Whey protein is now THE most popular dietary supplement among athletes and bodybuilding enthusiasts. However, there are still many misconceptions about this protein powder.
Some consumers, for example, are convinced that a whey that foams is necessarily a low-quality whey, while others are convinced of the opposite. Is this belief true? Is a product that foams more than another necessarily bad for your health? Well, let's find out if you can drink the foam in your whey shaker without fear.
Why does whey foam?
Undoubtedly, whey foams. If you have the opportunity to mix raw whey powder, without lecithins or added ingredients, expect a lot of foam to form on the surface. This foam will be more or less abundant, depending on the whey you choose. But in absolute terms, protein powders have a natural tendency to foam, and this applies to all types of protein powder.
In particular, dairy proteins have foaming properties resulting from their ability to rapidly adsorb to the air/water interface, expand at this interface, and form a mechanically highly resistant interfacial film, i.e. a bubble. This cluster of bubbles forms foam. As whey is milk-based, this is inevitable.
Is whey foam bad for athletes?
This foam presents no danger to athletes. Contrary to popular belief, raw whey (before the addition of various industrial ingredients) is the initial source of protein, and contains no chemical compounds whatsoever. It is obtained mechanically. In this sense, the appearance of this foam in your whey shaker is reassuring. It indicates that the whey is high in milk proteins, and therefore in amino acids and BCAAs. A product that foams is therefore a guarantee of quality and purity, and will be more likely to supplement your protein intake for effective mass or endurance gains.
However, we have to qualify our comments, as this foam also has its share of disadvantages. This foam is not easily digestible. It can cause bloating and other digestive problems, which can affect both the athlete's training program and his or her diet.
Our tips for finding a low-foaming whey
In the best of all possible worlds, we'd opt for a low-foaming whey with no processed additives.
Some brands have chosen to use natural means to remedy this problem. Protéalpes, for example, has chosen touse coconut powder.
This unprocessed, organic ingredient effectively reduces foaming. With such a component, whey will be easily soluble, despite a very high milk protein content, without the use of lecithins or other hazardous additives.
In addition, you can limit the formation of foam by putting the water or plant milk before the whey in the shaker. By doing so, you won't have to shake the shaker excessively hard, and less foam will form.
Ideally, the mixture should be mixed in about ten seconds. Once you've added the liquid, then the whey, you only need to make a few energetic back-and-forth movements. All that's left is to make circular movements to obtain a homogeneous mixture.
You can also prepare your shaker a few hours before setting, to give the foam time to settle.
Why does whey make lumps and how can I avoid them?
As far as lumps are concerned, as a general rule it all depends on how you prepare your high-protein drink.
Option 1: you are using a shaker that is not adapted to your needs
The best way to avoid lumps is to use a shaker fitted with a mesh ball or grid. This container has been designed so that the protein powder dissolves perfectly in the liquid of your choice (milk, water, fruit juice, etc.).
You then need to use enough elbow grease to ensure perfect dissolution.
Option 2: you mix your whey protein with ingredients likely to cause lumps
In other cases, small lumps form because of the heat or the presence of other ingredients you have added to the mixture.
As an example, don't be surprised if a few lumps appear when you put cocoa or oat powder in the shaker. The whey powder agglomerates with the particles to form lumps.
Shake vigorously to remove them.
The final tip regarding ingredients is to put the whey after the milk or water.
Option 3: your whey pack has caught moisture
On the other hand, if you see large lumps, chances are that moisture has seeped into your whey packet.
In this situation, it's best to stop consuming the contents of this pack. Moisture and whey provide a particularly favorable environment for the development of pathogenic micro-organisms. You risk serious food poisoning.
