Alameda Runners – Get After It!

Marketed as a “whey protein with purpose,” I decided to try the BiPro whey protein isolate after a six-mile jog around Bay Farm Island today.  I’m used to trying different whey protein products, but have always stuck with flavored whey protein (and now I remember why).

I don’t recall how we stumbled upon these BiPro samples, but we both ended up with a sample packet of the Original BiPro (natural unflavored) whey protein mix.  Before I mention the nutritional benefits of BiPro, I want to be perfectly clear here:  unflavored whey protein mix is bad!  I think it’s disgusting, foul, and rather gross … and I’m not going to drink it again.

The BiPro packet we received is to be mixed with 8 ounces of water, skim milk, or whatever else you need.  A single 22-gram serving has 80 calories, 0 calories from fat, 20g protein, 28mg calcium, 170 mg sodium, and 15mg potassium.

The sample pack has the following printed on the back:

“Pure, natural BiPro is the ultimate whey protein isolate for athletes who want to build or maintain muscle mass.  Unlike other products, BiPro contains no protein blends or unwanted ingredients.  Purified through a selective ion exchange process, BiPro contains all of the essential amino acids, and is rich in branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), which are metabolized directly and absorbed quickly into muscle tissue.  No carbs, no fat, no sugar, no lactose, no artificial flavors.  BiPro is the original whey protein isolate — the only choice for serious athletes.”

A 2-lb. jug is available for $34.99.

I’m a firm believer in drinking some kind of recovery drink, especially after hard workouts.  To put it in perspective, a 55 gram scoop of Optimum Nutrition 2:1:1 Recovery formula has 210 calories, 0 calories from fat, 18grams sugar, and 17 grams of protein.

I just can’t drink unflavored whey protein — I have a hard enough time drinking vanilla, chocolate, or rocky road.  They are hard to get down when mixed with milk.  I like the ingredients (and the amount of ingredients) in the BiPro packet, but the unflavored whey protein is just downright disgusting.

If you mix whey protein into your smoothies, milkshakes, or don’t mind the taste of unflavored whey, I’d recommend checking out BiPro.  The BiPro FAQ page is available here, so I recommend reading it over and deciding for yourself.

The ability to connect with professional athletes to learn about their training methods and habits can be extremely beneficial.  Ultrarunner Josh Cox is well known on Twitter and Facebook, as he maintains a very strong Web 2.0 following that includes thousands of endurance athletes.

For all triathletes out there, I’d recommend stopping by the official Team Timex Blog, which can be found here.  The company invites readers to briefly enter the lives of professional triathletes who blog about race preparation, workouts, post-race reports, and other interesting reading material.  (Recent race reports include Tim Hola’s Wildflower Double and Bruce Gennari’s St. Anthony’s Tri report.)

I think it’s great to see pro athletes share their experiences, as very few people know what it’s like to compete at their level.  It’s also neat to see what kind of training they do before events, so we can borrow certain workout ideas and techniques.

Enjoy!