Designer Whey Protein

Designer whey protein is a high-tech version of whey protein concentrate. It typically contains a blend of whey protein concentrate and isolate along with flavoring, filler, sweetener and salt. The "designer" part comes about as a result of the manufacturer's use of a combination of free amino acids and short protein pieces (peptides) to increase absorption. It also takes advantage of ultra-filtration technology to retain protein fractions typically lost when making regular whey protein concentrate.

Does designer really make a better whey protein supplement? In one study of 85 athletes (funded and conducted by the manufacturer), Designer Whey was compared with whey protein concentrate. The results indicate that designer is better:

• The group taking designer whey protein gained on average 14 lbs more lean muscle than the regular group (18.8 lbs and 4.8 lbs, respectively);
• The designer group lost on average 3.4 lbs more fat than those on regular whey protein (5.4 lbs and 2.0 lbs, respectively);
• The designer group gained 10.6 lbs more weight overall than those on regular whey protein (13.4 lb compared to 2.8 lbs, respectively).

Because these results come from the manufacturer, it's not clear how much bias is present or if the results are statistically significant. Designer Whey also claims to be better tasting and easier to mix than cheaper whey protein formulations. For the price it may or may not be worth it. Two pounds retails for about $40, which translates into about 55 cents per scoop and three cents per gram of protein. Designer Whey is not the most expensive whey protein on the market, but it's not the cheapest either.