American Whey Protein - Protein Powders

American Whey Protein
(Jarrow Formulas)

by Gary F. Zeolla

Whey protein is the most “basic” protein powder there is. Many different companies make their own whey proteins. And it is relatively inexpensive as compare to other proteins.

However, there are different forms that whey can take, and different brands have varying quality. The main difference can be seen in the amount of carbs and fat in the product. All whey proteins are going to contain some carbs and fats as it is impossible to process all of these out of the whey. But some brands actually contain a rather high proportion of carbs and fat to the actual protein count. Also, some cheaper protein powders might not even contain the amount of protein listed on the labels. The saying, "you get what you paid for" must be remembered in dealing with the un-regulated supplement industry.

However, the fat and carb levels in this Jarrow product are rather low as compared to other whey products. The carb level in the unflavored version is especially low. And I have found that Jarrow products in general are of high quality, so I am confident in the protein level of this product.

Another issue is the flavorings and sweeteners used. Some whey products contain artificial sweeteners like aspartame and artificial flavorings. Personally, I prefer to avoid such artificial ingredients as much as possible. American Whey does not contain any artificial sweeteners or flavorings. The unflavored version has no flavorings or sweeteners in it. It is just pure whey. So it basically has a bland taste. But if you want flavorings, the vanilla and chocolate versions are sweetened with fructose and Lo Han (a natural sweetener) and flavored with natural flavorings. And both of the flavored versions taste great. But they are a higher in carbs than the unflavored version due to the fructose.

American Whey also mixes easily. No blender is needed. It can be re-hydrated simply by mixing it with water in a closed bottle and shaking it. And as an added plus, it is specially processed to concentrate and preserve glutamine. So American Whey is somewhat higher in this important amino acids than some other whey proteins.

Whey protein is a quickly digested protein, so it is ideal to use during and/ or post-workout. At this time, there is a great need for amino acids to begin muscle repair. And whey protein quickly delivers these amino acids to begin recovery. So I personally use two scoops of the unflavored American Whey in my post-workout drink. I use the unflavored version as I'm not much concerned about taste after my workout. Moreover, fructose is not a good form of carbs to use for restoring glycogen stores and increasing the uptake of creatine. For these purposes, I add one scoop (40 grams) of maltodextrin, which is ideal for both of theses purposes. This gives me about a 1:1 ratio of carbs to protein, and about 1/3 gram of each/ pound of bodyweight.

However, whey is absorbed so quickly that if it is consumed by itself at times when one’s amino acids are not so great, the amino acids are absorbed too quickly for the body to fully utilize them. So they end up being burned for fuel or stored as fat. So whey by itself is not a good protein to consume at pretty much any time other than during or immediately post workout.

However, whey protein is good to use to mix in with other high protein foods to increase their protein content. The slower absorbing proteins in the whole foods pairs nicely with the faster absorbing whey protein, thus providing the muscles with a steady supply of amino acids over an extended period of time. The unflavored version of American Whey can be used when one does not want to alter the taste of the food. But if you're adding it to something that could use sweetened and flavored then the vanilla or chocolate flavor would be ideal.

By way of update, I used Jarrow's American Whey in my post-workout drink for some time. But I eventually changed to using Optimum Nutrition's 100% Whey Protien. Follow the link for details. But I still recommend Jarrow's whey as it is a very good product.

The above protein powder is available at WebVitamins and MuscleSurf.

The above article was posted on this site May 9, 2004
and updated June 10, 2004.

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