Whey protein is one of the two main proteins in milk (the other is casein), sold as powders and drinks. It is used to help reach daily protein needs, especially by people who strength train or find it hard to get enough protein from food.
Also known as: whey protein isolate, whey concentrate, whey.
ODS cites a protein RDA of 0.8 g per kg of body weight a day for healthy adults and notes no upper limit was set for protein. It also cites sports nutrition groups suggesting 1.2 to 2.0 g per kg a day for athletes and about 0.3 g per kg of high-quality protein after exercise. Check the label for grams of protein per scoop.
It is sold in the US as a dietary supplement. Under the 1994 dietary supplement law (DSHEA), FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are marketed, and the maker, not FDA, is responsible for safety and labeling.
ODS says whey is a complete protein (it has all the essential amino acids) and is digested faster than casein. Muscle protein synthesis appears to work best with high-quality protein providing about 10 g of essential amino acids in the hours after exercise, but a meta-analysis found that eating protein within an hour before or after exercise did not significantly increase muscle strength or size.
On safety, ODS says the Food and Nutrition Board did not set an upper limit because the risk from excess protein in food is very low, though it advises caution with high intakes from foods plus supplements because data are limited. High-protein diets of two to three times the RDA did not appear to harm kidney function or bone health in the studies ODS cites. Whey comes from milk, which FDA lists as a major food allergen.
Whey is a food protein that is digested into amino acids; ODS notes it is digested faster than casein, so amino acids reach the blood sooner. There is no half-life to list.
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