Close Ad ×

Muscle & Fitness logo Muscle & Fitness

  • Workouts

    Workouts

    • Workout Routines
    • Workout Tips
    • Fitness
    • Athlete/Celebrity Workouts
    • Exercise Videos
    Find Exercises Targeting…
    • Abs and Core Exercises
    • Arm Exercises
    • Back Exercises
    • Chest Exercises
    • Leg Exercises
    • Shoulder Exercises
  • Nutrition

    Nutrition

    • Healthy Eating
    • Lose Fat
    • Gain Mass
    • Supplements
    • Performance Nutrition
    Best Protein sources to build muscles
    Healthy Eating

    4 Proteins You Should be Eating, But Probably Aren’t

    Fit female holding a drink full of greens powder
    Healthy Eating

    Do You Really Need a Greens Powder in Your Life?

    The Blue Zone Butter Beans with Benne Seeds and Okra Recipe
    Healthy Eating

    Live to 100 With these Blue Zone Lifestyle Changes

    A bag full of healthy russet potato
    Healthy Eating

    Look to the Potato When it Comes to Losing Weight, Says Science

  • Athletes & Celebrities

    Athletes & Celebrities

    • News
    • Interviews
    • Women
    • Pro Tips
    • Behind-the-Scenes
    • Videos
    KC Cheifs NFL Defensive End Player George Karlaftisn on draft day
    Pro Tips

    George Karlaftis Has Been Prepped for His Super Bowl Moment

    Grammy Nominated Muscian Kitt Wakeley
    Pro Tips

    Kitt Wakeley Finds Harmony Through Music and Fitness

    John Doolittle surrounded by middle eastern children
    Pro Tips

    John Doolittle Stays Fit in Order to Help Others Do the Same

    Austin Theory wrestling
    Pro Tips

    Austin Theory is looking to make WWE history at the Royal Rumble

  • Features

    Features

    • Active Lifestyle
    • M&F: Fit to Serve
    • Gear
    • News
    • Opinion
    Roger Lockridge peforming a decline bicep curl next to vintage photo of Arnold for week four of the Arnold Challenge
    Challenges

    Small Steps Lead to Big Progress When You Train Like Arnold

    Backcountry gear and winter sports items on a wooden floor
    Gear

    Winter Gear You Didn’t Realize You Needed—Until Now

    Roger Lockridge on week three of the arnold challenge.
    Challenges

    Training Like Arnold is Not Always Like a Day at the Beach

    Dana White with Logan Paul finalizing the PRIME deal
    News

    What Does PRIME’s Deal Mean for the Future of UFC?

  • Anti-Aging

    Anti-Aging

    • Functional Medicine
    • Hormone Optimization
    • Recovery
    • Wellness
    White candle and white rose on a book
    Wellness

    World’s Oldest Known Person Dies At 118

    Doctor holding an apple with the continents imposed on it
    Wellness

    Research Shows That Most Heart Disease Deaths Are Preventable By Changin...

    Overweight couch potato sitting mindlessly watching tv
    Wellness

    American Couch Potato Syndrome?

    A scale with a measuring tape around it
    Functional Medicine

    Is Weight Loss With the New Injectable Meds Sustained? Not For Most

  • Flex

    Flex

    • Olympia Coverage
    • Athletes
    • Nutrition
    • Training
    • Videos
    Andrea Shaw and Lenda Murray-Dobbiins1
    News

    Ms. Olympia Champions Andrea Shaw and Lenda Murray

    Olympia TV
    News

    Olympia Judge Breaks Down Why Hadi Choopan Won the Mr. Olympia

    2022 Women's Physique Olympia Winner
    News

    2022 Wellness Olympia Winner: Natalia Abraham Coelho

    Bodybuilder Chris Bumstead posing down against Ramon “Dino” Rocha Querioz at the Olympia 2022
    News

    Chris Bumstead Claims 4th Straight Classic Physique Olympia Title

  • Hers

    Hers

    • Workouts
    • Nutrition
    • Supplements
    • Athletes & Celebrities
    • Features
    Samantha Harris wearing yoga clothes and performing a yoga pose
    Hers Athletes & Celebrities

    Samantha Harris is Helping Fellow Cancer Survivors Through Yoga

    Fitness instructor and personal trainer Grace Albin
    Hers Workouts

    Try this 10-minute floor and wall-based workout from Grace Albin

    Women showing her cellulite in her upper thigh recieving a lower body massage
    Hers Features

    This Dermatologist Helps Separate the Truths from Myths about Cellulite

    new year goals
    Muscle & Fitness Hers

    4 Healthy Habits to Help You Reset Your 2023 Wellness Goals

  • Muscle&Fitness+

    Muscle&Fitness+

  • Olympia

    Olympia

    • Olympia Coverage
    • Buy Tickets
    Caesar Bacarella performing a dumbbell workout with biceps curls
    Pro Tips

    Caesar Bacarella Is Building a Fitness Empire at Full Speed

    Olympia-2019-Whiteny-Jones-Press-Conference
    Interviews

    Whitney Jones Can Break, But Can Never Be Broken

    IFBB Wellness Pro Yarishna Ayala
    Interviews

    Yarishna Ayala Shares Advice for Future Wellness Division Competitors

    2021 Mr. Olympia Top 3 winners Brandon Curry, Big Ramy, Hadi Choopin
    News

    BIG RAMY WINS THE 2021 OLYMPIA!

Subscribe to YouTube Subscribe to the Newsletter Terms of Use Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Accessibility Statement Do Not Sell
  • Workouts
    • Workout Routines
    • Workout Tips
    • Fitness
    • Athlete/Celebrity Workouts
    • Exercise Videos
  • Nutrition
    • Healthy Eating
    • Lose Fat
    • Gain Mass
    • Supplements
    • Performance Nutrition
  • Athletes & Celebrities
    • News
    • Interviews
    • Women
    • Pro Tips
    • Behind-the-Scenes
    • Videos
  • Features
    • Active Lifestyle
    • M&F: Fit to Serve
    • Gear
    • News
    • Opinion
  • Anti-Aging
    • Functional Medicine
    • Hormone Optimization
    • Recovery
    • Wellness
  • Flex
    • Olympia Coverage
    • Athletes
    • Nutrition
    • Training
    • Videos
  • Hers
    • Workouts
    • Nutrition
    • Supplements
    • Athletes & Celebrities
    • Features
  • Muscle&Fitness+
  • Olympia
    • Olympia Coverage
    • Buy Tickets
  • Resources & Highlights
    • Topics
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Contact
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Do Not Sell

Stay Connected

Success!

Thank you for signing up. Your information has been successfully processed!

I want content for...
Facebook Twitter Youtube Pinterest
Open menu button
Open search bar button
×

Search M&F

Featured Articles
Lean Muscle
Healthy Eating

28-Days-to-Lean Meal Plan

With the right plan and the right discipline, you can get seriously shredded in just 28 days.

Read article
Kate Upton Attends the 2016 Vanity Fair Oscar Party
Women

The 20 Hottest Female Celebrities

Talented stars, killer physiques.

Read article
Bench press record holder Bill Gillespie breaking the world record at age 62
Pro Tips

The 'Dos' and 'Don’ts' of Bill Gillespie’s Record-Breaking Bench Press

At age 62, "Big Bill" shares his wisdom to dominate one of the ultimate strength marks.

Read article
The 50 Best Female Fitness Influencers on Instagram
Girls

The 50 Best Fitness Influencers on Instagram

Follow these fit women we're crushing on for inspiration, workout ideas, and motivation.

Read article
Build Muscle

Get the Biggest Bang for Your Whey Protein Buck

Everything you need to know about whey plus how to build muscle without blowing your budget.

by Dr. Jim Stoppani, PH.D.
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
Whey protein
View Gallery

Get the Biggest Bang for Your Whey Protein Buck

Close gallery popup button
1 OF 5

1 of 5

Whey protein

 If you know anything about growing muscle, you understand that whey protein needs to be the first supplement on your list. It’s one of the highest-quality proteins you can consume, and it’s especially effective when taken around workouts.But, as you may have already noticed, the price of whey protein is steadily climbing. To understand why this is and how to cut your cost without cutting your protein intake, we need to explain how whey gets from the dairy farm to your shaker cup.

Freakonomics

The problem with the price of whey starts with the milk supply, as whey is made from whole milk. The demand for milk is so high in burgeoning countries like China and Russia that independent farmers can make more money doing business with them than with American companies. As a result, the national milk supply has dwindled while America’s demand for moo juice continues to increase. The relatively small amount of milk that is sold domestically must go to cheese manufacturers to make whey, dividing the supply even further.Milk that has been sold to cheese makers is then transported to the facility by milk tanker drivers. These guys are actually accredited milk graders who are qualified to evaluate the milk prior to collection. They grade and, if necessary, reject milk based on temperature, sight, and smell. If the milk is approved, it’s pumped into the stainless steel tanker and driven to the cheese manufacturing plant. This is yet another step in the manufacturing process that increases the price of whey protein. Today’s higher gas prices mean it costs more to transport the milk. And, of course, you absorb that cost.

2 of 5

Dairy

From Milk, to Cheese, to Protein

One of the newest state-of-the-art cheese manufacturing facilities in the United States is Glanbia’s Southwest Cheese and Whey manufacturing plant in Clovis, NM. When the raw milk arrives via tanker to Glanbia, it’s inspected again. The approved milk is pumped into refrigerated holding tanks, and later pasteurized (heated just enough to kill off dangerous bacteria). The milk is then recooled and undergoes cheese processing.Cheese is made mainly from the casein portion of milk, which makes up about 80% of milk protein. So the processing of cheese involves draining off the fluid whey portion of the milk. Long before anyone realized the benefits of whey, this whey runoff was simply discarded (the horror!).Since Glanbia recognizes that whey protein today is big business, it pumps the drained whey to the whey manufacturing portion of the facility, where it takes its first steps to becoming the protein powder you know and love.

3 of 5

Whey protein powder

Concentrates and Isolates

The whey permeate that is left from cheese processing is only about 15% whey, with the rest being lactose (milk sugar) and fat. To remove a good portion of these carbs and fat, the whey undergoes a series of filtering steps, called ultrafiltration. What remains is whey protein concentrate, referred to as WPC-80, as it’s 80% protein.This final product presents two options. The majority of WPC-80 will remain as whey concentrate, but a small percentage of WPC-80 goes through an even more rigorous filtration process to become whey protein isolate—the ultimate protein supplement for guys who lift weights. More of the lactose and fat is removed to create a product that’s 90% protein or higher, but this is a costly process.Making whey isolate involves microfiltration, which requires membranes that are expensive and need to be replaced frequently. (Another option is ion-exchange chromatography, which is similarly complicated.) All of this drives up the price of whey protein isolate over concentrate considerably, and as you’ve probably already gathered, whey protein concentrate isn’t exactly cheap to make in the first place.

4 of 5

Chocolate whey protein

The Final Cost

Whether it’s WPC-80 or whey protein isolate, the last part of the process is spray drying. The protein fluid is fed into an atomizer, where it’s separated into tiny droplets. The droplets meet a blast of hot air, which removes the moisture and leaves the protein as powder. Most quality whey proteins also undergo the process of instantizing, which allows them to mix better in fluid and not clump. From there, bags of protein powder are sold to supplement companies and also to food companies like Kraft or PepsiCo.And that’s what takes the biggest bite out of your protein dollar. More and more foods are being fortified with whey protein. Since these conglomerate food companies order far more whey protein than a supplement manufacturer like MuscleTech or Optimum Nutrition can, the supplement guys are left fighting for what remains. Because they have to pay more for the protein powder they buy, so do you.

The Whey Out

Enough of the doom and gloom. If you want to keep buying whey and get the most from your money, there are solutions.

Buy in Bulk

Purchase your favorite whey brand in the largest containers sold—five- pound jugs or bigger. Yes, you’ll pay more up front, but the supply will last longer.

5 of 5

Whey proteins

Buy Concentrates

Powders that use more whey concentrates than isolates are less expensive. It’s true that you get less protein per scoop, but the price increase for isolate does not necessarily add up to you getting more protein per dollar. Plus, some whey protein isolate manufacturing steps can harm some of the beneficial whey protein fractions such as beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, and bovine serum albumin peptides, which provide performance and physique-enhancing benefits as well as antioxidant and immune-boosting properties.The gentle filtration that WPC-80 undergoes leaves these all in place. However, remember that whey concentrate contains more lactose, so if you have an intolerance, it may not be your best choice.

Use Soy

Adding soy protein to your shakes can help keep costs down. Soy is about half the price of whey and digests only a little slower. Furthermore, soy’s amino acid profile complements that of whey to provide benefits that whey protein alone can’t. These include increased growth hormone secretion, enhanced nitric oxide (NO) production, and antioxidants that have been shown to enhance muscle recovery. To end the debate once and for all, soy does not raise estrogen or decrease testosterone levels in men, as a recent review study confirmed. Replace about half a scoop of whey with soy protein isolate. It not only provides enhanced muscle-building benefits, but will also allow your jug of whey to last longer.

Go Online

Buying powders online is typically cheaper than buying them in the store. And if you go to Muscle & Fitness Store, you’ll find great prices on all your favorite protein powders, and monthly specials that really cut prices down.

Back to intro

 

If you know anything about growing muscle, you understand that whey protein needs to be the first supplement on your list. It’s one of the highest-quality proteins you can consume, and it’s especially effective when taken around workouts.

But, as you may have already noticed, the price of whey protein is steadily climbing. To understand why this is and how to cut your cost without cutting your protein intake, we need to explain how whey gets from the dairy farm to your shaker cup.

Freakonomics

The problem with the price of whey starts with the milk supply, as whey is made from whole milk. The demand for milk is so high in burgeoning countries like China and Russia that independent farmers can make more money doing business with them than with American companies. As a result, the national milk supply has dwindled while America’s demand for moo juice continues to increase. The relatively small amount of milk that is sold domestically must go to cheese manufacturers to make whey, dividing the supply even further.

Milk that has been sold to cheese makers is then transported to the facility by milk tanker drivers. These guys are actually accredited milk graders who are qualified to evaluate the milk prior to collection. They grade and, if necessary, reject milk based on temperature, sight, and smell. If the milk is approved, it’s pumped into the stainless steel tanker and driven to the cheese manufacturing plant. This is yet another step in the manufacturing process that increases the price of whey protein. Today’s higher gas prices mean it costs more to transport the milk. And, of course, you absorb that cost.

From Milk, to Cheese, to Protein

One of the newest state-of-the-art cheese manufacturing facilities in the United States is Glanbia’s Southwest Cheese and Whey manufacturing plant in Clovis, NM. When the raw milk arrives via tanker to Glanbia, it’s inspected again. The approved milk is pumped into refrigerated holding tanks, and later pasteurized (heated just enough to kill off dangerous bacteria). The milk is then recooled and undergoes cheese processing.

Cheese is made mainly from the casein portion of milk, which makes up about 80% of milk protein. So the processing of cheese involves draining off the fluid whey portion of the milk. Long before anyone realized the benefits of whey, this whey runoff was simply discarded (the horror!).

Since Glanbia recognizes that whey protein today is big business, it pumps the drained whey to the whey manufacturing portion of the facility, where it takes its first steps to becoming the protein powder you know and love.

Concentrates and Isolates

The whey permeate that is left from cheese processing is only about 15% whey, with the rest being lactose (milk sugar) and fat. To remove a good portion of these carbs and fat, the whey undergoes a series of filtering steps, called ultrafiltration. What remains is whey protein concentrate, referred to as WPC-80, as it’s 80% protein.

This final product presents two options. The majority of WPC-80 will remain as whey concentrate, but a small percentage of WPC-80 goes through an even more rigorous filtration process to become whey protein isolate—the ultimate protein supplement for guys who lift weights. More of the lactose and fat is removed to create a product that’s 90% protein or higher, but this is a costly process.

Making whey isolate involves microfiltration, which requires membranes that are expensive and need to be replaced frequently. (Another option is ion-exchange chromatography, which is similarly complicated.) All of this drives up the price of whey protein isolate over concentrate considerably, and as you’ve probably already gathered, whey protein concentrate isn’t exactly cheap to make in the first place.

The Final Cost

Whether it’s WPC-80 or whey protein isolate, the last part of the process is spray drying. The protein fluid is fed into an atomizer, where it’s separated into tiny droplets. The droplets meet a blast of hot air, which removes the moisture and leaves the protein as powder. Most quality whey proteins also undergo the process of instantizing, which allows them to mix better in fluid and not clump. From there, bags of protein powder are sold to supplement companies and also to food companies like Kraft or PepsiCo.

And that’s what takes the biggest bite out of your protein dollar. More and more foods are being fortified with whey protein. Since these conglomerate food companies order far more whey protein than a supplement manufacturer like MuscleTech or Optimum Nutrition can, the supplement guys are left fighting for what remains. Because they have to pay more for the protein powder they buy, so do you.

The Whey Out

Enough of the doom and gloom. If you want to keep buying whey and get the most from your money, there are solutions.

Buy in Bulk

Purchase your favorite whey brand in the largest containers sold—five- pound jugs or bigger. Yes, you’ll pay more up front, but the supply will last longer.

Buy Concentrates

Powders that use more whey concentrates than isolates are less expensive. It’s true that you get less protein per scoop, but the price increase for isolate does not necessarily add up to you getting more protein per dollar. Plus, some whey protein isolate manufacturing steps can harm some of the beneficial whey protein fractions such as beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, and bovine serum albumin peptides, which provide performance and physique-enhancing benefits as well as antioxidant and immune-boosting properties.

The gentle filtration that WPC-80 undergoes leaves these all in place. However, remember that whey concentrate contains more lactose, so if you have an intolerance, it may not be your best choice.

Use Soy

Adding soy protein to your shakes can help keep costs down. Soy is about half the price of whey and digests only a little slower. Furthermore, soy’s amino acid profile complements that of whey to provide benefits that whey protein alone can’t. These include increased growth hormone secretion, enhanced nitric oxide (NO) production, and antioxidants that have been shown to enhance muscle recovery. To end the debate once and for all, soy does not raise estrogen or decrease testosterone levels in men, as a recent review study confirmed. Replace about half a scoop of whey with soy protein isolate. It not only provides enhanced muscle-building benefits, but will also allow your jug of whey to last longer.

Go Online

Buying powders online is typically cheaper than buying them in the store. And if you go to Muscle & Fitness Store, you’ll find great prices on all your favorite protein powders, and monthly specials that really cut prices down.

Topics:
  • Protein
Author picture
Written by Dr. Jim Stoppani, PH.D.
Related Articles
KC Cheifs NFL Defensive End Player George Karlaftisn on draft day
Pro Tips

George Karlaftis Has Been Prepped for His Super Bowl Moment

Roger Lockridge peforming a decline bicep curl next to vintage photo of Arnold for week four of the Arnold Challenge
Challenges

Small Steps Lead to Big Progress When You Train Like Arnold

Stay up to date

Sign up below to receive our newest workout routines, recipes, news stories, and offers from our partners

Success!

Thank you for signing up. Your information has been successfully processed!

I want content for...

Follow us

Facebook Twitter Youtube Pinterest

More news

Fitness professional Simeon Panda holding a bottle of T-Drive by Inno Supps
Build Muscle

T Up With T-Drive: Amplify Testosterone and Virility

Why this T-booster by Inno Supps is head and shoulders above the rest.

Read article
Roger Snipes using pre-workout outside
Build Muscle

How Most Pre-Workouts Are Failing You and How to Protect Yourself

Find out how a quality pre-workout can benefit you more than others.

Read article
Protein powder and BCAAs powder in a scooper being poured into a protein shaker bottle
Build Muscle

DIET DILEMMA: Do I Really Need to Take BCAAs?

Supplementing with branched-chains can help you get bigger and leaner — here’s how to use them properly.

Read article
All Build Muscle
  1. Home
  2. /
  3. Supplements
  4. /
  5. Build Muscle
  6. /
  7. Get the Biggest Bang for Your Whey Protein Buck
Muscle & Fitness logo
  • Workouts
  • Nutrition
  • Athletes & Celebrities
  • Features
  • Recipes
  • Topics
  • Videos
  • Exercise Videos
  • Podcasts
  • RSS Feed
  • Muscle&Fitness +
  • Buy Olympia Tickets
  • Archives
  • Sitemap
Facebook Twitter Youtube Pinterest

Newsletter Signup

Success!

Thank you for signing up. Your information has been successfully processed!

I want content for...

Muscleandfitness.com is part of a360media Fitness & Health Network

Contact Us Terms of Use Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Do Not Sell Accessibility Statement

JW Media, LLC

Copyright 2023 JW Media, LLC, parent company of Muscle & Fitness. All rights reserved.