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Whey Protein

Whey and casein protein are both derived from milk. Whey protein powder is extremely popular due to its high digestibility and well-researched muscle-supporting benefits.

Our evidence-based analysis on whey protein features 285 unique references to scientific papers.

Kamal Patel
Research analysis led by .
Reviewed by
Examine.com Team
Last Updated:
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Summary of Whey Protein

Primary information, health benefits, side effects, usage, and other important details

Quickly and easy calculate your optimal daily intake with our protein intake calculator.

What is whey protein?

Whey protein is a collection of proteins found in whey, a byproduct of cheesemaking. When a coagulant (usually renin) is added to milk, the curds (casein) and whey separate; whey protein is the water-soluble part of milk. As a supplement, it’s sold as dry powders with various levels of processing that affect how concentrated a source of protein they are and how fast they’re absorbed.

What are the benefits of whey protein?

It’s a high quality, well-absorbed source of protein that’s very useful for hitting targeted daily protein goals. Its benefits extend to the benefits of increased protein intake in general, such as augmenting muscle gain in conjunction with resistance training, limiting muscle loss during low-calorie diets, and modestly limiting fat gain during periods of excessive calorie intake. These effects aren’t exclusive to whey protein but it will likely be more effective than most other protein sources per gram.

What are whey protein’s side effects and drawbacks?

Whey does not harm the liver or kidneys, but it can exacerbate pre-existing damage. People with damaged livers or kidneys should exercise caution when increasing protein intake quickly without the guidance of a doctor. See more: can eating too much protein be bad for you?

Learn how to select the best whey protein powder for you

If you take whey protein, getting our Defintive Guide to Whey is a no-brainer. Learn how much to take, how often, and when to take. Learn about the differences between different types, what to look out for, the tricks supplement companies use, and more.

For less than the cost of a tub of whey, our guide will help you choose the best product for you.

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How to Take

Medical Disclaimer

Recommended dosage, active amounts, other details

The amount of whey protein to supplement depends on individual daily protein goals. For example:

  • If you are an athlete or highly active person attempting to lose body fat while preserving lean muscle mass, a daily intake of 1.5-2.2g/kg bodyweight (0.68-1g/lb bodyweight) is a good goal.

  • If you are an athlete or highly active person, or you are attempting to lose body fat while preserving lean mass, then a daily intake of 1.0-1.5g/kg bodyweight (0.45-0.68g/lb bodyweight) is a good goal.

  • If you are sedentary and not looking to change body composition, a daily target of 0.8g/kg bodyweight (0.36g/lb bodyweight) is a good goal.

If daily protein targets are achieved through dietary protein alone, supplementation is unnecessary. Obese individuals should not follow the above recommendations, as bodyweight calculations would result in very high dosages. Obese people should calculate their protein targets based off of what their weight would be, assuming an overweight BMI.

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Human Effect Matrix

The Human Effect Matrix looks at human studies (it excludes animal and in vitro studies) to tell you what effects whey protein has on your body, and how strong these effects are.
Grade Level of Evidence
Robust research conducted with repeated double-blind clinical trials
Multiple studies where at least two are double-blind and placebo controlled
Single double-blind study or multiple cohort studies
Uncontrolled or observational studies only
Level of Evidence
? The amount of high quality evidence. The more evidence, the more we can trust the results.
Outcome Magnitude of effect
? The direction and size of the supplement's impact on each outcome. Some supplements can have an increasing effect, others have a decreasing effect, and others have no effect.
Consistency of research results
? Scientific research does not always agree. HIGH or VERY HIGH means that most of the scientific research agrees.
Notes
grade-b
Fat Mass
Minor Moderate See all 6 studies
Inclusion of dietary protein in the diet above the recommended daily intake appears to aid the process of fat loss during hypocaloric diets (eating less than required to sustain body weight). There is currently no demonstrated benefit with whey protein over other protein sources.
grade-b
Insulin
Minor Low See all 5 studies
Mixed effects on insulin, as there is an acute increase due to whey being a protein source (although whey increases insulin more than other proteins). Fasting insulin (chronically) tends to either be not affected or reduced, although the latter is usually confounded with weight loss.
grade-b
Lean Mass
Minor Moderate See all 4 studies
Protein in general increases lean mass, but there is not a significant body of evidence to support whey protein as being more effective than other protein sources
grade-b
Power Output
- High See all 3 studies
There doesn't seem to be an inherent effect of protein on power output, although it may augment training-induced power accural (an inherent effect of protein supplementation).
grade-b
Weight
- Moderate See all 8 studies
The influence of whey protein on weight per se is highly unreliable, and is subject to the overall context of the diet. Protein in general can aid weight loss attempts and is required to build lean mass, with whey not having any demonstrated benefit over other protein sources.
grade-c
Muscle Protein Synthesis
Notable Very High See all 3 studies
Whey protein appears to increase muscle protein synthesis to a higher degree than other protein sources acutely, although over the prolonged supplementation it seems comparable in potency.
grade-c
Anti-Oxidant Enzyme Profile
Minor Very High See 2 studies
Increased levels of glutathione are secondary to the Cysteine content and can be mimicked with all dietary sources of L-cysteine or supplemental N-acetylcysteine
grade-c
Ghrelin
Minor - See study
A decrease in Ghrelin has been observed with whey protein supplementation.
grade-c
Insulin Sensitivity
Minor Very High See all 3 studies
Has been noted to increase insulin sensitivity to a larger degree than casein when consumed by obese persons in a part of a fat loss diet; has not yet demonstrated an insulin sensitizing effect in lean athletes
grade-c
LDL-C
Minor - See study
Possible LDL-C lowering effect, but has not yet been shown to be better than other protein sources.
grade-c
Triglycerides
Minor Very High See 2 studies
Possible reductions in triglycerides, but it is not sure if this is exclusive to whey protein or due to protein in general.
grade-c
Blood Flow
- - See study
Insufficient evidence to support a role of whey protein in improving blood flow
grade-c
Blood Glucose
- Very High See all 5 studies
No significant influence on fasted blood glucose levels, may decrease postprandial glucose levels (relative to no protein ingestion) due to the release of insulin
grade-c
Blood Pressure
- Very High See 2 studies
Insufficient evidence to support the blood pressure reducing effects of whey protein
grade-c
Bone Mineral Density
- Very High See 2 studies
Currently no demonstrated benefit to bone mineral density, although protein in general appears to have a protective effect
grade-c
C-Reactive Protein
- - See study
No demonstrated effects on C-Reactive Protein
grade-c
HDL-C
- Moderate See 2 studies
No significant evidence to support an increase in HDL-C with whey protein
grade-c
IGF-1
- - See study
Does not appear to inherently alter circulating IGF-1 levels
grade-c
Inflammation
- - See study
Insufficient evidence to support whey protein as interacting with inflammation and biomarkers of inflammation
grade-c
Total Cholesterol
- Very High See 2 studies
No significant influence on circulating cholesterol has been demonstrated with whey protein
grade-d
Appetite
Minor - See study
Appears to reduce appetite (common to all protein sources), but its superiority over other protein sources is not yet demonstrated.
grade-d
Intestinal Permeability
Minor - See study
Appears to decrease intestinal permeability, which is due to the glutamine content of whey protein.
grade-d
Liver Enzymes
Minor - See study
Has been associated with a decrease in liver enzymes (in steatohepatitis) but not to a remarkable degree; may simply be due to the L-cysteine content.
grade-d
Liver Fat
Minor Very High See 2 studies
Reductions in liver fat have been noted with whey protein supplementation, which is thought to be more effective than other protein sources due to the high L-cysteine content.

Studies Excluded from Consideration

  • Excluded due to being a mixture of whey, casein, and soy protein[5]

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Frequently Asked Questions and Articles on Whey Protein

How can you assess protein quality?
Several scales have been developed to rate proteins according to their respective bioavailabilities and, more recently, amino acid profiles. Those scales can help guide your choice of protein, as long as you understand their premises and limitations.
Read full answer to "How can you assess protein quality?"
How much protein do you need after exercise?
A higher dosage of protein after your workout results in higher muscle protein synthesis (MPS).
Read full answer to "How much protein do you need after exercise?"
Whey vs soy protein: which is better when losing weight?
Whey protein stimulates muscle protein synthesis rates more than soy protein, but supplementing with ~25 grams per day of either has similar effects on body composition over two weeks of dieting.
Read full answer to "Whey vs soy protein: which is better when losing weight?"
Do muscle building supplements cause testicular cancer?
There is no evidence that muscle building supplements (MBS) can cause testicular cancer.
Read full answer to "Do muscle building supplements cause testicular cancer?"
Does high-protein intake help when dieting?
We analyze a study which suggests that a higher protein-intake while dieting can help you lose more fat.
Read full answer to "Does high-protein intake help when dieting?"
Whey Protein and Efficiency
Whey is a high-quality source of protein rich in the amino acid cysteine, which can bolster the body's antioxidant defenses, and glutamine, which can benefit intestinal health. There may also be an anti-cancer benefit with undenatured whey maintaining its bioactive peptide contents.
Read full answer to "Whey Protein and Efficiency"
Fact check: does glutamine build muscle?
Glutamine supplementation does not affect body composition, but it may accelerate strength recovery from resistance-training sessions and reduce the occurrence of infections in hard-training endurance athletes.
Read full answer to "Fact check: does glutamine build muscle?"

Things to Note

Is a Form Of

Other Functions:

Primary Function:

Also Known As

whey, whey concentrate, whey isolate, whey hydrolysate, hydrolyzed whey, whey protein powder

Do Not Confuse With

Milk protein, Casein protein

  • Whey protein is chemically non-stimulatory, but may provide energy via means of caloric consumption and an insulin spike from the amino acids.

  • Unflavored whey protein tends to be described as having a "brothy, diacetyl, sourness, and/or bitter"[1] taste, hence why Whey is routinely flavored as supplements.[2]

  • This bitter taste, especially that of the hydrolyzed whey (very bitter) can be somewhat negated by sucralose, fructose, sucrose, 5'AMP, 5'AMP disodium, sodium acetate and monosodium glutamate (MSG).[3] Table salt is partially effective, while the combination of cold water and a sour stimuli can suppress bitterness[4]

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Research Breakdown on Whey Protein

1Sources and Composition

1.1Sources

1.2Composition (Peptides)

1.3Composition (Amino Acids)

1.4Composition (Other)

2Whey as a Vitamin-Like Vessel

2.1L-Cysteine and Glutathione

2.2L-Cysteine and Hydrogen Sulfide

3Production Variants of Whey

3.1Whey Concentrate

3.2Whey Isolate

3.3Whey Hydrolysate

3.4Ultrafiltration

3.5Microfiltration

4Pharmacology

4.1Stomach Digestion

4.2Intestines and Absorption

4.3Serum

5Interactions with Cardiac Health

5.1Blood Pressure

5.2Atherosclerosis and Lipids

6Interactions with Glucose Metabolism

6.1Glycogen

6.2Diabetes

7Interactions with Various Organs

7.1Intestines and Colon

7.2Liver (Hepatic)

7.3Kidneys

8Neurology

8.1Movement control and Seizures

9Immunology and the Immune System

9.1Immune Cell interactions

9.2Cytokines

10Interactions with Cancer Metabolism

10.1Glutathione and Oxidation

10.2Lactoferrin

10.3Cachexia

11Effects on Hormones

11.1Gastric acid hormones

12Interactions with Exercise and Muscle Tissue

12.1Myokines and Mechanisms

12.2Protein Synthesis

12.3Nutrient Timing

12.4Muscle Damage and Recovery

13Interactions with Obesity

13.1Fat Oxidation and Metabolic Rate

13.2Thyroid

13.3Appetite

13.4Interventions

14Interactions with Bone Health

15Comparison to Other Protein Sources

15.1Vs. Casein

15.2Vs. Soy protein

15.3Vs. Collagen

16Nutrient-Nutrient Interactions

16.1Carbohydrate

16.2Leucine

16.3Zinc

16.4Digestive Enzymes

16.5HAMLET

17Safety and Toxicity

17.1Pregnancy
Click here to see all 285 references.

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This page is regularly updated, to include the most recently available clinical trial evidence.

Each member of our research team is required to have no conflicts of interest, including with supplement manufacturers, food companies, and industry funders. The team includes nutrition researchers, registered dietitians, physicians, and pharmacists. We have a strict editorial process.

This page features 285 references. All factual claims are followed by specifically-applicable references. Click here to see the full set of research information and references for Whey Protein.

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