You know how hard you workout to reach your goals, and you know that those intense workouts take their toll on your muscle. You want to break them down and rebuild them with greater strength, tone and size, and you know that what you eat can either support or interfere with that process. One way to ensure that your muscles are supported and nourished so that they can healthfully grow and gain strength is to consume a whey protein isolate shake after your toughest workouts.
Your muscles need to be replenished of protein after those intense workouts. This helps them move through the process of protein synthesis and repair the damage sustained from your workout.
If you want to gain as much muscle as possible or gain weight in a healthy manner, then you may set a high protein intake goal for yourself most days of the week. Hydrolyzed whey protein isolate supplements make it easier to reach those goals without stuffing yourself with a lot of high-protein food. Rather than eating huge steaks with far too much unhealthy fat or eating a sickening amount of chicken, you can add a high-protein to your daily diet to get that added protein boost.
What Does Hydrolyzed Mean?
Whey protein is commonly used as an after-workout supplement because it is easily absorbed into and digested by the human body. It hits your muscles faster than casein and other types of protein, and that ensures that your muscles receive support and replenishment quickly. Hydrolyzed whey protein isolate is whey isolate that is taken through an extra processing step to ensure that the body can absorb and start using the protein even faster.
This type of whey is still a byproduct of the cheese-making process and still contains the amino acids that your body needs to repair, strengthen and grow muscle tissue. It is created through the following process:
1. Concentrated, liquid whey is created naturally as milk is processed into cheese. This is the whey concentrate that many cheap protein powders use. You can also find high-quality concentrated whey powders if you need to gain weight and don’t mind more fat, lactose and calories than is found in whey isolate.
2. Concentrated whey is filtered to remove the lactose, milk fat and other natural components of the whey. This process isolates the protein to create protein isolates. This form of protein is considered purer and will contain more protein and less carbohydrates, fats and calories than concentrated whey.
3. Isolated whey protein is processed even further to break the larger protein chains into smaller chains. These smaller pieces will absorb into the body faster due to their reduced size. This is hydrolyzed whey protein isolate.
You can also find hydrolyzed whey protein powders that are made from hydrolyzed whey concentrate. Some hydrolyzed products may also contain egg protein or other protein sources. The products featured on this page are all hydrolyzed forms of pure whey isolate, since that is the purest, cleanest form of hydrolyzed whey currently available.
Recommended Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Isolate Supplements
Are you confused by the enormous whey protein powder market? There are many different types of whey protein supplements on the market, but not all of them are made from pure whey isolate. Even fewer of them are made from hydrolyzed whey protein isolate. To help you make an educated decision faster and with less confusion, we recommend the following pure whey isolate products that have been hydrolyzed for fast absorption.
Fight Labs Recombinant Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Matrix
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This powder delivers 28 grams of protein for just 160 calories per serving. It is also packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and amino acids. It has an added enzyme mix that ensures it is easily digested. The instantized formula is easier to mix into liquids, so you don’t need a shaker cup or blender when you need to mix up a protein supplement quickly. L-Glutamine is added into the formula to give your muscles some extra help during post-workout recovery.
Optimum Nutrition Platinum Hydro Whey
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This hydrolyzed protein powder includes added branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) for a total of 8.8 grams of BCAA per serving. Not only will it reach your muscles fast, but it delivers that extra punch you need to replenish your muscles for recovery and growth. Each serving contains 30 grams of protein with 140 calories, 1 gram of fat and 2 grams of carbohydrate. You can select from a variety of flavor options, including Cookies & Cream Overdrive and Chocolate Peanut Butter.
Dymatize Nutrition ISO 100 Protein Powder
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This hydrolyzed whey isolate protein powder offers some of the more unique flavor options on the market. How does Gourmet Pina Colada or Gourmet Berry sound for a protein shake or smoothie? The powder is created from hydrolyzed whey protein isolate and is 86% protein. You get 24 grams of protein, 106 calories and 1 gram of carbohydrate per fat-free serving. You can easily mix the powder into liquids or use it as the base for a smoothie or shake.
AST VP2 Whey Protein Isolate
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This is one of the more expensive hydrolyzed whey protein isolate supplements on the market, but it is worth considering if you don’t find what you need through any of the other products featured on this page. Pure whey peptide isolates are used to create this powder, and it is fully hydrolyzed to ensure your body picks up and makes use of the nutrients rapidly. This is a lactose-free product, so you can consider it a healthy option if you are lactose intolerant. It is also free of aspartame, which is an artificial sweetener that causes stomach upset for some people.