Timer goes off.

Workout is over.

You head to your gym bag to grab your protein shake, and capitalize on the ever-so-important post workout
window.

Sitting there, you savor every last drop of the delectable liquid, relishing in the knowledge that it’s fueling
your recovery and growth.

Related - MTS Whey, the Top-Selling Whey Protein Choice

Protein shakes, more specifically whey protein shakes, are some of the most common sports nutrition
supplements in existence. While it may seem like whey protein has been around forever, there was a time,
not too long ago, when whey was considered nothing more than the useless by-product from the
cheesemaking process.

Ahead, we’ll trace the complete history of protein powders and discuss how an unwanted by-product of the
cheese-making process became a billion dollar commodity.
 MTS Nutrition Machine Whey - High-Quality Protein Blend. Click here to order.

Whey - The Bastard Stepchild of Cheesemaking

The cheesemaking process is highly inefficient. In fact, it can take upwards of 10 liters of milk to make a
single kilogram (2.2 pounds) of cheese. Along with that kilogram of cheese, comes nine kilograms of
“waste,” in the form of liquid whey.

For a long time, whey was dumped down the drain (or in the river), fed to pigs, or spread onto crop fields.
However, with changes to waste disposal laws, dairy manufacturers had to find something else to do with
their waste, and it just a short while, they would realize their “waste” was liquid gold.

What Makes Whey Protein in Particular So Special?

Well, aside from its ridiculously high bioavailability, leucine content, and robust amino acid profile, whey
protein also has several “functional” components, including ones known to support immune system
function. [1]
Here’s a chart detailing the individual fractions of whey:

Table 1: Main components and actions of whey protein  [2]

Additionally, a recent review of the literature on whey protein noted that it can be beneficial for obese
individuals as well as those with type 2 diabetes. In particular, researchers highlighted the following benefits
of whey protein supplementation: [2]

 Reduces blood pressure

 Decreases oxidative stress noted 
 Supports lean muscle mass
 Promotes satiety through upregulation of anorectic hormones including leptin, cholecystokinin, and
glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1)
 Decreases hunger through downregulation of ghrelin, an “orexigenic hormone” (a.k.a. The hormone
that makes you hangry)
 Reduces inflammation

Basically, there are a plethora of reasons you should be consuming whey protein, beyond it’s muscle
building potential. The issue is, that it wasn’t until recently that scientists had the ability to detect all of the
beneficial goodies naturally occurring in whey.

So, how did we get to where we are today, with whey protein powder being a staple of all active individuals,
not just the muscle-bound bro?

Let’s find out!

Early Beginnings
While you might think that whey protein is a rather recent invention, the first time whey was “discovered”
dates back some 8000 years when the art of cheesemaking was first developed. The earliest account of
cheesemaking occurred in 5,500 BC, Kujawy, Poland.

People of the time noticed that when milk was treated with an acid, a coagulated milk gel was left, and the
solids from this could be turned into cheese. The liquidy by-product leftover from the cheesemaking process
was discarded, used as starter culture for the next day’s cheese, or used as pig feed.

The next record of whey wouldn’t come until around 3000 years ago to a time when men used the stomachs
of calves to store and transport their milk. As they tended their flock and nurtured their land, the probably
got a bit thirsty and went to grab a drink from their milk stores. To their surprise, they noticed that the stored
milk had coagulated, leaving them with Ms. Muffet’s favorite - curds and whey.

While the farmers probably didn’t know why the milk had changed, researchers would eventually discover
that this coagulation was the result of an enzyme known as chymosin (a.k.a rennet), which was naturally
present in the calves’ stomachs.

But, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. We still have a lot to discuss before we get to more modern
research.

Whey as Medicine

Would you believe us if we told you that whey was once used as a medicine by the father of medicine in 460
BC?

Probably not, but it is, in fact, true.

Hippocrates, one of the greatest men in the history of mankind, realized that whey had health benefits and
prescribed it to people to boost their immune system. In fact, Hippocrates was the first “doctor” to
recommend lifestyle modifications to his patients, including changing their diet and increasing physical
activity, as a means to treat diseases.

Fast forward 2500 years and these “lifestyle modifications” are still being preached by modern physicians.
Apparently, it takes us humans a really, really long time to learn what’s good for us…

Anyway, as word spread among the people of ancient Greece, more medical practitioners began prescribing
this “lactoserum” to their own patients. This practice would continue for centuries until the Romans came
marching in around 160 BC and put an end to the glory that was Ancient Greece.

Fortunately, the Romans were smart enough to realize a good thing when they saw it. And, as with many
things the Romans “adopted” from the Greeks (mythology, architecture, art, etc.), they also embraced many
of their medical practices as well. Included among these, were the use of whey as medicine. Records have
noted that a Greek physician, living in the Roman Empire, named Galen carried on the work of Hippocrates
and continued the tradition of preaching lifestyle modifications along with the use of whey as a healing
tonic.

Time Moves On…

As Rome fell, chaos ensued, western civilization plummeted into the dark ages, and there’s not much to be
said of whey during that time.

The next record of whey comes from 17th century England. There, whey gained popularity as a “fashionable
drink”, which led to the opening of whey houses, similar to modern-day coffee shops and tea houses. An
English Naval Administrator named Samuel Pepys wrote in his diary of visiting whey houses in London,
and noted several other whey-based products as well including:
  Whey butter
 Whey porridge
 Whey whig (whey-based drink with herbs)
 Whey borse (broth made with whey)

Whey continued to grow in popularity over the course of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, so much so that
people began taking whey baths![7] In fact, Baricelli, a physician and philosopher in the 17th century,
composed a treatise on all things whey, milk, and butter.

Here’s the cover of the ancient tome: [3]

In the opus, Baricelli details what milk is, how it is produced in the mammary glands, and the different types
of milk. For his work, Baricelli examined both human and animal milk, along with their uses, as well as
butter and lactoserum (a.k.a. whey).
Interestingly enough, this practice of using whey as a healing treatment continued up through World War II.
Records indicate that these whey houses and spas thrived across central Europe, including Austria,
Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. So popular were these spas with aristocrats that records from the era
indicate that a single spa could serve over 3 pounds of whey daily. [8]

Obviously, nowadays we understand why whey is so beneficial for bolstering the immune system, but back
then, all they knew was that this stuff was a goldmine for healing. Yet, it’s right around this time (late 19th
century) that nutritional science really starts to advance researchers begin to dig into what makes whey so
great.

Whey Research Beginnings

Until the late 1800s, the protein in milk was classified as either whey or casein. Researchers had also
classified one of the solids obtained from the heating of whey, which they called lactalbumin.

Around 1890, researchers identified a precipitate in whey, called lactoglobulin, that formed when
magnesium sulfate or ammonium sulfate was added to the whey. Researchers later found a way to
crystallize the lactalbumin fraction in the late 1930. Subsequently, the first two major whey proteins were
isolated and dubbed β-lactoglobulin and α-lactalbumin.

Following on these initial discoveries, whey researchers would then uncover the rest of the fractions in whey
including:

 Bovine serum albumin

 Lactoferrin
 Lactoperoxidase
 A host of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM, and IgE)
 Several minor proteins

Here’s a table showing the composition of milk, broken down by percentages: [4]

As mankind’s understanding of what whey was and all the goodies it contained, so too did improvements
come in the world of processing and manufacturing. And here is where we start to see the birth of the whey
protein powder industry as we know it today.

Early Refining Practices

Until now, whey was considered either a homeopathic tonic or the useless byproduct of cheesemaking.
However, with the increased awareness of the compounds naturally occurring in whey also came the
introduction of various manufacturing processes to isolate these same compounds responsible for whey’s
immune boosting properties.

Early attempts at concentrating and drying whey took place in the 1920s. These early attempts involved one
of four methods: [9]

 Hot roller milk driers

 Heating whey until a concentrated liquid was obtained, cooling to solidification, and then extruding
in a tunnel
 Two-stage steam heating
 Tag-team attack of spray drying and rotary drum drying 

However, these initial attempts at drying and concentrating weren’t very successful due to the hygroscopic
nature of lactose and the high cost of the process. Interestingly enough, roller dying is still used today by
some manufacturers to produce whey powder. In roller drying, whey is dried on the surface of a heated
drum, and then removed by a scraper.

Heating Things Whey Up in the 30s

The next major milestone in the refinement of whey came in 1933 with the introduction of a long-tube
multiple-effect evaporator. [9] This piece of equipment boils water in a higher pressure tank and a lower
pressure one.

As you might recall from science class, as pressure decreases, so too does the boiling point of water. The
vapor generated from the first tank is subsequently used to heat the next tank, meaning that only one
external heating source is needed for the first tank.

In the first tank, evaporation occurs at 77◦C and around 45◦C in the second tank. Once the water has
evaporated from the whey, you’re left with a concentrated whey powder containing 45% solids. [10]

Following the evaporator was the introduction of the spray drier. Originally developed in the 1860s, the
spray dryer wasn’t used in the manufacturing of whey protein until 1937. You might be interested to learn
that spray drying is still used prevalently today in the production of various foods and pharmaceuticals, as it
the the preferred method for drying heat-sensitive materials.

So, what exactly is spray drying?

Spray drying is a method of producing dry powder from a liquid via the application of a hot gas.

When applied to whey, spray drying produced a powder with 10–14% moisture. This powder was then
further dried on a vibrating fluid bed, yielding a powder with 3–5% moisture. [11]

While both evaporation and spray drying were significant upgrades from the initial manufacturing methods
of the 20s, they still involved heat, and with that came the denaturing of many of the valuable compounds in
whey.

So, while things were continuing to improve, they’re still a long way from the whey protein we know and
love today. Gym bros wouldn’t have to wait too long as the next major breakthrough in the production of
whey protein powder comes in the psychedelic 70s. But, before those technological advances debuted came
a product billing itself as the first bodybuilding protein powder ever.

Hoffman & Hi-Proteen

Many of you reading this may or may not be familiar with Bob Hoffman. He was the owner of York Barbell
as well as the coach of the United States Weightlifting team from the late 1940s through the early 1960s.
Hoffman was a prominent figure in the iron game, rivaled only by that of the Weider brothers, who came to
prominence in the 1970s.

During his heyday, Hoffman and York Barbell were linked to some of the most popular and successful
bodybuilders, powerlifters, and Olympic lifters, and he also ran a successful fitness magazine titled Health &
Strength.

In the 1940s, Hoffman was approached by noted nutritionist Paul Bragg who wanted to team up with the
reputed weightlifting coach to create a line of supplements for weightlifters. Hoffman balked at the idea, as
he was a strong believer in the idea that all a weightlifter needed was good nutritious food.

How often do we still hear that today?!

Anyway….

Hoffman finally came around to the idea of developing a line of supplements as he saw the changing
landscape of the weightlifting and bodybuilding market.

Interestingly enough, Hoffman wasn’t the first well-known weightlifter to sell supplements. Eugene
Sandow, the godfather of bodybuilding, reportedly sold supplements back in the early 1900s!

According to Body Building, Sandow used a product called “Plasmon”, which may have been some form of
whey or egg-based protein, but there’s not a substantial amount documenting its existence or success, so
let’s get back to Hoffman and his burgeoning supplement line.

Up until 1951, Hoffman was steadfast in his anti-supplement stance. So, what changed?

Well, around that time, a man named Irvin Johnson, who would later call himself Rheo H. Blair, was
advertising “Johnson’s Hi Protein Food” in Hoffman’s Health and Strength magazine. Observing the volume
of sales Johnson made along with the before & after photos included in the magazine, Hoffman finally came
around to the idea that protein supplements had a place in one’s diet. (see, advertising does work!)

By 1952, Hoffman had cut ties with Johnson and debuted his own protein supplement, titled “Hi-Proteen”.
While Hi-Protein was incredibly similar to Johnson’s “Hi Protein Food,” Hoffman insisted it was a separate
product promising fast results and superior nutrition.

Hi-Proteen was available in five different flavors (vanilla, chocolate, coconut, black walnut, and plain)and
sold for just $4 for 4 pounds, which is about $40 today. As expected, aspiring bodybuilders and weightlifters
flocked to the supplement.

In marketing Hi-Proteen, Hoffman claimed: [12]

“The production of a ‘miracle food,’ such as high-protein, is not a hit-or-miss affair. A world famous food
research laboratory is put to work. Their chemists and the doctors, who are a part of their organization, work
out the product. They profit by their years of study, experience and research.

After a lengthy period of research and testing, the proper blend is obtained. It must be nutritious, containing
—as far as possible—all the necessary amino acids, and it must be pleasant to the taste, so that using it is a
pleasure. The blend has been prepared and then the aid of a big, nationally known packing company, is
enlisted. It is their work to fill the prescription or formula, to prepare the food as outlined by the research
laboratories. The ingredients must be handled in a sanitary manner, properly packaged and prepared for
shipment. All of this was done with the Hoffman products. We never leave anything to chance.”
 Magazine ad for Hoffman’s Hi-Proteen  Drink.  [17]

However, Hoffman’s claims of “research” weren’t all they claimed to be. Hoffman’s managing editor for
Health & Strength, Jim Murray later informed the public just how Hoffman “developed” Hi-Proteen.

Essentially, Hoffman would mix together a bag of soybean flour and Hershey’s chocolate and stir the
mixture with a paddle until he got something that tasted halfway decent. Unfortunately, Hi-Proteen wasn’t
all that well received by the public, due to its poor taste and horrendous gas it gave consumers.

While a flop by today’s standards, Hi-Proteen was a landmark introduction to the industry as was Hoffman’s
marketing tactics, which involved athlete endorsements, articles, and ads - all things that are still used today
to sell protein powders and other bodybuilding supplements.

Johnson Strikes Back

Entering the 1960s, protein powder research continued to increase and improve, and our old friend Irvin
Johnson re-enters the scene. Only now, Johnson is now known as Rheo H. Blair and selling Blair’s Protein
Powder, consisting of calcium and sodium caseinate derived from nonfat dry milk, egg white protein, and
dried whole eggs. While the egg + milk protein blend might seem common these days, it was revolutionary
in the 50s and 60s, as most manufacturers were using soy or meat and fish derivatives for protein powders!

Also, unlike today’s protein powders, Blair’s protein included lactose due to the fact that he was a firm
believer in keeping the milk component of his supplement as similar to nature as possible. As a result, he
routinely had his clients consume digestive aid capsules containing hydrochloric acid and peptain to help
them digest his protein.

Additionally, unlike Hoffman, Blair was meticulous about his protein mixture, so much so that he mandated
his powders contain a strict ratio of two parts calcium to one part phosphorus. The reason for this is that at
the time, bodybuilders were concerned that too much phosphorus in the diet led to irritability and
nervousness.

Blair also added to his protein mix iron phosphate and natural vanilla flavoring. To improve flavoring, Blair
used cyclamate, an artificial sweetener that was removed in 1969 following a US government ban on the
ingredient due to its potential as a carcinogen!

Subsequently, Blair produced an unsweetened version, and then, in the 1970s, infused his Protein Powder
with fructose.

Blair was a widely respected “nutritional wizard” in bodybuilding, and worked with many of the top
bodybuilders of the 60s and 70s, including Frank Zane, Vince Gironda, and Larry Scott. So successful was
Blair that Hollywood actors, including Charlton Heston and Robert Cummings, sought out the nutritional
guru's advice and coaching.

Bolstered by ringing endorsements from his A-list clientele, Blair’s Protein Powder skyrocketed in
popularity and remained in the spotlight until his death in the early 1980s.

Given the success and popularity of Blair and his meticulously crafted protein powder, you can’t help but
wonder if maybe Hoffman should have stayed partnered up with Johnson (Blair) after all?

Other notable protein powders of the time were SuperCal, Zero Carb Protein, Unipro, and Heavyweight
Gainer 900; however, none had the popularity or long list of endorsements like Blair’s Protein Powder.

One other thing to keep in mind is that while protein powder is beginning to “trend up” (at least in the
bodybuilding culture), it still doesn’t taste anywhere near as good as today’s proteins do. And, they also
didn’t mix that well either. Powders of the time typically had to be mixed using a blender, a far cry from the
“three shakes and chug” mixability of today’s protein powders.

Heading into the 1980s, bodybuilding is growing in popularity and with it will come an explosion of
supplements, protein powders, and workout magazines. But before we get into the 1980s, we first need to
learn of the technological advances going on behind the scenes that helped make Blair’s protein a success.

Filtering Out the Bad

Prior to 1970, the only form whey came in was a gritty, insoluble, yellowish-brown powder. As you might
expect, not too many people were shelling out fistfuls of dollars to get their hands on a nasty tasting, poor
mixing, yellow powder. This probably also factored into why Blair’s protein powder didn’t include whey.

But, in 1970, membrane filtration landed on the scene, and it was a game changer for manufacturers.

Membrane filtration is a sieving process where whey is forced through progressively narrower semi-
permeable membranes. As the whey passes through each of these screens, more of the unwanted compounds
(a.k.a. retenate) are blocked due to their molecular size, with the whey passing on through. The filters used
in this process are made from ceramic, cellulose acetate, polysulfone, or zirconium oxide.
The idea of membrane filtration was originally developed for water desalination in the 1950s, and it was first
introduced to the food industry in 1965.

Whey processors typically use one of five different forms of membrane filtration, though sometimes they
can combine two or more methods to create whey protein powders with different protein contents.

The different filtration methods are:

 Ultrafiltration
 Microfiltration
 Electrodialysis 
 Nanofiltration
 Reverse osmosis

After each of the filtration methods, the resulting solution is spray dried to yield a powder with <5%
moisture. The primary differences between the individual types of filtration boil down to membrane pore
size which affects mineral and microbe remove and cost. The more heavily you filter something, and the
smaller, cleaner particle you want to get (i.e. nanofiltration and reverse osmosis) the more money you have
to shell out.

The inner machinations of each type of filtration method aren’t so important as realizing that filtration
(micro and ultra) are the primary methods for manufacturing whey protein powder these days.

What makes filtration such an appealing option, especially when discussing whey protein, is that it doesn’t
require heat, meaning those important immunoprotective components in whey are retained as is the shape of
the protein molecules.

As a result, in 1971 whey separation via ultrafiltration commenced and with it came the turning of the tide in
protein taste, texture, and quality.

More on Ultrafiltration and Whey

Ultrafiltration of whey leads to increased selectivity in the concentration of the protein. Whereas previous
methods yielded a whey that was 45% solids, ultrafiltration allows for whey concentrates containing
anywhere between 20 and 89% protein. [4]

The process is usually carried out at temperatures below 55◦C, thereby retaining the active fractions of
whey. Additionally, the retenate resulting from ultrafiltration, which consists of protein, fat, lactose, soluble
minerals, and insoluble salts can be filtered again using a process called diafiltration to create a whey
concentrate containing >50% protein.

In diafiltration, water is added to the retentate and the new mixture undergoes a second round of
ultrafiltration.

Around this same time (late 60s - early 70s), another whey refining process was gaining popularity -- ion
exchange resin. This process uses chemical reagents (such as hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide) to
adjust the pH of whey and separate out the protein. More specifically, raw whey is transported through a
column that has an affinity for protein. As the way travels, protein is gathered while the rest of the
compounds in the whey pass through.

At the time of its debut, ion exchange offered the promise of higher selectivity of proteins, yielding dry
powders containing 90-96% protein, with virtually no fat or carbs (lactose). This would be the equivalent of
an isolate whey protein these days.

However, with the higher protein content also came the denaturing of protein and a reduction in the amount
of minerals, immune-boosting fractions, antioxidants, and essential amino acids. Additionally, since the ion
exchange resins don’t act as filters, this process does not bacteria and other microorganisms achieved by
filtration. [14]

While ion exchange is still used here and there in the industry, it has been surpassed by cold-pressed cross-
flow microfiltration -- a cold-temperature process that allows for a high protein content (>90%) along with
preserving.

Here’s a graphic to illustrate how the cross-flow microfiltration process works: [16]

The benefit of cold-filtered whey protein is that it retains a higher concentration of the beneficial whey
fractions, minerals, and other nutrients compared to whey proteins processed via other means.

How did these technological advancements translate for protein powder consumers?

Let’s find out!

Protein of the 80s

Entering the 1980s, protein powder is still very much for the mainstream consumer, but for the fitness crowd
(bodybuilders in particular) the importance of protein is pretty well understood. Still, the powder of the
1980s don’t taste all that great, or mix all that easily for that matter. And, much like their 1970s brethren, the
proteins of the 80s contained significantly more fat and lactose than protein powders of today.
This was, in part, due to bodybuilders of the era not being so fat-phobic, as many people of the 90s and early
2000s were. And, as we just discussed above, refining methods for whey protein were still being tweaked to
perfection.

One notable standout protein from the 80s era was “Hot Stuff”. At the time, Hot Stuff was considered one of
the best tasting protein powders available. Though due to various reports of it containing ephedra and/or
steroids (such as anadrol), Hot Stuff was pulled from shelves, reformulated and re-emerged to consumers.

While protein powder was still finding its groove, another milestone happened in the 80s - the debut of the
first true “pre-workout” by today’s standards. In 1982, Ultimate Orange launched as the “original protein
energy powder” packing a potent combination of whey protein, caffeine, ephedrine and a whole lot more.
Many lifters in the 80s and 90s thrived on the stuff until it was pulled from store shelves in the late 1990s.

In 1986, a little company called Optimum Nutrition was born, and in just a few short years, it would become
the most recognizable name in the protein game. But, it wasn’t Optimum that catapulted protein to the
limelight. That honor goes to two of the first “legacy” brands that started in the 90s.

Protein Powder Hits the Big Time

The 1990s brought about a revolution to protein powder. Though whey had been used for thousands of
years, it wasn’t until the early 90s that researchers began studying whey for its potential health benefits. As
research increased, so too did the quality of whey protein.

Things really got rolling with the debut of two companies - Metabolic Prescription and Experimental &
Applied Sciences, better known by their abbreviated names of Met RX and EAS.

Rise and Fall of Met-Rx

Founded in 1991 by A. Scott Connelly and Dan Duchaine, Met RX hit the ground running with an
aggressive marketing campaign. Connelly advertised his meal replacement powder as containing certain
special muscle-sparing proteins and the amino acid profile of mother’s milk. As you probably guess, these
claims would later be shown was based on a lot of pseudoscience.

Connelly also claimed to be a Harvard-educated nutritionist and spent 20 years developing the Met RX
formula. He even went as far as to say that Met RX was used in more than 20 hospitals as part of their
standard nutritional protocol, and that it helped bring people back from critical illness. Yet, strangely
enough, none of these claims were substantiated, and his highly touted MetaMyosyn protein that he claimed
to have developed was actually purchased from another formulator. [18][19]

Still, Met-RX gained enormous popularity with athletes and it can still be found on store shelves today.

Bill Phillips & EAS Take Off

The other notable giant responsible for the surge in protein powder popularity was EAS. Founded by
biochemist Anthony Almada and his business partner Ed Byrd in 1992, EAS first hit it big when they
released Phosphagen - the first creatine supplement.

Debuting in 1993, Phosphagen was a bonafide winner for EAS, and it caught the eye of Bill Phillips (the
Body for Life guy), who wrote about the wonders of creatine in his newsletter "Natural Supplement
Review" and his magazine Muscle Media 2000.

Phillips was a veteran of the supplement game, and as it was later revealed, was at one time a business
partner with A. Scott Connelly at Met RX.

In his “Natural Supplement Review”, Phillips gave his “unbiased” review of Met-RX, which helped increase
its notoriety and popularity. In retrospect, it’s highly probably that this “unbiased” review was really a clever
marketing ploy engineered by Phillips and Connelly.

Anyway…

Sometime between 1994 and 1996 (accounts vary on the actual date), Phillips purchased EAS from Almada
and Byrd, and in 1997 also changed the name of Muscle Media 2000 to just Muscle Media, in an attempt to
make it more mainstream for the casual fitness enthusiast.

Phillips would use his Muscle Media reach to its fullest potential, as at its peak, it had a distribution of about
500,000 copies per issue. Bolstered by the large subscriber base and editorial-style endorsements of the
Phosphagen and Myoplex (meal replacement powder), EAS really began to take off.

By 1995, Phillips was a multi-millionaire gaining wealth and notoriety from a combination of the success of
his hot commodity protein powder and his numerous celebrity associations including Jose Canseco,
Sylvester Stallone, and Jerry Seinfeld.

Phillips sold the majority of his shares to North Castle Partners in 1999 for a cool $160 million. He would
retain about one-third of EAS until 2004 when he sold off the rest of his stock in the company.

Right around this time, another small company, who would eventually become a giant in the protein market,
was born. Two Irish cheese makers, named Avonmore and Waterford joined forces and purchased Ward’s
Cheese in Richfield. The cheese men named their new company Glanbia (Gaelic for “pure food”), and at the
time it was the fourth largest cheese producer in the world. Yet, something else awaited Glanbia on the
horizon… Something that was once regarded as a useless by-product from their cheesemaking would turn
them into a global force.

One other small scrappy upstart from the late 1990s that would help boost the popularity of protein powder
was the father and son team of Greg and Michael Pickett who founded CytoSport in 1998. 998 by the
father/son team of Greg and Mike Pickett. The company launches its Complete Whey and CytoGainer
protein products in 1999, ushering on the protein revolution.

Protein Powder of the 2000s

During the first few years of the 2000s, protein taste, texture and mixability has substantially improved for
decades past. For the most part, the horrendous protein farts, bloating, and GI upset of previous decades
lactose-laden concentrates were gone, replaced by “cleaner” higher quality protein powders. Still, there
remained a far cry from delectable treats of today.

In 2001, CytoSport releases Muscle Milk, a shelf-stable, lactose-free ready-to-drink protein using a
combination of milk protein isolate, calcium caseinate, and sodium caseinate. The product is a cash cow for
the brand and it becomes the “standard” for taste by which other protein products are judged in the early
2000s. In fact, by 2014, CytoSport was making around 50 million pounds of Muscle Milk each year.

That “standard” of taste is quickly challenged by another company who will become known as the “Gold
Standard” of protein.

But before we get there, let’s check back on that little dairy producing facility from Ireland called Glanbia.

While Glanbia produced tremendous amounts of cheese, it generated even more whey. Because of this,
Glanbia had been on the cutting edge of the manufacturing and development of whey protein for quite a
while. It had also grown rather healthily in its early years, expanding its operations to the United States and
Mexico.

And, in 2008, Glanbia purchased (“vertically integrated”) with one of its biggest customers - Optimum
Nutrition.

By 2008, Optimum had cemented its stronghold on the whey protein industry with its Gold Standard Whey
Protein. Touting a blend of whey isolate, concentrate, and peptides, ON’s protein can be found everywhere
from Walmart to GNC and everywhere in between, and is the first protein powder for many newbies
embracing the fitness lifestyle.

Glanbia subsequently purchased another one of its biggest whey customers in BSN in 2011. With the
acquisition of two of the biggest players in the sports nutrition arena, Glanbia became one of the undisputed
top dogs of the domestic and international sports nutrition sector.

Present Day
Protein powder is more popular than ever, used by everyone from soccer moms to bodybuilding bros and
even grandmas. On top of that, whey protein isn’t the only protein found on store shelves today. These days,
you can find casein protein, egg protein, hemp protein, brown rice protein, and even meat-based proteins!

Celebrity endorsements and slick ad campaigns are still the norm for the industry, but nowadays we also
have a substantial body of research to verify the marketing hype.

The protein powder market is more competitive than ever, with just about every brand in the industry having
their own offering. And, the most recent innovations in protein powder involve the addition of “edibles”
inside the protein mix, and single serving Keurig-style protein powder “shots”.

These edibles or “mix-ins” typically come in the form of cereal or cookie pieces, adding a new dimension of
flavor, texture, and mouthfeel to the tried-and-true liquid protein shake.

Taste has never been better, mixability has never been more clumpless, and competition has never been
more fierce, as everyone is fighting for a piece of the action.

Protein has come along way over the past 8000 years, who knows what the next great innovation in protein
powder will be.

460 BC
FOUNDING FATHER OF MEDICINE

Hippocrates, the Father of Modern Medicine (the Hippocratic Oath is named after him)
around 460 BC starts prescribing whey to his patients. “Serum” as he called it was
given to patients as an immune-system booster.

130 AD
ROMAN EMPIRE

The great physician of Rome, Galen picks up where Hippocrates left off and around
130 AD begins to explore some of the greater medicinal values of whey.

1749
EUROPEANS FLOCK TO LIQUID WHEY

Italians popularize a method for separating liquid whey from dairy. Availability of liquid
whey leads to the rediscovery of its classic benefits and stories of miraculous cures
spread.

1940
ATHLETES & THE POWER OF WHEY

Italians popularize a method for separating liquid whey from dairy. Availability of liquid
whey leads to the rediscovery of its classic benefits and stories of miraculous cures
spread.
 Pr
oduction of whey[edit]
Main article: Whey
Whey is left over when milk is coagulated during the process of cheese production, and contains everything that
is soluble from milk after the pH is dropped to 4.6 during the coagulation process. It is a 5% solution of lactose in
water with lactalbumin and some lipid content.[4] Processing can be done by simple drying, or the relative protein
content can be increased by removing the lactose, lipids and other non-protein materials. [5] For example, spray
drying after membrane filtration separates the proteins from whey. [6]
Whey can be denatured by heat. High heat (such as the sustained high temperatures above 72 °C associated
with the pasteurization process) denatures whey proteins. While native whey protein does not aggregate
upon renneting or acidification of milk, denaturing the whey protein triggers hydrophobic interactions with other
proteins, and the formation of a protein gel.[5]

Composition[edit]
Main article: Protein quality
The protein in cow's milk is 20% whey and 80% casein. [7] The protein in human milk is 60% whey and 40%
casein.[8] The protein fraction in whey constitutes approximately 10% of the total dry solids in whey. This protein
is typically a mixture of beta-lactoglobulin (~65%), alpha-lactalbumin (~25%), bovine serum albumin (~8%) (see
also serum albumin), and immunoglobulins.[9] These are soluble in their native forms, independent of pH.

Major forms and uses[edit]

Commercially produced whey protein from cow's milk typically comes in four major forms:

 Concentrates (WPC) have typically a low (but still significant) level of fat and cholesterol but, in general,
compared to the other forms of whey protein, they are higher in carbohydrates in the form of lactose — they
are 29%–89% protein by weight.
 Isolates (WPI) are processed to remove the fat and lactose — they are 90%+ protein by weight. Like
whey protein concentrates, whey protein isolates are mild to slightly milky in taste.
 Hydrolysates (WPH) are whey proteins that are predigested and partially hydrolyzed for the purpose of
easier metabolizing, but their cost is generally higher. [5] Highly hydrolysed whey may be less allergenic than
other forms of whey.[10]
 Native whey protein is extracted from skim milk, not a byproduct of cheese production, and produced as
a concentrate and isolate.[11][12][13]
There is evidence that whey protein is better absorbed than casein or soy protein. [14][15][16]
Whey protein is commonly marketed as a dietary supplement, typically sold in powdered form for mixing into
beverages.[2] Whey protein is now also quite commonly used as a thickener to improve the texture and decrease
syneresis in many types of yogurt. Yogurt with high amounts of protein have been more commonly found on
shelves due to the recently increasing popularity of Greek yogurt. [17] The products have varying proportions of the
major forms above, and are promoted with various health claims. The primary usage of whey protein
supplements is for muscle growth and development. While you exercise, muscle proteins get broken down into
free amino acids and then undergo the process of oxidizing in mitochondria to produce energy. Eating whey
protein supplements before exercise will not assist athletic performance, but it will enhance the bodies protein
recovery and synthesis after exercise because it increases the free amino acids in the body's free amino acid
pool.[17] In 2010 a panel of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) examined proposed health claims made
for whey protein: satiety, weight loss, reduced body fat, increased muscle, increased strength, increased
endurance and faster recovery after exercising. The EFSA eventually concluded that the provided literature did
not adequately support the proposed claims.[2]
Although whey proteins are responsible for some milk allergies, the major allergens in milk are the caseins.[18][19]

Whey cheese[edit]
Main article: Whey cheese
Whey cheese, such as ricotta, is produced from whey and is rich in whey protein (except for brunost). The whey
protein accounts for about 40–45% of the solids content of ricotta.

1988
MODERN WHEY

Advanced techniques create the best, most effective whey protein ever. Detour’s
founders revolutionize nutrition by putting all of the health benefits of whey into a
convenient, on-the-go solution with delicious candy bar taste.