It's the first thing you do after finishing your gym session. Chugging your protein shake so you can soak up all of those key muscle building and recovery nutrients. What you might not know is your whey protein powder could be doing you more harm than good.
Turns out, approximately 75% of the world's population loses the ability to digest lactose as they reach adulthood. That doesn't even count those who are born with an intolerance to lactose. Avoiding digestive problems is only one of the reasons it's a sensible choice to pick beef protein over whey. Here are five other reasons why by the end of this article you may replace your whey protein with beef protein.
5 Reasons To Choose Beef Protein Over Whey Protein
Avoid Allergic Reactions
This is the main reason many people opt for a beef protein powder over whey protein. Lactose intolerance is not a niche problem as stated previously in this article. And you'll know if you have troubles digest dairy products. A sore stomach, diarrhea, and even skin rashes are common reactions to ingesting lactose.
Similar Recovery Outcomes To Whey Protein
According to a study in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, when comparing whey protein and beef protein ingestion after exercise, we see similar increases in lean body mass, reductions in body fat, and similar increases in strength and power.
Another study in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found similar increases in muscle thickness and one rep maximum strength between beef or whey protein mixed with orange juice.
Finally, a recent meta-analysis (the gold standard of scientific research that combines all of the available research that meets specific criteria into one large study) published in the Nutrients concluded that beef protein supplementation provides similar benefits to whey protein on protein intake and lean body mass.
It seems that total daily protein intake is more important in the long-term regarding building muscle and recovery.
Higher Quality Protein
Some supplement companies may not be offering you high-quality beef protein. Often, cheap beef protein powders are made with the off-cuts of the cow. These being ligaments, hooves, and ears which are much higher in collagen.
While collagen has an amazing use case for enhancing the building of new collagen fibers which can help repair tendon pain, it is not great for building muscle and recovery. There are a few ways you can identify a high-quality beef protein.
The Price Of The Beef Protein
While price doesn't tell you everything, it is generally a good indicator of the quality of your protein. The same goes for whey protein. Cheap beef protein powders are cheap for a reason. They use ingredients that are mainly collagen from the unwanted parts of the cow.
The Amount Of Protein Per Serving
Always look at the amount of protein per serving size. High-quality beef protein powders will have the highest amount of protein in relation to their serving size.
In a 30 g whey protein serving, you will generally get 19-24 g of protein per serving depending on the brand. Beef protein on the other hand will give you 26-28 g of protein per 30 g serving. That means there are very few carbohydrates or fats and other filler ingredients in a beef protein powder.
High Digestibility For A Whey Alternative
Proteins are ranked based on their digestibility score and their amino acid composition. Whey protein is considered one of the best with a perfect digestibility score of 1. This scale runs from 0 to 1.
Beef protein is 0.92. Still a very respectable digestibility score. You're essentially getting the pure beef in powder form. Considering that foods such as black beans (0.75) and peanuts (0.52) have such low protein digestibility, beef protein makes a great whey alternative.
19x Of The Amino Acid Glycine Compared To Whey
While glycine is not an essential amino acid, meaning your body makes this amino acid, having excess glycine may have a synergistic effect with creatine which is also highly prevalent in beef as glycine supports the metabolism of creatine.
Since beef protein has 19 times the amount of glycine to whey, this could be one of the mechanisms that support the similar strength and muscle growth outcomes between whey and beef protein.
Beef Protein Or Whey Protein?
Many customers have started using beef protein powder to reduce skin reactions which have since disappeared after switching from whey protein. It is worth trying yourself to see if you feel better than after drinking whey.
It makes a great alternative to whey protein powder especially for those that suffer from dairy allergies or those who just want to drink high-quality protein powders.