The Point of Protein Shakes

michaelisthin

I asked the same question of a friend of mine who is head nutritionist at a local hospital. I questioned whether I should be doing it too, because everyone at my gym is always "shake shake shake" after their workout. Seriously there is sometimes a long line of people filling their shake bottles at the cooler. She told me that the protein after a work-out is supposed to help the body repair the "tears" to the muscle fibre that occur during exercise, particularly weight lifting. It is this tear-and-repair the effectively makes muscles "bulk up". Her view though were that unless you are an Olympic type weight-lifter in training, lifting big and serious weights, you will get very little from it. Her view was that after the average gym work out, a glass of chocolate milk has exactly the same impact, and is a hell of a lot cheaper.

So simply the only people who really benefit from protein shakes are Olympic weight lifters, and of course protein shake companies, so have a glass of milk!

sassyjae21

I thought the point of protein shakes was to increase ones protein.

You seemed to have missed the part where I said "Besides the obvious".

What I am wondering, which most of you have answered, was whether or not people take them to bulk up (more protein), or because they are lacking it in other areas.

Thanks, everyone!

The obvious answer is the only answer - to help those meet their protein macro. If you want to "bulk up" that'd require you to eat at a calorie surplus.

Obvious question has obvious answer :laugh:

Guess it wouldn't be a normal thread if some troll didn't come out from under their bridge.

I wanted to know if people took them to bulk, and if that's all it took was extra protein.Thanks for the helpful answers

sassyjae21

I asked the same question of a friend of mine who is head nutritionist at a local hospital. I questioned whether I should be doing it too, because everyone at my gym is always "shake shake shake" after their workout. Seriously there is sometimes a long line of people filling their shake bottles at the cooler. She told me that the protein after a work-out is supposed to help the body repair the "tears" to the muscle fibre that occur during exercise, particularly weight lifting. It is this tear-and-repair the effectively makes muscles "bulk up". Her view though were that unless you are an Olympic type weight-lifter in training, lifting big and serious weights, you will get very little from it. Her view was that after the average gym work out, a glass of chocolate milk has exactly the same impact, and is a hell of a lot cheaper.

So simply the only people who really benefit from protein shakes are Olympic weight lifters, and of course protein shake companies, so have a glass of milk!

Wow, that's very interesting.

PikaKnight

I thought the point of protein shakes was to increase ones protein.

You seemed to have missed the part where I said "Besides the obvious".

What I am wondering, which most of you have answered, was whether or not people take them to bulk up (more protein), or because they are lacking it in other areas.

Thanks, everyone!

The obvious answer is the only answer - to help those meet their protein macro. If you want to "bulk up" that'd require you to eat at a calorie surplus.

Obvious question has obvious answer :laugh:

Guess it wouldn't be a normal thread if some troll didn't come out from under their bridge.

I wanted to know if people took them to bulk, and if that's all it took was extra protein.Thanks for the helpful answers

I don't think you understand what a troll is.

sassyjae21

I thought the point of protein shakes was to increase ones protein.

You seemed to have missed the part where I said "Besides the obvious".

What I am wondering, which most of you have answered, was whether or not people take them to bulk up (more protein), or because they are lacking it in other areas.

Thanks, everyone!

The obvious answer is the only answer - to help those meet their protein macro. If you want to "bulk up" that'd require you to eat at a calorie surplus.

Obvious question has obvious answer :laugh:

Guess it wouldn't be a normal thread if some troll didn't come out from under their bridge.

I wanted to know if people took them to bulk, and if that's all it took was extra protein.Thanks for the helpful answers

I don't think you understand what a troll is.

Actually, I do. But thank you anyway

randomtai

I thought the point of protein shakes was to increase ones protein.

You seemed to have missed the part where I said "Besides the obvious".

What I am wondering, which most of you have answered, was whether or not people take them to bulk up (more protein), or because they are lacking it in other areas.

Thanks, everyone!

The obvious answer is the only answer - to help those meet their protein macro. If you want to "bulk up" that'd require you to eat at a calorie surplus.

Obvious question has obvious answer :laugh:

Guess it wouldn't be a normal thread if some troll didn't come out from under their bridge.

I wanted to know if people took them to bulk, and if that's all it took was extra protein.Thanks for the helpful answers

I don't think you understand what a troll is.

Actually, I do. But thank you anyway

Um k. :laugh:

Jersey_Devil

I asked the same question of a friend of mine who is head nutritionist at a local hospital. I questioned whether I should be doing it too, because everyone at my gym is always "shake shake shake" after their workout. Seriously there is sometimes a long line of people filling their shake bottles at the cooler. She told me that the protein after a work-out is supposed to help the body repair the "tears" to the muscle fibre that occur during exercise, particularly weight lifting. It is this tear-and-repair the effectively makes muscles "bulk up". Her view though were that unless you are an Olympic type weight-lifter in training, lifting big and serious weights, you will get very little from it. Her view was that after the average gym work out, a glass of chocolate milk has exactly the same impact, and is a hell of a lot cheaper.

So simply the only people who really benefit from protein shakes are Olympic weight lifters, and of course protein shake companies, so have a glass of milk!

Wow, that's very interesting.

might be interesting, but it's also wrong.

neanderthin

I asked the same question of a friend of mine who is head nutritionist at a local hospital. I questioned whether I should be doing it too, because everyone at my gym is always "shake shake shake" after their workout. Seriously there is sometimes a long line of people filling their shake bottles at the cooler. She told me that the protein after a work-out is supposed to help the body repair the "tears" to the muscle fibre that occur during exercise, particularly weight lifting. It is this tear-and-repair the effectively makes muscles "bulk up". Her view though were that unless you are an Olympic type weight-lifter in training, lifting big and serious weights, you will get very little from it. Her view was that after the average gym work out, a glass of chocolate milk has exactly the same impact, and is a hell of a lot cheaper.

So simply the only people who really benefit from protein shakes are Olympic weight lifters, and of course protein shake companies, so have a glass of milk!

Wow, that's very interesting.

might be interesting, but it's also wrong.

Nothing inherently beneficial consuming protein supplements. Food including milk does the same thing.

ninerbuff

To supplement their protein intake. Some people need to do that. Personally I don't drink shakes because I have no problem getting enough protein. No right or wrong as long as shakes aren't using most of someones daily calorie allotment.

THIS. Sometimes I don't want to add in extra meat so I'll have a protein shake instead.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

MommaChocoLatte

I do fruit/yogurt smoothies a couple times a week because I dont always get to eat breakfast before work (get up at 0430) and most days I dont get time to pack my lunch. Or I just plain forget and I dont get enough time to leave work for lunch. I add a scoop of protein powder to my smoothies and it helps supplement my protein intake. It also helps me stay full throughout the day... two birds

Jersey_Devil

I asked the same question of a friend of mine who is head nutritionist at a local hospital. I questioned whether I should be doing it too, because everyone at my gym is always "shake shake shake" after their workout. Seriously there is sometimes a long line of people filling their shake bottles at the cooler. She told me that the protein after a work-out is supposed to help the body repair the "tears" to the muscle fibre that occur during exercise, particularly weight lifting. It is this tear-and-repair the effectively makes muscles "bulk up". Her view though were that unless you are an Olympic type weight-lifter in training, lifting big and serious weights, you will get very little from it. Her view was that after the average gym work out, a glass of chocolate milk has exactly the same impact, and is a hell of a lot cheaper.

So simply the only people who really benefit from protein shakes are Olympic weight lifters, and of course protein shake companies, so have a glass of milk!

Wow, that's very interesting.

might be interesting, but it's also wrong.

Nothing inherently beneficial consuming protein supplements. Food including milk does the same thing.

Again- not true. I do agree milk is a source of protein- but that is all we will agree on. lol

tigersword

I asked the same question of a friend of mine who is head nutritionist at a local hospital. I questioned whether I should be doing it too, because everyone at my gym is always "shake shake shake" after their workout. Seriously there is sometimes a long line of people filling their shake bottles at the cooler. She told me that the protein after a work-out is supposed to help the body repair the "tears" to the muscle fibre that occur during exercise, particularly weight lifting. It is this tear-and-repair the effectively makes muscles "bulk up". Her view though were that unless you are an Olympic type weight-lifter in training, lifting big and serious weights, you will get very little from it. Her view was that after the average gym work out, a glass of chocolate milk has exactly the same impact, and is a hell of a lot cheaper.

So simply the only people who really benefit from protein shakes are Olympic weight lifters, and of course protein shake companies, so have a glass of milk!

Wow, that's very interesting.

might be interesting, but it's also wrong.

Which part is wrong? The post exercise window? I agree. Alan Aragon and Brad Schoenfeld have pretty much proved that the post exercise window is mostly myth, and hitting daily nutrient totals is really all that matters.

As for protein powder, it's a personal preference to help you reach your daily protein intake. Sometimes I need a shake to hit my goal, some days I do it with food, depends on the menu for the day.

allaboutthecake

I like pancakes. A lot. But the traditional recipe of pancakes makes me go into a vegetated coma-like sugar crash (*think* napping several hours.) So....I make my pancakes without sugar and add a scoop of cinnamon protein powder. For whatever reason, my body can process this combination without giving me that intense energy drop. It stays with me all morning till lunch (unless am hitting a massive calorie burn while biking). So I can chow down on pancakes and then go about my day without being ravenous 3 hours later.

I also like icey-cold drinks in the dead of hot summer. I found a yummy protein drink that I mix with milk, ice, a bit more dutch cocoa, and whiz it in the Vitamix. That stays with me all afternoon and then some. So if I really not in the mood to cook, heat up, or otherwise stop whatever it is in my busy life, then I don't really have to. Plus, it makes me feel like I'm cheating cuz honestly it tastes and looks just like a thick chocolate shake

So for me anyways, protein powder works a bit differently in my menu.

:drinker:

PikaKnight

I asked the same question of a friend of mine who is head nutritionist at a local hospital. I questioned whether I should be doing it too, because everyone at my gym is always "shake shake shake" after their workout. Seriously there is sometimes a long line of people filling their shake bottles at the cooler. She told me that the protein after a work-out is supposed to help the body repair the "tears" to the muscle fibre that occur during exercise, particularly weight lifting. It is this tear-and-repair the effectively makes muscles "bulk up". Her view though were that unless you are an Olympic type weight-lifter in training, lifting big and serious weights, you will get very little from it. Her view was that after the average gym work out, a glass of chocolate milk has exactly the same impact, and is a hell of a lot cheaper.

So simply the only people who really benefit from protein shakes are Olympic weight lifters, and of course protein shake companies, so have a glass of milk!

Wow, that's very interesting.

might be interesting, but it's also wrong.

Which part is wrong? The post exercise window? I agree. Alan Aragon and Brad Schoenfeld have pretty much proved that the post exercise window is mostly myth, and hitting daily nutrient totals is really all that matters.

As for protein powder, it's a personal preference to help you reach your daily protein intake. Sometimes I need a shake to hit my goal, some days I do it with food, depends on the menu for the day.

I think this is the study you might be referring to (?)...pulled it from ETP :laugh:

http://www.jissn.com/content/pdf/1550-2783-10-5.pdf

tigersword

It's also on pubmed, Aragon also has a link from his blog. It's a fun read, my eyes only glazed over once. :laugh:

I like how the recommendations pretty much boiled down to "eat before and after you work out, at least a couple hours before, and a couple hours after, whenever you feel like it."