10 Best Whey Proteins in the Philippines 2022 | Buying Guide Reviewed By Strength and Conditioning Coach

Cyrus Cruz has been into exercise and fitness for over nine years. Aside from getting involved in the supplement industry as a retailer, he has competed in Olympic weightlifting and founded the UP Weightlifting Club. 

From this, he started coaching and organizing competitions too. Also, he has ongoing certifications in nutrition and strength & conditioning. He is very passionate about educating people as he continues to learn on a daily basis.

You can reach him through his Facebook and Instagram accounts if you want more information or if you want his personal recommendations!

Whey protein is a class of health supplements that specifically aims to help the body build muscle. It is utilized by the body faster and makes recovery faster by repairing the damage from training faster, which in turn can aid in muscle building, especially if you have low protein consumption in your diet.

However, always bear in mind that you shouldn’t drink more than you should. An excess intake of protein could lead to unwanted body fat.

Milk is the raw material of cheese. Casein and whey are the two types of protein found in cow's milk, making up 80% and 20% of milk protein respectively. Casein is the raw ingredient of cheese while whey is the byproduct or "waste" of cheese production.

When making cheese and other similar dairy products, whey is separated from the solidified portion, or curds, of milk. It then goes through a process, which makes it into the powder form we’re familiar with.

When you check the market, we're sure that you’ll see different kinds of whey protein available. We’ve prepared some pointers to help you choose which whey protein supplement is the best for you.

There are three types of whey protein with different protein content and formulas. Some formulas are easier to digest than others. Whey proteins can also come in formulations with just one or a combination of two or all of these. Read more to know what they do and how they affect your body. 

Let’s start with the most affordable of the bunch, whey protein concentrate. Its low cost is perfect for beginners who are just testing the waters. Protein content will differ by brand and product, but high-quality WPC contains around 80% protein. 

It’s a bit low compared to the other two types because it underwent less processing but it retains most of the beneficial nutrients found naturally in whey. It’s best for people who want to add more protein to their diet. 

However, if you’re lactose intolerant, we don’t recommend getting this type of whey protein as WPC still has a little bit of lactose, so it might cause some stomach problems.

Whey protein hydrolysate has been pre-digested - proteins that have been exposed to heat, acids, or enzymes, which resulted in some of the peptide bonds being broken down.

This pre-digestion process makes WPH get absorbed by the gut quicker than concentrates or isolates. However, whey protein hydrolysates also come with higher price tags. In fact, very few companies sell pure whey protein hydrolysates aka hydrolyzed whey protein.

To make sure that you incorporate drinking protein shakes into your routine, it is best if the preparation is convenient and efficient – as easy as mixing and dissolving it in water. Recently, whey proteins have come out with instantized formulas, meaning it can be easy to dissolve in water, even just by using a spoon to stir.

However, there are still are hard to dissolve ones being sold in the mix. This is where product reviews from online selling sites are helpful. We recommend that you carefully read the reviews to know the experiences of previous buyers regarding the mixability of the product.

Here are some tips from this article's expert, Cyrus Cruz. We hope this helps break common myths and misinformation regarding whey proteins. 

Consuming whey protein or protein powders, in general, does not really assure weight loss. Protein has a higher thermic effect, the energy consumed to digest it compared to carbohydrates and fats. Protein also gives a satiating feeling, which inhibits hunger. 

The main caveat to remember is the fact that protein shakes are still liquid calories. When consuming liquid calories, it can be easier to ingest a large amount of calories without noticing it because you get hungrier faster. Liquids are absorbed faster, emptying your gut faster, making you hungrier.

Consuming whey protein to aid in weight loss should still take into account the total calories of all the meals of the day to create a negative calorie balance. Drinking whey protein but going over your needed calories to lose weight might just slow down the process or even result in weight gain. Only a caloric deficit will assure weight loss.

My general rule is, go with the cheapest whey protein you can find with the same purity or concentration because they are all the same. Not all brands have their own whey protein manufacturing facility. Some brands just buy the raw materials from the same factory, and they just do their own formula, flavoring, and labeling. Some just even rebrand the same product (change the label). 

An expensive option does not mean it is a better brand if they are of the same purity or quality. You can check the protein concentration by dividing the amount of protein per serving by the total serving size (e.g., a 32-gram serving size with 25 grams of protein per serving is roughly 78% protein).

You can also compute the total protein contained inside by multiplying the grams of protein per serving with the total number of servings per container (e.g., a 5-pound container with 68 servings having 24 grams protein per serving will give us 1,632 grams in total). We can then divide the cost of the container with the total protein to get the price per gram of protein. With this, you can easily compare the price of protein per gram among different brands and their purity.

Some companies are just good in marketing and sales, you are just a fan/you idolize their endorser, or maybe they just have a more attractive label design in their products! Go with the whey protein that you can tolerate the taste, and that fits your budget. You want a more sustainable whey protein option rather than shopping for an expensive one that you end up being thrifty about its consumption/servings. You might end up consuming less than what your daily requirement is just to stretch your supply longer.

It is a plus if you like the taste because the taste is really just a bonus. You are not drinking whey to really enjoy it but to add protein to your diet rapidly (you just need water to prepare a “high protein meal” without the hassle of preparing/cooking a meal) and conveniently (you can add protein without getting the extra fat from typical animal sources or carbohydrates from plant sources).

For those whose priority is optimizing muscle gains, the best time to drink whey protein would be right after training to help start the body’s repair process, especially if you will not have a meal immediately after. It can also help to drink whey protein before your workout to have amino acids in your body before your training and reduce muscle breakdown, enhancing muscle retention.

In fact, it does not really matter that much as long as you are drinking it around your workout window and are getting enough protein throughout the day. If you could only pick one, this will depend on the timing of your meals. You can drink it before your training if your last meal before training has been several hours. 

You don’t want to be starving before or during training. You can drink it after your training if it would take you several hours to eat a post-workout meal. Your daily protein needs should be spread evenly and consumed every three to four hours to optimize your results. At the end of the day, this comes down to your personal preference or whichever is more convenient for you.

Another alternative is during breakfast. A good way to break your fast, the moment you wake up, is also to consume protein because your last protein intake is several hours before sleeping. Whey protein can be a convenient and easy to prepare option. Eating protein bars or drinking whey protein as a snack is also a good idea to spread out your protein consumption within the day.

If you want to enhance building muscle, you have to think of all the factors as a whole. It’s the total amount of protein you are consuming daily rather than the time you eat that is more important with the process of building muscle. Also, it is not just the amount of whey protein that you need to consider but also the total protein you get from your other meals as well.

Whey protein is just there to supplement your diet. It is not a miracle drink that will give you muscles. Proper diet, exercise, sleep, and a healthy lifestyle will still be the key.

How much protein you need will be affected by your activity (type, level, etc.). We can base it on a bodyweight approach (grams of protein per body weight) or a percentage of total calories approach. Macronutrients relative to body weight take into account your mass, which is especially important to consider in the case of protein.

Protein is not primarily used as a source of energy (compared to fat and carbohydrate) but rather to build and repair tissues. It might be easier for the majority to remember their daily protein needs by basing the grams of protein per pound of their body weight. As a general guideline, for health purposes, the minimum daily protein is covered with a diet of 0.4g protein per pound of body weight per day.

But if you want to maximize muscle growth, muscle retention, and enhance body composition, the requirement ranges from 0.7 to 1.0g per pound of bodyweight. Even as high as 1.2g per lb can be used when you are dieting/on a caloric deficit. If you want to simplify it, just remember and aim for 1g per pound of body weight per day.

The best time to start getting your journey to health and wellness is now! Check out these products to incorporate into your fitness regime.

Regular exercise paired with enough rest and a balanced diet will improve your workout routine and results. Adding supplements, especially a protein supplement can boost your diet and recovery which in turn can produce better results.

Remember that variation is still the key to a balanced diet. The best way to get your protein is not to live with whey protein solely as your protein source. Also, supplements are not magical products that will give instant and guaranteed results even if you regularly train but have poor sleep and nutrition habits.

Re-editor: Rie N.

Reviewed by: Weightlifter and Strength and Conditioning Coach Cyrus Cruz

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