” on a label means that, unless your supplement provider is lying (which, unfortunately, does happen), means that your protein must be, at least, 90 percent protein by weight.

Going back to our 100-gram example, if you scoop out 100 grams of protein, then you will be getting a minimum of 90 grams of protein.

Many supplement companies tout that their isolates are more “pure.” They’ll use marketing tactics to brag about their filtration process, whether it’s ion exchange, cold-filtration, or microfiltration. All of these methods filter out different-sized particles to help you get a “clean” version of whey.

That’s not to say these don’t have different minor benefits (for example, most isolates have less than 1 percent lactose), but whey isolate is defined by protein by weight, not by filtration.

Because of the extra level of filtration and higher guarantee of protein by whey, whey protein isolate tends to have a higher price relative to concentrates. This is because whey protein isolate will have fewer carbs, almost no fat, and almost nonexistent levels of lactose. Additionally, whey protein isolate tends to have better solubility, which makes it easier to mix and creates a “smoother” drink.

Whey Protein Hydrolysate

Unlike concentrate and isolate, whey protein hydrolysate goes through a very different process.

Hydrolysate is a protein that is treated with enzymes and acids to reduce particle size and destroy “quaternary protein structures.” (That’s a mouthful, but it means removing bioactive immunoglobulins, which can help support immune function).

The origin of hydrolysis in dietary protein arose from a need to make baby formulas non-allergenic.

Research shows that whey protein hydrolysates are absorbed faster than isolates or concentrates. This is mostly due to no gastric digestion being needed for hydrolysates.

The hydrolysates also seem to increase muscle protein synthesis (MPS) quicker than other forms of protein. But, research suggests that it doesn’t necessarily result in more muscle.

That’s because total daily protein is more important for muscle gain than the speed of protein digestion. If you are focused on gaining muscle (or even losing fat), it’s more important to focus on how much protein you eat in a day than how quickly it’s absorbed. 

The speed of digestion does come with a few downsides. Whey hydrolysates tend to be more bitter because the amino acids proline and leucine are no longer being constrained in a protein structure, which means it hits your taste buds differently.

Whey protein hydrolysate is also the most expensive form of protein

What about Soy Protein?

Soy protein isn’t a variation of whey, but it’s oftentimes compared and criticized when compared to the popular dairy protein.

Most of the fear and concern are linked to phytoestrogens in soy protein. People worry that those phytoestrogens will decrease testosterone levels and not support muscle building.

But, if you decide to go the soy route (for whatever reason), the downsides are low. All soy sold in food products (except raw soy products such as edamame), including soy protein, are heat-treated before they are sold.

This heat treatment destroys select enzymes in the soy (such as trypsin), which prevents the digestion of protein in your stomach and small intestine.

Additionally, soy proteins are processed in two ways that are similar to whey.

If you’re creating a soy protein concentrate, manufacturers leech the protein with ethanol and neutralize the pH. This process removes most of the soy isoflavones, which are left floating in the ethanol and no longer in the soybean.

This is an important step because it means that soy concentrate supplements are incredibly low in soy isoflavones, and thus they are not really a concern.

As for soy isolate, the ethanol leeching is not mandatory (instead it is optional), so it’s possible that some soy isoflavones may be present.

As for the soy isoflavones themselves (let’s assume you do routinely consume them), they are not too much of a concern for male fertility and health. That doesn’t mean soy can’t have any hormonal impact. But, it does mean that you need to eat a lot of soy protein to potentially have any disruption of your hormonal levels, and it needs to be a soy protein isolate (which is less common).

For most people, having a soy protein shake per day wouldn’t come anywhere near the soy protein threshold, and, therefore, there’s not much need to worry if you choose soy as a whey protein alternative.

READ MORE: 

The Protein Guide: How Much Protein Do You Really Need? 

What is the Best Protein Powder?

The Curious Case of Why People Fear Protein

Adam Bornstein

Adam Bornstein is a New York Times bestselling author and the author of You Can’t Screw This Up. He is the founder of Born Fitness, and the co-founder of Arnold’s Pump Club (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Pen Name Consulting. An award-winning writer and editor, Bornstein was previously the Chief Nutrition Officer for Ladder, the Fitness and Nutrition editor for Men’s Health, Editorial Director at LIVESTRONG.com, and a columnist for SHAPE, Men’s Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness. He’s also a nutrition and fitness advisor for LeBron James, Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to The Huffington Post, Bornstein is “one of the most inspiring sources in all of health and fitness.” His work has been featured in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Fast Company, ESPN, and GQ, and he’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and E! News.

The post The Different Forms of Whey Protein And What’s Best For You appeared first on Born Fitness.

Plenty of research has found that the artificially sweetened diet drinks do not cause you to gain more weight. In fact, they might help with weight loss indirectly by reducing appetite.

So, why do artificial sweeteners have such a bad reputation? Probably for the same reason that people believe white rice will make you fat (it doesn’t). 

Nutritional dogma is always stronger than nutritional details. So, if you see an artificial sweetener on a label, here’s what you really need to know.

Do Artificial Sweeteners Make You Gain Fat?

Most of the negative research about diet sodas are done within studies with rats. But, when humans are tested, the negative results are not replicated.

And yet, even if research doesn’t support the idea that diet soda causes weight gain directly (seriously, diet soda does not make you fat), plenty of people still believe it disrupts insulin sensitivity and, thereby, makes it easier to store fat.

In a new study, participants had two drinks per day of either 330ml of an artificially sweetened drink or 330ml of carbonated water (they tested carbonated water, so it’d be harder to tell the 2 drinks apart).

The artificially sweetened drink contained 129 mg of aspartame and 13mg of acesulfame K (about what you’d find in your favorite diet beverage, regardless of whether you’re a Coke or Pepsi fan). What happened?

After 12 weeks, there was no difference in insulin sensitivity, body weight, or waist circumference. As in, drinking the diet soda was just as “bad” (or good!) as carbonated water.

Do Artificial Sweeteners Effect Insulin?

A couple of years ago, we sent out a popular email that asked the question: Do Artificial Sweeteners F*ck Up Your Insulin?

The answer, according to research, was a resounding no.

Recently, scientists took it a step further. They essentially asked: Do Artificial Sweeteners F*ck up ANYTHING?

They wanted to see if there was any relationship whatsoever between non-caloric sweeteners (such as Stevia, Splenda, or Aspartame) and a myriad of things, like:

• eating behavior
• cancer
• cardiovascular disease
• kidney disease
• mood
• behavior
• cognition

They then conducted a meta-analysis of 56 studies, including 21 controlled trials. (A meta-analysis examines a large number of independent studies, and is generally considered a stronger standard of evidence.)

The findings? A whole lot of nothing. Here is part of there scientist’s conclusions:

“Most health outcomes did not seem to have differences between the [artificial sweetener] exposed and unexposed groups. Of the few studies identified for each outcome, most had few participants, were of short duration, and their methodological and reporting quality was limited,” the authors wrote.

It’s important to note: To date, nearly all the scary-sounding headlines about artificial sweeteners have come from research on lab rats. This analysis focused exclusively on research with either healthy or obese adults and children.

Do Artificial Sweeteners Disrupt Gut Health?

While some people still worry about the impact of diet soda on gut health (the microbiome), research is still so young in that area. But, we have found that some artificial sweeteners, while not “dangerous,” can create more GI discomfort than you might like. 

According to a recent meta-analysis, only saccharin and sucralose shift the populations of gut microbiota.

Or, maybe more importantly for your comfort of being around others, some artificial sweeteners can make you a bit gassy or even disrupt your normal pooping experience. (Yeah, we just said poop. It’s a first on this blog). 

But, not all artificial sweeteners are created equal. The one’s to watch out for include:

• erythritol
• isomalt
• lactitol
• maltitol
• mannitol
• sorbitol
• xylitol 

Are There Reasons To Avoid Artificial Sweeteners?

Like any food, there will be great reasons for you to avoid artificial sweeteners. For example, if you drink diet soda and it makes you feel like crap, then don’t drink it. That doesn’t mean it’s inherently bad; just means it’s a bad fit for you. This goes for any food. You don’t need science to tell you what makes you feel your best.

What’s more, it’s also possible — pending several factors — that artificial sweeteners can affect some people’s neurobiology and make them crave sweet stuff.

This is not to say it makes you gain weight. Just as the reduction in appetite some experience when drinking diet soda doesn’t guarantee weight loss, the potential of increasing cravings doesn’t ensure weight gain.

But, if you find yourself with an insatiable need for sugar, this could be a reason. 

The Final Verdict on Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are misunderstood, and dozens of studies show that they are fairly neutral for most people, and more likely to help with fat loss than hurt (if that’s your goal).

Put more simply, “Not Good, Not Bad,” as the New York Times declared.

As far as we know now (and this stuff has been tested a lot) if you drink diet soda in moderation, there’s no reason to fear your diet soda consumption.

If safety is your concern (it’s always ours), the overwhelming majority of governing health bodies around the world approve of artificial sweeteners, including:

• The Federal Department of Agriculture (FDA),
• The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA),
• The National Cancer Institute 
• The Joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
• The World Health Organization (WHO)
• The Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).

Or, as a 2019 review paper revealed:

“A few rodent studies with saccharin have reported changes in the gut microbiome, but primarily at high doses that bear no relevance to human consumption. This and other studies suggesting an effect of low/no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) on the gut microbiota were found to show no evidence of an actual adverse effect on human health.

If diet beverages or artificial sweeteners find their way into your healthy eating plan and it works for you, there’s no compelling reason to give them up. But, if they aren’t things you eat, there’s no reason to start, either. 

Adam Bornstein

Adam Bornstein is a New York Times bestselling author and the author of You Can’t Screw This Up. He is the founder of Born Fitness, and the co-founder of Arnold’s Pump Club (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Pen Name Consulting. An award-winning writer and editor, Bornstein was previously the Chief Nutrition Officer for Ladder, the Fitness and Nutrition editor for Men’s Health, Editorial Director at LIVESTRONG.com, and a columnist for SHAPE, Men’s Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness. He’s also a nutrition and fitness advisor for LeBron James, Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to The Huffington Post, Bornstein is “one of the most inspiring sources in all of health and fitness.” His work has been featured in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Fast Company, ESPN, and GQ, and he’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and E! News.

The post What Everyone Gets Wrong About Artificial Sweeteners appeared first on Born Fitness.

Men—and women—are aging at a more rapid pace than ever before. The reasons are lifestyle factors that have caused mutations to your mitochondria—the cellular energy plants of your body.

Mitochondria perform the lion’s share of work turning your food into energy. But in men, certain mutations of the mitochondria might be impacting how quickly you age, says Australian researchers. Meaning that not only are you starting to look older at a younger age, but as a result your health is declining faster, too.

Exercising helps and so does sleeping. These should be the foundations of your “stay young” plan. Beyond the basics, there’s a reason intermittent fasting (IF) has increased in popularity. Most assume it’s for weight loss, but the real benefits of IF relate to your health.

If you want to really improve the mechanisms that influence again, the quick fix is not waiting in spa treatments, OTC products, and anti-aging cleanses that make promises that go beyond their abilities.

Exploring The Fountain of Youth

If you want to age better you have to focus on where the aging problems begin: the cellular level. The natural cleansing of your body is called autophagy and it is part of the process of helping ensure you don’t look older than your age.

Autophagy helps you repair injuries, makes your brain function a little better, helps with muscle growth and fat loss, and even assists in your ability to walk and breathe. You see, every day there are millions of cellular reactions occurring in your body. Some of this activity causes damage within your body. Like any equipment that is used a lot, the daily stress causes breakdown.

Fortunately, your body is built for such circumstances and can naturally heal anything that isn’t working at an optimal level. This is autophagy.

So what happens when your internal repair is slow and lazy and doesn’t get the job done? That’s when you have a damaged internal environment. More specifically, when your workers don’t repair your mitochondria—the “cellular power plant” of your body—then your body is screwed.

You age faster. You suffer from chronic disease. You lose your hair. And you get fat.

You don’t want any of this. Which brings us back to hormones, and in particular growth hormone, which helps the natural process of autophagy. And lower levels are the real reason your reaching for the wrinkle cream.

The Anti-Aging Eating Plan

What’s the best way to pump up the autophagic process into a group of grind-it-out interns that will work when needed? Strategic eating and variations of intermittent fasting.

This isn’t about specific foods or how much protein, carbs, and fats you eat. It’s simpler than that. This is about when you eat. Or more specifically, when you don’t eat. The more time you spend eating—as in actual hours during the day eating—the less time you spend enjoying the “benefits” of autophagy.

Listen, I’m not the first to suggest this. Far from it. The first time I learned about how to manipulate it came from Brad Pilon, of Eat Stop Eat fame. That’s why intermittent fasting fires up the autophagic process and cleanses your cells.

The upside is that this type of eating still offers you the freedom to still eat the foods you love, and follow the diet of your choice—whether it’s low carb, vegan, or the meat-eaters delight (our personal favorite).

By turning on autophagy you’re going to promote cellular repair, which is going to give you all the benefits you can’t immediately see—but are exactly what you need to help facilitate a healthier internal environment.

More importantly, the cells that keep you looking your age—or younger—will be healthy and refreshed. And your brain should age more efficiently. Research even suggests that you can even fight off disease such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

It’s not magic and it won’t be anything you can “feel.” But if it’s a strategy that can work within your lifestyle, it might be one of the best health maintenance strategies you can add to your life.

READ MORE: 

Is Intermittent Fasting Right for You? 

How to Lose Weight: Why Sleep Can Make You Fat

Winning the War on Hunger: Practical Solutions to Overeating

Adam Bornstein

Adam Bornstein is a New York Times bestselling author and the author of You Can’t Screw This Up. He is the founder of Born Fitness, and the co-founder of Arnold’s Pump Club (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Pen Name Consulting. An award-winning writer and editor, Bornstein was previously the Chief Nutrition Officer for Ladder, the Fitness and Nutrition editor for Men’s Health, Editorial Director at LIVESTRONG.com, and a columnist for SHAPE, Men’s Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness. He’s also a nutrition and fitness advisor for LeBron James, Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to The Huffington Post, Bornstein is “one of the most inspiring sources in all of health and fitness.” His work has been featured in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Fast Company, ESPN, and GQ, and he’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and E! News.

The post How to Fight Aging: Hidden Benefits of Intermittent Fasting appeared first on Born Fitness.