Thread: protein supplement

does anybody here use a protein supplement in their diet? i had never thought about adding this to my workouts but recently my sister started using it in hers and she THINKS it's working for her. anybody have some thoughts on this?

My opinion is it's a waste of money unless you want to compete in bodybuilding competitions. Just get plenty of protein in your diet and you won't need to waste the extra money on the supplements.

i have always heard that for good consistant muscle growth you need 1 gram protein for every pound of bodyweight so, 170 lbs=170 grams protein per day. if you pay attention to your diet it is extremely hard to get this much without a supplement. i say, go for it, there cheap. oh, and to answer your question, yeah, i've used them off and on for years, not to "get huge" or anything just an easy way to add low calorie protein to your diet, cheaper than steak or chicken.

i agree with dog, you need a lot of protein for you to see results, another thing that i do that helps is have a protein shake with every meal, helps for gaining weight too...

Any time you have a HEAVY workout in the gym, on the hill, mt biking, etc. you should load on protein within the first 30 minutes after the workout in order to shorten the recovery period and build muscle. If you have no way of doing that with a standard diet, take a protein bar or shake. I know it sounds like overkill but it works. I have seen athletes grow in strength and power very quickly with this protocol. I have to admit that I don't follow it as often as the benefit exists but I know that it works.

ColdSmoke educated me a few years ago about just how much men start losing muscle mass in their late twenties (he follows all this health stuff).
I've been supplementing 80-120 gms of protein daily ever since...not necessarily to build anything up, just to try and offset some of the loss. He and his brother are definite proof of how much it helps if you work out as you supplement.

costco sells 6 pounds of the powder for much less than GNC or any other supplement store

Do you have problems with weight gain when you use the supplements? That's stuff's gotta have some serious calories. If you're working out a lot you can probably offset it, otherwise it seems like you'll gain weight. Maybe that's something you want, maybe it isn't.

Yep, these guys are right...use it. You have a 30 minute window after a workout. Load up with a high quality whey protein, post workout. You should also eat a couple times(high protein) in the next 8 hours, your body/muscles are still craving(needing) protein for about that long afterwards(chicken, turkey, lean beef, etc.). The shakes have such a pure, refined source of protein, it goes through your system pretty quick. 1-1 1/2 grams per pound of lean body mass is the general rule, depends on how much gain you are looking for. Don't forget carbs right after as well, you have about 15 minutes to load back up, otherwise it can take up to 3 days. Muscle & Fitness mag. has some great(but biased) info on diets, imo.

Originally posted by The AD
Do you have problems with weight gain when you use the supplements?

That depends on a number of factors. The main factor is the amount of carbs you ingest. Your question is almost too complicated to answer here without lots more information but here is a general rule: protein intake is not going to put on a lot of fat unless you take in more carbs than you burn in an average day. A high protein diet is generally good with carbs added in the amount of daily burn only. If you are trying to loose fat, lower your carb intake. If you are an aerobic athlete carbo load.

Which bars/shakes taste the best?

Originally posted by The AD
Do you have problems with weight gain when you use the supplements? That's stuff's gotta have some serious calories.

Not really. That's what's so great about a good quality protein supplement. I've been taking appx 40 gms of protein in the morning and then 40-80 again at night for about 3 years.
My weight has stayed about the same the whole time (still heavier than I really want to be but I seem to be stuck at this weight).
40 gms of this mostly whey isolate and concentrate has 200 calories, 6gms of carbs, high in BCAA's, and less than 4gms of fat.
I also eat 3/4 cup of salt-free, natural pecans and whole almonds nearly every day. And 4gms of fish oil and Udo's Choice oil (sometimes flax seed to change things up a little). And a whole bunch of other stuff not related to this question.

sweet, thanks for the responses. i think i'm going to go ahead and try the stuff and see what happens. i dont' really have much to lose and hopefully will have some to gain from it.

This would have been some great info at the begining of summer when I started biking a ton. I've already bulked up a bit in my legs, I can only imagine where I would have been at with more protein. Looks like I'm going to go shopping tomorrow, still some fall left to get some good biking in.

This is a jongish question, but I assume there isn't any problem injesting protein during a workout, ie lunch is there?

BIG STEAKS

a good site to get this stuff wholesale: www.dpsnutrition.com

Originally posted by Omen
Which bars/shakes taste the best?

subjective i guess, but i used to like the promax cookies and cream bars. as far as shakes go, pretty much any of the chocalate ones, and you can dress them up (bananas, strawberries,etc.) as much as you like.

I supplement whey protein vs. soy protein after my workout. It may be psychological but it seems to help with the soreness. I can't say I have increased in size too much vs not using a protein supplement.

As far as which product is the best from everything I read and all the people I talked to the constant theme I got was "protein is protein is protein". Most of the protein powders out there are virtually the same with the exception of taste and other additives. The biggest determining factors for me is price and taste. I generally stick with GNC brand. I can get two 6 lbs. tubs of whey protein for around 50 bucks with a GNC card.

Originally posted by Viva
More useless trivia: 1 calorie is the amount of heat required to bring a certain amount (forgot how much) of water to boil at sea level.

1 ml

Also, there is a debate on the benefits of whey v. soy. Soy protien contains some chemiclas that fall into a catagory known as "phyto-estrogens."

Basically, there is some research that indicates that these phytoestrogens work in your body just like regular estrogens. So, if you took a whole load of soy protien (like replaced all protien in your diet with soy) and you are a guy you might have some, um. issues.

However, for the same reason, soy protien might be a better choice for the ladies.

Also, keep in mind that this stuff is completely unregulated (FDA is not involved at all.) Stay away from off-brands and read the labels!

Captain, a search of my memory files does not indicate a particular time requirement.

Originally posted by Endlessseason
Captain, a search of my memory files does not indicate a particular time requirement.

No, no time requirement. The assumption is that the 1 cal of fuel will burn completely and then it's done.

Also, remember that 1 dietary calorie is actually 1 kCal metric calorie.

Originally posted by Viva
More useless trivia: 1 calorie is the amount of heat required to bring a certain amount (forgot how much) of water to boil at sea level.

Still more trivia: Food energy is measured in kilocalories, which is abbreviated to kcalories, and nutritionists spell as "calories".

A calorie is the amount of heat necessary to raise one gram of water one degree C.

My weigh-in on supplements: some are high energy for bulking up (high carbs, high protein) and some are specifically for building muscle (high protein). You have to read the label.

Natural protein sources like chicken don't have much protein -- the chicken breasts I bought were 16% protein. If you follow the 1 gram per pound when building muscle then the 170 grams is 1,063 grams per day of chicken (2.3 pounds). That's a lot of meat to eat every day!

So I take a protein supplement that almost tastes like chocolate when I'm building muscle (running, hiking, lifing weights, etc).

sweet, some say do it and it works, some say it doesn't work. i mostly considered using it after my daily mountain bike ride or lifting. i basically was looking for something to help make my workouts as beneficial as possible. it was mentioned above that it is best to take it after a workout when your muscles need it most. i'm not gonna mess around with breakfast shakes or bars, i just want to mix the powder and down it after the workout. i still think that i am going to try it though. it was also mentioned that it does nothing after mountain biking. are there any specific products to take before or after biking that will help with the muscle endurance?

Originally posted by Mountainman
sweet, some say do it and it works, some say it doesn't work. i mostly considered using it after my daily mountain bike ride or lifting. i basically was looking for something to help make my workouts as beneficial as possible. it was mentioned above that it is best to take it after a workout when your muscles need it most. i'm not gonna mess around with breakfast shakes or bars, i just want to mix the powder and down it after the workout. i still think that i am going to try it though. it was also mentioned that it does nothing after mountain biking. are there any specific products to take before or after biking that will help with the muscle endurance?

If you desire endurance, train for endurance. For biking/running, you're better off following the training session with high carbohydrate (i.e., high glucose) rather than high protein, since you deplete muscle glucose during this type of activity. Same can be said for power excercises as well.

Thanks for the corrections, guys. I wanted to keep things simple and so stayed away from using KCal.

It's coming back, yeah, raise the temp 1 degree C...