Protein Wars: NUTRIWHEY vs. YOUR Brand of Blended Protein

Protein powder is the staple nutritional supplement of almost every person who walks into a gym. Looking at the nutritional panel seems like a cut and dry way to decipher which protein powders are superior to others. But is it really that simple? Is more protein ALWAYS the right answer? Some companies would definitely want you to believe that to be the truth. Well friends, unfortunately sometimes in the world of protein powder, more is not always better. We need to look at the label more closely to better understand the supplements that we are putting into our bodies. Let’s take a look at some claims that various companies make to try and get their brand to stand above the crowd:

YOUR Brand Claims: Comprised of 100% Whey Protein
Whey Protein is the most biologically available source of protein on the planet. Better than fish. Better than beef. Even better than chicken. What many people do not know however is that there are different kinds of whey protein. The first kind of whey is Whey Protein Isolate (WPI). WPI is a highly processed form of whey, which is calculated as 90% protein by weight. WPI is very pure, it is absorbed into the body very quickly, and is typically present in most whey protein blend formulas. The second type of whey is Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC). WPC is usually the majority of the whey protein used in blends. It is not as highly processed as other forms of whey, and therefore it is usually less expensive to produce; hence the reason why pure isolates will cost you more than a blend. The last type of whey is Whey Protein Hydrolysate (WPH). WPH is the most highly processed form of whey protein, making it more absorbable than WPI or WPC, and therefore ideal for pre and post workout consumption. Although studies have shown WPH to be superior to WPI and WPC, many companies have stayed away from including it in their blends because of the higher cost. This is what makes NUTRIWHEY stand above other protein blends. It contains a blend of WPI, WPC, and WPH. So yes, YOUR Brand does contain 100% whey protein, but based on price I’m sure you can decide which brands use more WPC, and which brands contain more WPI and WPH.

YOUR Brand Claims: 40 grams of protein per serving
This is a classic example of why it is important to read the nutritional panel of your protein powder carefully. Yes, it is true that YOUR Brand’s protein blend does contain 40 grams of protein per serving, but that is because the size of the scoop is 57 grams! If you’re curious, by comparison if you were to use the same 57 gram scoop in NUTRIWHEY, you’d get 41 grams of protein per serving. Protein content can vary from flavor to flavour, but for the most part all blended proteins contain very similar amounts of protein in them when placed on a level playing field (see: same scoop size).

YOUR Brand Claims: Contains 4 grams of L-glutamine and 5 grams of BCAA per serving
This type of claim is a slippery slope. While some companies may add additional L-glutamine and BCAA’s (branched-chain amino acids) to their protein powder, typically these amino acids are naturally occurring in protein powder already! In an attempt to grab your attention, some companies will put these claims on the front of their label, or even include an amino acid profile on the side to impress you with its content. Rest assured that NUTRIWHEY, and most other brands on the market that DON’T include these claims or profiles on the label still offer very similar amino acid content.

With the astounding amount of nutritional supplement companies in the market place today, it’s sometimes difficult to decide which product is right for you. With all of the different claims and marketing strategies directed at helping you choose a brand, the issue of quality can get lost in the shuffle. As you can tell based on the above comparisons, Cygen is committed to providing athletes with the most innovative and effective products imaginable, for the best prices possible. So the next time you step foot into a supplement store looking for a blended protein, remember that you can always find a cheaper brand, but you’ll never find a more superior product than Cygen Laboratories NUTRIWHEY.

For further information on Nutriwhey and other Cygen Laboratories products, please visit www.cygenlabs.com or email us at info@cygenlabs.com. As always, you can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.