Whey Protein 247 has all your favourite brands and the information you need. Whey Protein is an important part of growing bigger and stronger muscles. Drinking a whey protein shake of powder mixed with either milk or water is the optimum way of fuelling your body with the nutrients it needs to quickly repair your muscles...

We stock only the top 50 Whey Protein products from the Top 20 Brands at the cheapest prices with FREE Next Day Delivery on all orders over £50.

New to Whey Protein?
Read our beginners guide Whey Protein - The Basics.

Which Product Should I buy?
Read our in-depth guide Buying The Right Protein Powder.

What is Whey Protein?
Whey protein is produced from the milk used during cheese making. The liquid is dried and sold to whey protein companies who then add ingredients to make powders.

Why is Protein Important?
You must eat enough protein daily to ensure a healthy body. Protein is the most abundant substance in the body after water and is found in every body cell from your hair, your heart, and most crucially especially your muscles. Protein contains the vital 20 Amino Acids.

Why is Protein Critical for Weight Trainers and Athletes?
Protein is especially important for success in sports, particularly weight lifting and general recovery. When you workout you stress and tear your muscle fibres. Protein restores the muscle fibres to full and stronger strength. The more you stress your muscles the bigger they become to adapt to the workload. However they can only fully recover if they are fuelled correctly with both rest and nutrients, including protein.

Bigger muscles need more protein to keep them big. If you consume insufficient amounts the body takes protein from your muscles for energy, therefore reducing the size of your muscles. Research shows that individuals performing strength training activity require more protein.

Why Whey Protein?
1. It gets into your muscles fast! As soon as you drink a protein shake the whey protein is quickly digested and absorbed into the blood. It reaches the muscles tissues in about 20 minutes and goes directly to your muscles to repair, grow and strengthen them. The entire process is completed within 1 hour of drinking your shake. This is much much faster than food which may take several hours to complete the process.

2. Easy to digest. It is commonly used in baby food.

3. It's hard to get all your protein from food. We recommend you drink 2-5 protein shakes per day along with a good diet.

4. Convenience. Protein shakes are quick and easy to make.

What is the Difference between Whey Protein Concentrate, Isolate and Hydrolysate?
The difference is due to how much the whey protein is filtered I.E. how much other stuff is removed.

Concentrate:
Used in the majority of whey protein powders and the least filtered. It contains 70-85% protein along with low levels of fat, cholesterol and carbohydrates. It also contains a higher level of immune system boosting ingredients.

Isolate:
The second most used and can be found in many whey protein products usually mixed with whey protein concentrate. It contains 90-95% protein but due to being more filtered it contains less lactose and fat. This makes it popular with those who suffer from lactose intolerance.

Hydrolysate:
The purest form of whey protein due to being the most filtered but is therefore the most expensive. It contains 100% protein and no lactose or fat. In addition it has been "pre-digested" meaning it is absorbed into the body more rapidly.

So Which One Should I Take?
For the vast majority we advise whey protein concentrate as a suitable option. Some products may mix 2 or even all 3 types together but unless you are particularly lactose intolerant, or want super fast absorption, then concentrate will be fine.

Who Should Take It?
Anyone involved in physical activity, especially weight lifters. However it can also be useful as a meal replacement or those looking to a lose weight. Some high-protein foods contain a high fat content and opting to use whey protein powder can decrease the amount of fat consumed and therefore reducing cholesterol levels in the body.

How Much Should I Take?
Health experts suggest 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.

How Much Protein Should I Consume in Each Shake?
You can follow individual product guidelines but as a guide a good amount is somewhere between 25g to 40g per shake. We suggest you aim for 30g.

What Are The Best Times To Drink Shakes?
The optimum times are about an hour before, and immediately after a workout. Another great time is first thing in the morning as during sleep muscle repair will use up any protein stored meaning the body needs replenishing. There are also products designed to be taken before bed to feed your body during sleep.

Should I Mix With Water or Milk?
We advise mixing with water. Firstly because protein needs water to assist digestion, and secondly because whey protein is absorbed quickly by the body but this process is slowed down when milk is added.

What is The Difference Between the Brands and Why is There Such a Price difference?
Every product contains slightly different ingredients but the differences can be categorised into 3 reasons:

1. Added extras. Creatine and Glutamine for example are expensive and therefore increase prices.

2. The whey protein type used. As mentioned above Whey Protein Isolate or Hydrolysate cost more than than Concentrate.

3. Brand premium. Like any product you pay a premium for a well known brand. The more famous it is, the more the added price premium.

Should I Use An All-in-one Whey Protein Powder With Creatine?
This is entirely your choice. There is no right or wrong answer. Creatine has significant benefits including assiting in increasing muscle size, as well as endurance and stamina. The only thing to watch is to ensure you do not consume too much creatine per day as this will only be excreted by the body, particularly once the loading phase has been completed. Remember time off creatine is is advised every 6-8 weeks to ensure it works to its maximum degree.

Will Using Whey Protein Powder Give Me Big Muscles?
No. Big muscle develop with a combination of the correct training, nutrition and recovery. Whey protein is an important part of the nutrition and recovery process but without the training the muscles will not grow!

I am a Woman So Can I Take Them?
Yes of course. More and more women are using whey protein. Research shows that it can aid towards weight loss and a healthier diet.

Why is Whey Good for Weight Loss?
As a fast digesting protein it quickly removes hunger. As a protein whey will fill you up with the addition of only a small amount of fats and calories. Many people use whey protein as a meal replacement to get their daily protein intake without the the high calories.

Can't I Just Drink Milk?
Not really no. The reason is this. Milk is about 86% water and 14% solids. Of the 14% solids less than a third is protein, with the other two thirds being made up of fat and lactose. Of this protein 80% is casein and only 20% whey. Therefore you can see milk consists of less than 1% whey protein. This is key because casein is a much slower acting protein, which is why it is often used before bed to slowly release protein to the muscles over several hours of sleep. In addition consuming large amounts of milk will mean intaking quite high amounts of fat, and of course lactose which will probably make you bloated.

Can't I Just Get My Protein From Food?
The answer is yes you can and in fact it is recommended to to eat a balanced healthy diet however, sometimes it can be difficult to eat enough food to consume all the protein you need. Protein shakes are a great way to increase your protein intake alongside a proper diet.

What Other Ingredients Are in Whey Protein Powders?
Every product varies but usually you will find added Vitamins B, C and E along with Folic acid and sweetners for taste. We do not sell any products with the sweetner Aspartme in.

Are There Any Side Effects?
Whey Protein is safe and side effects are rare. However experience shows some people do suffer from upset stomachs, and bloating from some powders. This can be caused by either the lactose or sweetners. However if you have a problem with one powder then it is definitely worth trying another. The writer of this guide himself has this issue and has resolved it using EMF products.

Which protein powder do you buy with so many to choose from? We suggest you consider:

1. Protein Amount Per Serving
Not quite as simple as it seems! Some serving sizes are 25g, some 45g, others 50g or more! You know you should aim for somewhere between 20 - 40g per serving (we suggest 30g as a good number). Our Top 50 Products Compared Chart shows the amount of protein for every product per 30g serving.

2. Price
Some powders cost a lot more than others. The question is why? Are they a better product? Well, in the main whey protein powder is whey protein powder however you pay more for:

a. A higher protein amount per serving. A product with 24g per 30g serving costs much more than one with only 15g protein per 30g serving. The less protein per serving also means a higher amount of carbohydrate as it is a cheaper ingredient than whey protein.

b. Purer forms of whey protein such as isolate or hydrolysate.

c. Added ingredients such as creatine or glutamine.

d. Brand Prestige. The well known the brand the more you will pay - have you seen the price of Maximuscle! Are these well known brands any better? In our opinion no. They just spend more on marketing.

3. Digestion
Not often mentioned but really important. You may be fine with all products but you may be one of those people who experiences an upset stomach or bloating when taking a protein powder. If so, you are not alone. This is usually caused by lactose or a specific ingredient. However be assured this varies from product to product. The author of this guide knows this from personal experience and found the answer by using EMF Nutrition powder.

4. Taste
This is personal but lets say some powders taste better than others. If you are drinking 2-5 shakes per day you need to like what you are drinking. The only way is to try different products and decide for yourself.

5. Carbohydrate Amount Per Serving
Protein taken with some carbohydrates leads to substantially higher protein synthesis compared to taking protein alone. Carbohydrates also give you energy to workout and recover. However carbohydrates are high in fat and calories so if you are looking to lose weight then you will want to keep them to a minimum.

6. Calories and Fat
Important to consider if you are looking to lose or gain weight.

7. Extra Ingredients
Want to build power and strength? Creatine is the way to go. Looking for quicker recovery? Glutamine is believed to help.

8. Mixing
There is nothing worse than lumpy protein shakes. Protein powders are best drunk with water rather than milk if you want a quick intake of proteins. The powder should mix well whether you use a protein shaker or spoon.

We know it can be difficult to find the right whey protein. If you try one and it isn't right that’s a lot of money down the drain. This is why we offer free samples of our best selling Sabre Nutrition Absolute Whey Protein.  Per 30g scoop it contains 21g of whey protein, only 5g of Carbs, and 0.5g of Glutamine making it the best quality and value whey protein powder available today. This way you can try before you buy! All we ask is that you pay the 99p despatch and postage cost.

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