Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much protein should I be consuming per day?
A: Although a typical google search will tell you 0.8g of protein per kg of body weight, the latest research supports a minimum of 1.6g of protein per kg of ideal body weight per day.
i.e. 1.6g x 75kg = 120g of protein per day for aged individuals (40+), high volume endurance athletes and strength athletes. Use our protein calculator to find the right amount of protein for your daily routine.
Q: How much protein is too much?
A: According to Harvard Health Publishing editor in chief Dr. Howard LeWine, for the average healthy person (who is not an elite athlete or heavily involved in body building) it is probably best to keep total protein intake to no more than 2 grams of protein per kg of ideal body weight.
Q: Why should I consume adequate protein?
A: Adequate protein consumption helps us to maintain and build lean muscle mass. As we age, our ability to maintain lean muscle mass decreases.
Maintaining muscle mass is so important for many reasons:
• it helps to balance your blood sugar
• it optimizes your metabolism
• it helps us recover better from injury or illness
• it keeps us strong & healthy which allows us to remain more mobile as we age
• it reduces the risks of trips and falls and the adverse impacts these can have on quality of life and mortality
Consuming protein improves appetite control, increases satiety and helps with weight management.
Lean muscle mass, even at rest, requires energy in the form of calories while fat cells do not. As a result, the greater amount of lean muscle tissue you have, the more calories you burn throughout the day by simply existing. Your body has to work harder to carry around muscle mass than it does fat. Therefore greater lean muscle mass will decrease the likelihood of fat accumulation & obesity. Moral of the story → eat your protein!
Q: Does my age or level of activity affect how much protein I should be consuming?
A: Aging adults (>40 years old) = 1.6g/kg/day
Endurance athletes = 1.6g/kg/day
Strength athletes = 1.8g/kg/day
Q: Where does whey protein come from?
A: Cow’s milk! It is the protein that is extracted during the ultrafiltration and purifying processes of cow's milk.
Q: Is whey protein lactose free?
A: Since it is derived from cow’s milk, technically it is not. However, if you find a very high quality whey protein isolate that has been extracted efficiently from the cow’s milk, the whey will have next to no lactose left in it. For reference a cup of milk has 12 g or 12000 mg of lactose and 8 g of protein, a 20 g dose of the highest quality whey protein isolate has 0.06 g or 60 mg of lactose.
Q: How do I choose a whey protein supplement? How do I know if it is clean/high quality?
A: Read your nutrition labels! Look for a supplement that contains minimal ingredients. Many supplement companies cut corners by adding artificial flavours or sweeteners to their products, while using lower purity proteins as they are more economical to produce. Do your best to avoid these!
Seek a whey supplement that is a whey ISOLATE. This is the highest quality of whey you can find as it must be by definition > 90% pure protein. Again, many supplement companies try to cut costs by blending whey concentrate with whey isolate.
- WHEY by definition, must be 80% pure protein
- WHEY CONCENTRATE by definition, must be 80-90% pure protein
- WHEY ISOLATE by definition, must be >90% pure protein
Q: Are all New Zealand Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolates the same?
A: No. Look for a protein isolate that is delivering the highest purity protein per serving size, while delivering the highest level of Leucine - one of the key amino acids that relates to good skeletal muscle health. Getting 2.8-2.9 g of Leucine per 20g protein serving is the gold standard.
Q: Are plant based proteins good for you?
A: Yes! There are many good quality plant proteins available today. Garden of Life, Gruppo RAW Plant Based, and Iron Vegan are just a few examples of high quality plant proteins on the market. Note: even the best quality plant based proteins have half the amount of the amino acid Leucine as compared to the highest purity whey protein isolates. Leucine is a key amino acid in supporting optimal muscle health.
Q: What is sunflower lecithin added & why is it often added to whey protein isolate supplements?
A: Sunflower lecithin is a stabilizer that is often added to whey supplements to prevent it from excessive foaming.