As an athlete and holder of an Advanced Certification in Sports Nutrition from the American Sport & Fitness Association I am comfortable telling people that Protein should be the main focus of a healthy diet. I always remind people that the word protein itself is derived from the Greek proteios, meaning “of the first rank” and “of prime importance” – so it’s no secret that protein is key.
If I were to design what I consider a healthy diet plan, you’d see lots of protein; much from healthy food sources like meats, eggs and dairy, and also from commercialized protein powders. From my perspective protein powders offer three advantages:
- Convenience – no cooking required and minimal clean-up
- Taste – these powders are well-flavored, and even include indulgent things like fruity loops or cinnamon cereal flavors
- Pureness – the “macros” (meaning the amount of protein to carbs to fats) are amazing, with protein often composing well over 90% of the net calories
…and after all my years in fitness, I can tell you that I’ve probably consumed enough protein powder to fill an ocean.
But, not all Protein Powders are created equal. This is where the concept of hydrolyzation comes in. Protein Powders, usually derived from the “whey” in milk, work by providing your body with chains of amino acids which comprise a complete protein. Once mixed and consumed these aminos (which make up the complete proteins) are broken down, digested and put to use in your body.
When a whey protein is put through the extra step of being Hydrolyzed in the manufacturing process, like BPI's Hydro-HD, it pushes the powder one-step further for you. Delivering a complete protein source more ready to deliver the component amino acids; theoretically reducing digestion time and delivering the key nutrients to your muscles faster.
Googling hydrolyzed whey protein will deliver this definition:
Whey protein hydrolysate is a concentrate or isolate in which some of the amino bonds have been broken by exposure of the proteins to heat, acids or enzymes. This pre-digestion makes hydrolyzed proteins more rapidly absorbed in the gut than either whey concentrates or isolates.
The takeaway is "more rapidly absorbed in the gut". From my perspective this is the defining and unique benefit this form of protein powder delivers - before it ever reaches your stomach!
For this reason, I always look to a Hydrolyzed protein powder at two specific usage occasions. It makes an ideal first-meal of the day. At a moment where you’re coming out of a fast from sleep, a quick moving protein gets things started perfectly. Also, Post Workout… this is a time where you’ve theoretically depleted glycogen reserves in muscles, and perhaps tapped into other energy sources. Having a protein that hits fast is tremendously valuable and Hydro Proteins are just that.
There’s that old saying that “You can’t reinvent the wheel,” – but you can make it spin better. That’s really what hydro proteins are in a good diet plan. Coming from a quality Whey source, the facts-panel may not look that much different than other proteins, but understanding the nuance of the additional refinement process creates compelling usage occasions for this powerhouse supplement.
Disclaimer - Chris MacKenzie is the CEO of BPI Sports and has been with the company since 2009. Outside the office Chris is a father, coach, husband and an accomplished bodybuilder & strength athlete. The opinions in this BLOG are Chris' personal opinions and do not constitute medical advice. We recommend using personal discretion in consuming any nutritional products or following any on-line training / nutritional advice.