We all know that whey protein is a favorite for bodybuilders. As a bodybuilding supplement, it’s one of the most commonly well-known and accepted within the fitness community. But what about all the other benefits? Trust me when I say whey protein is more than just a one-trick pony. This is a supplement that goes above and beyond the call of athletes, and works in ways you may have never considered. Below is a list of those benefits, and why they’re so important.
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Increase in Muscle Mass and Strength
Let’s start with the benefit everyone knows about. Whey protein is famous for helping bodybuilders get the fat-free muscle mass and strength they desire. When consumed an hour before exercise, and again an hour after, studies have shown that subjects reveal a much larger increase in results, and a faster rate of muscle strength improvement.
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Muscle Restoration and Fat Loss
Whey protein has been proven to restore and repair muscles after a workout. This is vital to a healthy workout regimen, as damaged, sore, and inflamed muscles make it all but impossible to workout. Also, if you’re following a low calorie diet, by ingesting whey protein, such as a protein bar, you’re less likely to snack on unhealthy foods. This also ensures that your body won’t break down muscle in order to meet your daily caloric needs.
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Reduced Appetite
I’m sure we’ve all heard that whey protein can reduce your appetite, but how? According to researchers, whey protein lowers the body’s levels of ghrelin. Ghrelin is a hormone that tells your body its hungry. By replacing a meal, you not only suppress that hunger for now, but can actually supress it for up to four hours. Just be sure to ingest plenty of healthy protein through your diet. Using whey protein as your only source of protein is definitely NOT advised.
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Reduced Stress
This may sound a bit strange, but the results don’t lie. Researchers have found that people who consume whey protein when stressed or depressed can alter their mood more easily and can get out of their emotional “funk” quicker and with less negative residual effects. This is most likely to a change within the serotonin levels in the brain.
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Boost Your Immunity and Even Fight Cancer
Yes, you read that right. Studies are still in their early stages, but results are promising. These studies suggests that whey protein can be a vital key in fighting and defeating certain cancers, such as colon cancer and prostate cancer. This may be possible through whey protein’s immunity boosting abilities. Whey protein works to boost the immune system by lowering the reduction of the body’s glutathione levels. These levels, when lowered too dramatically, can cause issues within the gastrointestinal, immune, and nervous systems. This reduction can occur during high impact, cardio-centric workouts. But, with whey protein, you can exercise with more peace of mind that you aren’t doing damage to those systems.
