Skip to content

Country

SAVE 10% OFF SITE WIDE | TRY US 100% RISK FREE

whey vs eaa powder

Essential Amino Acids (EAA) vs Whey Protein: Which one is right for me?

Once you start to make progress with your fitness and training, it is easy and frustrating to end up down a rabbit hole with the masses of information and science on how to fuel or to recover for your specific sport or goal.

The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) reveals that 43 per cent of adults surveyed admit that they find it difficult to find reliable information on healthy diets, with changing information, messages, and advice from media and experts being the biggest causes for the confusion.

Our focus at Amino is to help our athletes and members make smarter more informed choices around these decisions, taking seemingly complex information and distilling it down into a simple format.


EAA or Whey protein? 

Which is better to recover from training sessions?

One common question we often get asked is whether ‘it’s better to use EAA or Whey protein to recover from training sessions?’

There is in fact no right answer. It actually comes down to what works best for the individual in their specific situation and training goals.

Whole proteins like whey have pros and cons just as free form amino acids like EAA has pros and cons.

The key is to recognise that to get the most from your training, you need to be using one or the other or even in some situations both.

Essential Amino Acids (EAA) vs. Whey Protein

To help you try and figure out what the best option might for you we've outlined some pros and cons along with some use cases based on what goal you might be looking to achieve.

Amino Acids vs Whey Protein

Whey Protein

PROS

CONS

Whey is a complete protein source so great for recovery
Whey is inflammatory 
Spikes insulin so is good for post-training (Insulinogenic)
Spikes insulin so bad for snacking (Insulinogenic)
Tolerated well by young or healthy digestive systems
Whey may not be tolerated well for people with digestive issues
Cheaper than EAA
Not good for athletes and sportspeople as may cause digestion issues
Higher in calories (great if you're building muscle)
Not vegan (plant-based)
Higher in calories (not great if you're cutting)

    Essential Amino Acids

     PROS
    CONS
    Fastest absorption
    Low calorie (if you're aim is to gain muscle)
    No digestion needed
    Used and cleared rapidly in comparison to whey 
    EAA is non-inflammatory
    More expensive than Whey
    Great for older athletes as digestion and assimilation is less efficient as we age
    Great for athletes as no digestion issues 
    Can be vegan (plant-based)
    Low calorie (if you're cutting)

      What works best for your situation?

      I want to get Leaner 

      If your goal is to decrease your body fat stores the key area of focus should be calories manipulation and restriction. Apps like myfitnesspal do a great job at helping you to track this, but one of the issues with calorie restriction over time is that it can eat away at your muscle tissues, so not only will you be losing fat but you will also be burning muscle. Amino acids are low in calories but prevent this muscle wasting and make your fat loss more effective. Whey protein can also be useful but the extra calories and slower digestion must be considered as part of the whole daily macro intake. 

      Winner: EAA 

      Find out more how our Amino Recovery (EAA) Powder can fit into your routine. 

      I want to get Bigger

      If you are looking to build muscle then having an excess supply of calories in your diet and appropriate amino acids during your workout is essential, to begin the repair and recovery process. Calories will come in the form of diet that you put in place around your training and so you won’t grow unless you provide enough energy for the building process. As long as this is surplus you will be on your way to your goals. 

      EAA provides the fastest way to get amino acids to the working units but should be used alongside carbohydrate or sugars to promote an insulin spike. Also, it must be taken into account that EAA has fewer calories so this needs to be made up for somewhere else in the diet.

      Whey will spike insulin and provide a slower in comparison release to EAA but it also contains more calories which are crucial to your goal. 

      Winner: Whey protein or EAA (Personal preference) 


      I am looking to optimise my health 

      If you’re training to optimise your health then free form essential amino acids (EAA) are the route to go as one of the main issues we are looking to improve in a health optimisation program is to decrease inflammation in the body and free form EAA does this while whey protein does the opposite, it increases it. 

      As you may know, a lot of disease and negative health consequences are fuelled in an inflammatory state and so to improve the body's inflammatory status, choosing low inflammatory options wins. If you are looking to manage inflammation and get the most from recovery, then EAA is 100% the best option for you. 

      Winner: EAA

      Find out more how our Amino Recovery (EAA) Powder can fit into your routine.

       

      I’m an athlete and looking to improve my Performance 

      Athletes and sportspeople are looking to get the quickest and best recovery possible so that they see improvements in performance from session to session. There are three main categories of performance. Power, endurance and intermittent sprint.  

      POWER ATHLETES (SPRINTING, LIFTING)

      Power athletes are looking to get the maximum out of their recovery so they can see power/strength and speed improvements between sessions. Because of the nature of the training muscle tissue damage levels can be high and so having an appropriate amount of amino acids is critical to begin and support the recovery process. Both Whey and EAA are viable options here and it comes down to preference. EAA provides faster absorption and fewer digestion issues during long training sessions. 

      Winner: EAA or Whey  (Personal preference)

       

      ENDURANCE ATHLETES (5K, MARATHON, ENDURANCE CYCLING)

      Endurance athletes predominantly focus on fuelling their workouts with different forms of carbohydrate but in regards to body recovery, they have to take into account a few factors. Firstly muscle wastage is higher in these types of events due to the volume of energy expenditure and cortisol release which burns through muscle easily, so to preserve muscle mass amino acids are a must to stop muscle wastage. One of the issues for protein in this is that due to lack of blood being delivered to the stomach during the workout digestion can be a severe issue for this category of athletes and provide problems like bloating and stomach cramps. EAA is definitely the best option. 

      Winner: EAA

      Find out more how our Amino Recovery (EAA) Powder can fit into your routine.

       

      INTERMITTENT SPRINT SPORTS (COMBAT, FOOTBALL, RUGBY)

      Intermittent sprint sports have to take into account fuelling but also body recovery elements to allow them to make it through their long training and competition seasons. EAA is more effective to have in water bottles and can be used during training and competition when on the pitch or in the ring. Because there is no digestion needed there is no stomach discomfort or thick shake that needs to be consumed. 

      Winner: EAA or Whey (Personal preference)


      I’m getting older and but still want to perform

      If you are looking to fight off ageing and want to get the most from your recovery, EAA is the winner hands down. One of the main reasons sarcopenia or the age-related waste of muscle is so prevalent is the fact that we lose muscle at the rate of 0.5% a year after the age of 30, a lot of this is because we don’t digest and assimilate our dietary protein effectively, due to effects like decreased stomach acid production amongst other reasons. Amino acids skip the digestion stage and are readily available for use and are a must consider for older athletes. 

      Winner: EAA

      Find out more how our Amino Recovery (EAA) Powder can fit into your routine.

       

      What's your fitness goal?

      Whether you're looking to optimise your health, lose weight or build muscle, our blog and newsletter has practical tips to help you achieve your goals. Sign up today and get 10% off your first order.


       

      Take Away

      The takeaway is that both EAA and whey protein have their uses and it comes down to personal situation and preference of the athlete depending on which one you would choose.

      If your interested to give EAA a go, use the product links at the bottom to see our product and taster packs.

      Hopefully, the information above has helped you make an informed decision about this problem and if you have any specific questions, drop the team and email at info@drinkamino.com with your personal situation and one of the coaches will get back to you.

       

      Older Post
      Newer Post

      Blog posts

      Mar 1, 2023

      A Muscle Builder's Guide to Bulking and Cutting

      Ready to take your muscle-building game to the next level? Introducing a bulk and cut cycle could be the key to achieving your goals. But how do you do it right? Our comprehensive guide to bulking and cutting will provide you with everything you need to know. From understanding the science behind the cycle to practical tips for success, this guide will help you make the most of this popular muscle-building technique. Don't miss out on the gains – read on now!

      Jan 15, 2023

      Could Gut Health (and Exercise) Be the Secret to Healthy Ageing?

      Want to find out if keeping your gut healthy can keep you strong as you age? Read on to find out the science behind i...

      Dec 21, 2022

      Can Intermittent Fasting Help with Weight Loss?

      If you're looking for a way to get serious about weight loss, intermittent fasting might be the answer. It's becoming increasingly popular among fitness enthusiasts as an effective way to shed extra pounds. But is it really that straightforward? In this blog post, we'll dive into the science behind intermittent fasting and uncover whether or not it can truly help with your weight-loss goals.
      Close (esc)

      Popup

      Use this popup to embed a mailing list sign up form. Alternatively use it as a simple call to action with a link to a product or a page.

      Age verification

      By clicking enter you are verifying that you are old enough to consume alcohol.

      Your cart is currently empty.
      Shop now