Whey protein supplements have been around for many years now, originally classed as bodybuilding supplements. Whey protein supplements started off as unmixable, foul tasting protein powders, but have improved drastically to a point now where they taste great and can be mixed with a fork / blender / shaker cup in 10-20 seconds.
More recently whey protein supplements have been classed as sports supplements and over the last couple of years, whey protein has been receiving a lot of positive press about how it can boost the immune system and help weight loss or support lean muscle growth resulting in weight gain. As Director of the company behind Promart Supplements, I can tell you that whey protein supplements CAN help weight loss or weight gain, and I will explain below.
Protein Drink
Weight Loss
Your body weight is controlled by your calorie intake, not protein. If you consume a calorific deficit for long enough you will lose weight because you will be using more energy than you are taking in. But, starving yourself slows down your metabolism, leaves you feeling tired and lethargic and also sets off a trigger for your body to go into starvation mode and hold on to as much of your long term energy stores (fat) as possible. This is not good, because even if you can stick to a very low calorie diet and lose weight, you will feel rough and you will end up with a 'skinny fat' appearance. If you want long term, progressive weight loss, with an improved physique, better health and more energy, follow this advice instead:
consume 10 calories per day per pound of body weight spread daily calories over 6 equal meals keep protein high, supplementing meals with whey protein. Each serving of whey protein is only about 100 calories, as it contains very small amounts of carbs and fats. drink 8-10 glasses of water per day OPTIONAL: do some light cardio, four mornings per week on an empty stomach for 40 minutes, followed by a protein shake. This is the best time in terms of your hormone levels for fat-only loss and works well. Use a heart rate monitor, to monitor your effort levels. OPTIONAL: high intensity exercise 2-3 evenings per week, using free weights with 12-15 rep range, using slow controlled reps. This will increase muscle tone, but with low calories you won't get big, just more toned
Weight Gain
For lean muscular weight gain, exactly the same principles apply, but your body needs more calories. Instead of consuming 10 calories per day per pound of body weight, consume 18-20 calories per day per pound of body weight, i.e. 18x if you have a slow metabolism and 20x if you have a fast metabolism. Protein is more critical to success and you should ensure that you consume protein every 2-3 hours, totaling 1.5g of protein per pound of body weight per day.