Why is my Clear Whey Foamy?

It’s pretty standard to see foam in beverages such as milk and coffees, but what about your Clear Whey?

Foam or froth forms when small gas particles get trapped in a liquid creating a mass of aerated micro-bubbles. Fans of whey protein often grumble that adding water to their protein powder in their shaker and giving it a vigorous shake results in a frothy/foamy protein shake that takes several minutes to settle. This is perfectly normal, and you should not be worried about it at all. It is not a bad indication, in fact, foaming tends to indicate purity and quality. Protein powders that contain artificial additives and/or thickeners tend to produce less foam. Whilst initially it might not look the most appealing, the foam is actually harmless and should settle over time. It does not affect the nutritional content of the protein in any way.

So, what is the science behind the foam? Proteins contain long chains of amino acids bound together by peptide bonds. They have both water-loving (hydrophilic) and water-repelling (hydrophobic) characteristics. When the whey protein is stirred vigorously it causes the peptide bonds to loosen. As the protein chains unfold and the bonds are exposed to air, hydrophobic ends reach for air and hydrophilic ends remain in the water. This causes the proteins to form a coagulated structure that traps air bubbles within your shake, this is the foam that gets pushed to the surface.

Some simple tips that may help prevent excessive froth formation include –

• Using a glass and spoon to stir the protein powder rather than a shaker or blender. Agitation such as shaking or blending tends to increase the amount of air incorporated into the liquid which results in more foam.
• Use less water initially to mix the protein powder then you can add more water as it mixes to avoid so much foam.
• Avoid mixing the whole protein powder scoop with water in one go and mix in the powder little by little.

Another tip would be to prepare your protein shake in advance of your workout, by the time you have finished your training the foam will have had plenty of time to settle, and it will be the perfect post workout nutrition.