Protien Shakes - When to start taking them

Kitejumper

Kitejumper

Kitejumper

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Joined
28 Apr 2003
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Welsh Riviera - Swansea
Hi all,

I know this has been debated long and hard but my question is based upon my own situation.

I currently ride my hybird bike daily for a 12mile return commute. It mostly cycle path and only a short section is on the road. I use endomundo pro to track my efforts as great motivatinal tool i.e in " beat yourself mode ". My 6 mile commue in takes about 24ish minutes and I am always pushing myself to shave that extra 10 seconds of my best times there and back ( peaking now as my ave time is quite conistent (. I burn about 380 calories each way and generally enjoy it and feel great after, if my commute was longer would go longer.

I also go to the gym and go for 5k runs fairly regulary and then a 30 min weights work out. This session is generally more taxing on me but that is to be expected.

slowly increase fitness and lose fat and this is being acheived. I enjoy food and have a healthy balanced diet.

So do i need to take taking recovery / protein shakes for recovery after my commute ? I have started takening one after the run and gym session as it been a good workout for 90 mins, but am I benefitting from say taking a shake after my commute in ?

I dont overtrain and generally my legs feel ok each morning!

What do you guys think ?

Chees

KJ
 
Have you worked out roughly how much protein you need? Can you hit this number easily through your normal diet?
If the answer to both is yes then there's no need for shakes, they're not magic at the end of the day just extra easy to get protein.
 
I don't think you really need to take protein shakes - just eat well and get some good carbs in you to give you energy for your cycling and you should be fine.

You have a healthy balanced diet - and you're not feeling exhausted or in pain - so it sounds as though you need not add anything.
 
I've not worked out what I need protein wise. Can you point me in the right direction to work it out. ?

I suppose I am looking for a quick fix to get the protein in after the workout but as i do have a healthy diet ( the joys of being married to a veggie chef and home economist ) without having to go down the darkside of measuring food.

Either way the endoprhine release is great!

KJ
 
AS FreeFaller pointed out, almost everybody who takes protein shakes does not need them.

The only people who show defined benefits from protein supplementation over an appropriate diet are those who are over 50 and those who have suffered injury/trauma and are in recovery.

In your situation, the only kind of supplement that might have an effect is l-glutamine and (this will definitely do something) caffeine, as glutamine is preferentially oxidised instead of muscle protein when cutting fat (i.e. in a calorie deficit), and caffeine inhibits the effect of prolactin (the hormone that gives exercisers that 'tired' feeling).

Protein shakes are the male equivalent of anti-ageing cream: all marketing BS and veeeeeeeeery little science to support the claimed effects.
 
As long as people realise the only thing they're going to do is bump up the levels of protein in their diet then they have completely the desired effect, it's when people expect some sort of miracle that they come away disappointed.
 
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ok thanks for the heads up, I'll carry on as normal then , which is working and I won't get sucked into the hype!
thanks for your replies all.

Cheers

KJ
 
I have a 2-scoop shake most days because it's both cheap and means I don't have to annoy others eating what amounts to 1.4kg of meat extra a week that would usually go round 4 people. I just buy the 5kg bags of unflavoured Impact Whey (just whey on it's own) from MyProtein and flavour it myself as it's the cheapest option.

Some days I don't need to take it as we'll have a roast or something and I can hit my targets without needing the powder - like others have said, it's just a source of protein, no different to eating a tin of tuna, except less filling.
 
Typically I aim for 7 shakes a day, but I recently had to drop this down to 4 as my girlfriend told me I was getting easily irritable and angry.
 
Monkee you need to keep shakes below 6, 7+ has been known to cause people to become shake-raged.
 
Ahh thanks for the advice LiE, I didn't know that. I've been trying to keep my daily protein intake at around 500g, can I drop down to 6 shakes but eat half a chicken as well?
 
MoNkeE said:
Ahh thanks for the advice LiE, I didn't know that. I've been trying to keep my daily protein intake at around 500g, can I drop down to 6 shakes but eat half a chicken as well?
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only if you sprinkle the chicken in creatine and wear it like a hat, this will stop the protein in it becoming the bad sort that causes rage.
You can also rub the chicken over your body before you eat it, this may or may not help but I do it because I like the way it feels against my skin :o
 
MoNkeE said:
Ahh thanks for the advice LiE, I didn't know that. I've been trying to keep my daily protein intake at around 500g, can I drop down to 6 shakes but eat half a chicken as well?
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Just be careful eating that much protein. In 500 grams of protein, there's about 10g of fat. Wouldn't want to get fat now would you?
 
Is it flavoured what you're using MoNkeE?

Reading a couple of Exercise and Sport Anger Psychology journals a month back and there was a review paper on the psychological effects of flavoured protein whey powders. Strawberry flavour in particular shown significant increases in anger and stress related actions. Its believed that the colouring that make its red changes hormone levels, causing more aggressive behaviour, maybe similar to what you're having!! But performance increased especially in single max rep weight in deadlifts and squats after only a few weeks training.

My advice for anyone who thinks they should get on protein powders is to work out a cycle that would be specific to you. Read some papers, especially when it comes to flavoured powders. Its a very tricky subject at the moment and should be approached with caution by anyone!
 
It is actually the strawberry stuff I use yeah. Funnily enough, I find the rage isn't as bad when I mix some Nutella in to it as it turns brown, but I'm spending £350 on protein a month as it is, I can scarcely afford the extra £150 of Nutella as well :(

Although since starting these protein powders last week, my deadlift has gone from 60kg for 60 reps to 150kg for 1 rep - that's a brilliant increase!
 
tom_e said:
only if you sprinkle the chicken in creatine and wear it like a hat, this will stop the protein in it becoming the bad sort that causes rage.
You can also rub the chicken over your body before you eat it, this may or may not help but I do it because I like the way it feels against my skin :o
Click to expand...

Does that increase the protein absorption rate? Will really help my gainz on my broceps.
 
Deception said:
Does that increase the protein absorption rate? Will really help my gainz on my broceps.
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Only if you really massage your broceps with it, or I've heard of some trials being done where they actually insert the chicken straight up your arse that's supposed to lead to celltech like gains!
 
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