Diet Whey protein supplements are supposed to help you to reduce weight and build lean muscles at the same time. There is big market for them in UK and most of the established sport supplements manufacturers have at least one type of diet whey in their range. Although even standard whey protein is known to help with weight loss, diet whey takes it to the next level offering additional ingredients not present in non-diet whey.
How does the diet whey work?
In general, it promotes a greater feeling of fullness throughout the day. It means, if you want to consume less calories it could help you to cut on snacks. However, the same effect (feeling of fullness) has been noted by many users of traditional whey. So, where’s the difference? Comparison of nutritional profiles of the most popular diet supplements shows they contain a blend of slow release proteins. Very often it’s a blend of whey concentrate and milk protein. While whey concentrate is a quick release protein perfect for after-workout intake, milk protein is being released longer. That means diet whey needs to be considered a blend rather than a pure whey protein supplement.
Typically, this sort of supplement would contain low GI-carbohydrates (these can be obtained from fruits and vegetables). Low glycemic index carbohydrates are absorbed faster than high GI carbs.
Additionally, you will often find ingredients which positively affect metabolism. Such example is green tea, or rather extract of green tea which is known to increase metabolism (which benefits weight loss).
Usually diet whey contains low level of sugar, rather low level of carbohydrates and of course low level of calories. However, if you study the labels carefully you will quickly realise carbohydrates, sugar and calories are often identical with normal whey protein supplements.
Typical nutritional profile of diet whey protein (per 100g)
We went through the nutritional profiles of the top diet whey supplements available in UK to create typical profile for this kind of supplementation.
- Calories 377
- Protein 63g
- Carbs 12g
- Fat 6.5g
- Fibre 5g
- Green Tea 400mg
- L Carnitine 500mg
Quick comparison of popular diet whey supplements
| Supplement | Calories | Protein | Carbohydrate | Fat | Fibre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PhD Diet Whey | 386 | 68g | 11g | 5.5g | 3g |
| Maximuscle Promax Diet | 398 | 66.5g | 15.5g | 8g | 4g |
| MyProtein Diet Whey | 345 | 54.5g | 15g | 6.5g | 7g |
| USN Diet Whey Ultralean | 380 | 70g | 7.2g | 6.5g | 6.5g |
Diet Whey vs. Standard Whey
As we mentioned before, nutritional profile of diet whey is very similar to standard whey protein. In terms of marketing Diet is the name that makes wonders. The biggest difference is the addition of green tea extract which increase metabolism and L Carnitine which promotes weight loss.
