Whey is considered to be a high-quality, well-absorbed source of protein with benefits that are similar to those of increasing protein intake in general, such as augmenting muscle gain when paired with resistance training, limiting muscle loss during low-calorie diets/aging, and modestly limiting fat gain during periods of excessive calorie intake (e.g., “bulking”).
Whey contains high levels of the amino acid leucine, which is the most proteogenic (capable of increasing muscle protein synthesis or MPS) amino acid. As such, whey may be more potent at stimulating MPS than other protein types.[1] Furthermore, supplementing with whey may benefit blood pressure,[2] endothelial function,[3] and appears to improve several glycemic- and lipid-related biomarkers in adults with type 2 diabetes and other metabolic conditions.[4][5][6]