Whey vs Soy Which is the Better Protein?

[Being_the_Don]

When it comes to nutritional sources of protein, health advocates tout the benefits of plant based proteins but neglect to mention animal based proteins. Animal based proteins are complete - they contain all of the essential amino acids necessary for survival. This is not the case with most plant proteins with the exceptions of soy and quinoa. Athletes tend to consume more animal based proteins e.g. meat, poultry, fish, etc. than plant proteins e.g. beans, nuts, etc. I eat nuts as part of a quick snack, they also provide beneficial fats BUT they are no substitute for animal proteins.

When looking at whey and soy, which is the better protein? What are the benefits and drawbacks of each?

 

[Colossus]

There is substantial research showing whey is superior for athletic supplementation. More glutamine, leucine, and it is assimilated faster (the isolate anyways).

Some studies have suggested high soy intake can raise estrogen levels, but I dont know if there is a scientific consensus on that. I recommend taking a whey/casein blend for BBing and weight training.

 

[blinkwatt101]

I wouldn't get technical as to why which is better. Just know whey is found in dairy protein and meat and soy is found in a lot of veggies.

Eat away.

Be careful which protein supplements you use,most are filled with crap. Labrada makes a very tasty RTD shake that I get at my gym that doesn't have any b.s. ingredients. $5/40 grams of protein....

Personally if I had a lot of spare money I'd buy pure whey concentrate.
http://www.barryfarm.com/images/product/dietarysupplements/wheyproteinconc.JPG

 

[Quagmire911]

Trueprotein is a great sorce for whey in America.

I wouldn't touch Soy. I tend to side with the guy's who say it is bad, however I've not read enough about it to fully come to a conclusion. I've just heard a lot of bad stuff about it, and I've never seen pro-soy folks counter these arguments.

And since there is serious doubt and controversy, I won't go near the stuff.

However, it is pretty irrelevant anyway. Meat is where we are meant to get our protein from, and in large quantities. Whey can be helpful as long as it is good quality, like trueprotein.

 

[blinkwatt101]

True Protein looks interesting. So are their proteins pure concentrate only?
I couldn't find an ingredients list on their site.

How does it taste without 'flavor packs'? How long have you been on it?

 

[Quagmire911]

I've not actually used them personally because I'm in the UK. Their reputation is outstanding though, recommended by IronAddict. The guy who owns it is actually Dante "Doggcrapp" of the DC system, him and IronAddict no each other fairly well I think.

I would be very surprised to see sub-standard products. I've seen plenty of reviews, any problems and they get sorted immediately.

 

[Being_the_Don]

Thanks everyone.

I personally don't consume either of them but I know that whey is promoted on this board as opposed to soy. I read that soy is highly allergenic and is interferes with the assimilation of minerals into the body. I get most of my protein from animal products, legumes and some nuts. I had no idea that soy raised estrogen levels. I'm thinking that it is the animal rights advocates who seem to be trumpeting the benefits of soy.

 

[Cure]

As Espi said, 90% of lifters, myself included, need to worry about getting enough protein before particular sources.

I don't use any protein powders, I get most of mine from meat, fish, milk, skimmed milk powder (a protein powder of sorts..).

 

[Alle_Gory]

Soy has chemicals called phytoestrogens that mimic human estrogens. Most plants produce similar chemicals but soy has them in abundance and eerily close to the human form which may affect your own hormone levels.

But it depends how much soy you eat. If you eat a ton everyday you will notice the effects. It doesn't raise estrogen levels, but it acts like estrogen in the body screwing around with the other hormones that estrogen is supposed to be regulating.

Check out Google Scholar and the Journal of the American Medical Association for studies related to soy.


I'd say you're better off with good sources of protein like fish, chicken, beef. Milk, not so much. It's not a good source because its hard to digest by the body. If you can get raw milk I hear its much easier on the body and tastier too.

 

[Being_the_Don]

Soy has chemicals called phytoestrogens that mimic human estrogens. Most plants produce similar chemicals but soy has them in abundance and eerily close to the human form which may affect your own hormone levels.

But it depends how much soy you eat. If you eat a ton everyday you will notice the effects. It doesn't raise estrogen levels, but it acts like estrogen in the body screwing around with the other hormones that estrogen is supposed to be regulating.

Check out Google Scholar and the Journal of the American Medical Association for studies related to soy.


I'd say you're better off with good sources of protein like fish, chicken, beef. Milk, not so much. It's not a good source because its hard to digest by the body. If you can get raw milk I hear its much easier on the body and tastier too.

I love milk, I get part of my sugar fix from milk and cereal. As for the phytoestrogens, that may have an effect on human breast cancer i.e. increasing one's risk of developing the disease. That's something worth investigating. Regarding animal protein vs plant proteins, I really don't think anyone who trains with weights whether they be a strength trainer (which I'm), power lifter or bodybuilder is going to benefit very much from a vegan or purely vegetarian diet, the demands for protein are too high. And since plant proteins are mostly incomplete, how is one to be adequately nourished?