Future Whey is our Amazing Vegan Protein Drink

How whey protein became a bodybuilder’s best friend

For the last 10 to 20 years, whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrate have been the staples of bodybuilders. Whey protein (which is manufactured alongside the cheese-making process) starts off with cow’s milk and is high in protein, low in fats and carbohydrates and once flavoured, tastes great.

Most importantly, whey protein has been proven in hundreds of studies where it has been shown to build muscle and aid recovery. This is true for bodybuilders, athletes and the general population.

However, whey protein isn’t the only source of protein powder available. But it is the best researched, and because of its quality amino acid profile (high levels of BCAAs and EAAs) it has always been considered one of the best sources of protein.

The rise of vegetable-based proteins

In recent years, there has been an emerging trend of vegetable-based proteins gathering momentum in the market. At Bulk Nutrients (where we have more than our fair share of vegan/vegetarian staff) we’ve been at the forefront of this movement with Earth Protein, and that really excites us.

Over the years we’ve been sourcing more nutritious, functional and (most importantly) better-tasting Soy, Pea and Rice proteins. In addition to this, the vegetable-based protein industry has come on in leaps and bounds through better processing methods.

Long-standing Bulk Nutrients customers would have welcomed the continual development of our vegan/vegetarian-friendly protein range and we know through feedback, customers are loving our latest offerings.

They’re more nutritious than ever before, completely natural and most of all, much more functional from a taste and mix-ability perspective.

Switching from whey proteins to alternatives

There are various reasons why some people have moved away from whey.

Whey is dairy-based and an increasing number of people have chosen to remove dairy from their diets. This is often caused by lactose sensitivity, very occasional allergies to dairy and more commonly a preference for a more easily digestible, non-animal based product.

Whether it’s a perceived health benefit or a concern for the ethical treatment of animals, more people are looking for non-dairy proteins, and are finding awesome alternatives with products like our Earth Protein.

Player three has entered the game…

While proteins like rice, pea and soy are becoming popular, there have been some interesting developments in other areas which we have been busy exploring.

We already sell Glutamine, BCAAs and EAAs as individual raw goods (you may already take these, as we’ve been selling them for ages).

While proteins like whey, soy, pea and rice are made up of a variety of amino acids, we’ve been tinkering with formulas that include all necessary BCAAs, EAAs and other conditional amino acids which match (and exceed) anything that nature can provide.

There are several challenges to doing this though. Historically free form amino acids have been very hard to flavour (you’ll know this is you’ve ever gagged on raw BCAAs) and are much more expensive than regular protein sources.

The results of this R&D has culminated in a brand new product, unlike anything the Australian market has seen before… Future Whey.

Timing is everything and it’s Future Whey time

Several factors have come together in recent times which we believe make now the perfect time for Future Whey.

Dairy pricing has continued to fluctuate, amino acids have become more functional and affordable. Most importantly, the Bulk R&D team have continued to refine their development skills, and we’ve worked collaboratively with our flavour developers in finding the best methods for formulating a delicious amino-based beverage.

While many manufacturers already offer small dosed EAA-type products which can be used during training, these are usually only suitable in 5 – 8g doses, which means they can’t be used as a real whey protein alternative.

Okay, so tell me about Future Whey

Bulk Nutrients’ Future Whey has had one of our longest development cycles ever – around 18 months.

It’s a completely new way to take protein, ideal at any time of the day with a unique 25 gram serve. Perhaps the biggest benefit of Future Whey is its huge 90% protein content, as well as the fact it contains zero fats and carbs. It also contains no lactose and is 100% dairy free.

When we began developing Future Whey, we started with a blank slate. Unlike whey and vegetable-based protein sources where the amino acid ratios are set, Future Whey’s blank slate allowed us to completely tailor the ratios based on proven research for the optimum level of muscle growth and recovery.

Critically, a 25 gram serve of Future Whey contains the same level of total EAAs as in a 30 gram serve of WPI, however, it delivers higher levels of BCAAs.

Most importantly, Future Whey contains 5 grams of L Glutamine per serve, in comparison to less effective Glutamic Acid which is present in whey protein. The remaining blend of Future Whey is a combination of non-essential free-form amino acids, meaning Future Whey contains a total of 15 amino acids.

What does the science say about Future Whey?

Future Whey has been developed in collaboration with a biochemist after countless hours of internal and external research.

The most interesting value of the research was looking at the efficiency of whey protein when compared to a much smaller serving of Essential Amino Acids (EAAs). Here, several studies suggested the key level of EAAs was between 10 and 12 grams. And when these smaller serves of EAAs were compared to a much higher dose of whey based protein (with similar EAA levels), the results were very similar.

From here we looked at individual non-essential amino acids and other benefits they provide, such as Glutamine in the support of immune function, as well as Glycine’s role in the synthesis of Creatine. Citrulline (in the form of Citrulline Malate) is also incorporated for its effect on vasodilation and on circulating Arginine (where it is more effective than Arginine itself!).

The key to the 25 gram dose was that we’re conscious of the total daily protein requirements of individuals and that we wanted to make the product as close to a 1:1 replacement for whey as possible.

How is Future Whey Different to Protein Water?

We’re glad you asked! We’ve referred to Future Whey as a protein water in the past, because in some ways it is – a clear protein water, flavoured and mixed with water.

However our Protein Water has its protein derived from collagen and WPI, while Future Whey is derived from an essential amino acid blend.

While both have their similarities, they definitely have their differences!

So, is Future Whey a replacement for whey?

We’ll leave that decision up to you; however, we’re extremely excited about the flexibility of Future Whey.

It has a clean, refreshing taste (with incredible launch flavours, Cola and Lemonade) which give a welcome change to milky whey-based flavours. This makes it slightly less useful in a smoothie, but infinitely better when it’s hot and you’ve been sweating like crazy (especially if you throw some ice in your shaker).

Future Whey is equally useful for hardcore bodybuilders after completing a superset, HIIT based athletes smashing out some hard paced aerobic activity or endurance athletes who are under the scorching sun all day long.

We expect many people will use Future Whey as an additional protein source – alongside whey or a vegetable based protein.

Functionally, it’s a rapidly absorbing protein so it’s an excellent choice around training time (pre, intra or post). Given the rapid absorption time, it would not be the best choice directly before bed when a slower absorbing, or even higher fat protein source is ideal.

We see a very exciting use for Future Whey by those dieting and doing competition preparation, as it’s here where many people eliminate whey. Anyone who has issues with dairy and finds stomach discomfort a problem will likely love Future Whey too.

I’m convinced, how do I get my hands on Future Whey?

That’s the easy part, simply head to our Future Whey page and place an order... or grab a free sample here first.