Is protein powder necessary?...

EricJonrosh

Tom Venuto compares whey protein to real food. Very interesting.

http://www.maxmusclereviews.com/articles/supplements/protein-supplements-vs-protein-foods.html

Do we need whey protein? What's the point, other than convenience? Tell me what you think.

WomanofWorth

BUMP

lutzsher

Lots of people love it for post workouts, I do not however, I prefer to get my calories in real food personally.

robin52077

Of course it's not "necessary", but it's convenient. (For me, at least)

I am super busy and can barely find the time to work out as it is, so if I had to be chewing on meat and eggs all day I would't have the time to exercise!
I can mix a shake and take it with me if I have to run out of the house right after my workout and shower.

thkelly

in one word - NO
of course it's not necessary.
you can get your protein from food, but i find it a convenient way to get my protein at times throughout the day so if you're looking to add protein to your diet then it's a great way to do it.

EricMurano

I use them but not as my sole source of protein.

I only use them right after a weights lifting session and maybe another one an hour after that first, post workout shake.

The rest of the protein I need I get from food.

The shakes are good for fast-absorption because they're liquid. That's why I use them right after weights training and not after cardio. I need as many protein cells filling my muscles as possible while they're in that post-workout-ripped-up state.

gp79

It's a supplement. To me that means if you are not meeting your goal protein intake from whole foods...then you can take it in it's concentrated form. It's no different than a vitamin.

Convenient, yes. A total replacement for all your protein intake? No.

Lyadeia

It's just as necessary as cod fish.

Meaning, both are great sources of protein, but you don't need either one for losing weight or gaining muscle mass.

I personally use it every once in a while when I am lacking in protein for the day. I am trying to gain lean muscle mass and therefore changed my protein goals to be 1 gram of protein per pound bodyweight, which in my case is actually 35% of my total goal in calories. But, I must admit that sometimes it is hard to reach that goal since I don't want to have egg whites for breakfast everyday, and sometimes I make meatless meals like my refried bean and low fat cottage cheese enchiladas. So I will add in a protein shake to get my protein numbers up.

kerryannk

I drink shakes for breakfast. I've never cared for breakfast, and with it being so important for my metabollism, I need it. Shakes are the perfect subtitute for me, and the whey powder is significantly cheaper than slimfast of special k breakfast/protein shakes. it also has significantly less sugar.

my vote is yes

Galathea

I use it after my workouts, but only because I don't get hungry afterwards and I can just mix a shake and drink it. I try to get my protein from my meals, so the powder is just a little bonus to get closer to my daily intake goal.
Take it, if you want. Don't take it, if you don't want. Just make sure you get some protein, if from powder or meals doesn't matter that much.

EricJonrosh

Did anyone actually read the article before giving their opinions? Thanks, nonetheless.

robin52077

Did anyone actually read the article before giving their opinions? Thanks, nonetheless.

yes I did actually.

Lyadeia

Did anyone actually read the article before giving their opinions? Thanks, nonetheless.

yes I did actually.

Ditto.

WeightLossTrek

A point that they missed is that it is significantly cheaper to use Whey protein as part of a healthy diet. Having 2 scoops of Whey is cheaper than buying a 5oz piece of steak. Whey shouldn't be your only source of protein, but there are advantages to using it as a supplement.

mlebannon

NO. No no no no no no no.

The only time protein powder is ever justifiable is if you're bodybuilding. EVER. It is completely unnecessary and unhealthy. The only reason people think they need it is because the people who market that stuff are trying to make money. Period.

4theking

with it being so important for my metabollism, I need it.

Protein shake is certainly not a bad choice for breakfast but this is simply not true. Breakfast does not speed up/keep metabolism going. If you skip breakfast, scientific studies say your metabolism actually kicks up a bit. Just hate to see people misinformed.

fteale

I think most people are too hung up on protein. Most people/meat eaters eat far too much of it.

4theking

I think most people are too hung up on protein. Most people/meat eaters eat far too much of it.

Its proven to help weightloss.....how much is too much?

fteale

I think most people are too hung up on protein. Most people/meat eaters eat far too much of it.

Its proven to help weightloss.....how much is too much?

When doing sports nutrition for rowing coaching we were told most people only need a matchbox sized amount of protein per day, even when doing competitive sport. Most meat eaters have something like 3 or 4 times this amount.

kevanos

I don`t see whey protein as very different from regular food. It is the extracted protein from milk. 1 scoop is like drinking 4 cups of milk without the sugar and fat. The transformation process is a byproduct of cheese production. So it is as unnatural as cheese.

After I workout, I get changed, drive home then take a shower. that takes about 30 minutes. At that point I should consume my protein. If I had to prepare and cook my protein it could take and additional 10-40 minutes. Instead I mix a protein shake in 2 minutes. It is important to get that protein in asap after a workout, the protein powder is more than a little convinient there, it is extremely helpful.

Plus it is nice to diversify food intake. Lean proteins get rudundant after a while, the powder is another way to mix it up. It's a staple in my kitchen.

kevanos

When doing sports nutrition for rowing coaching we were told most people only need a matchbox sized amount of protein per day, even when doing competitive sport. Most meat eaters have something like 3 or 4 times this amount.

what size match box?
The little one that is 3'x2'x1', or the large one that are like 5'x3'x2'.

Also, shouldn't the matchbox size depend on the size of the rower?. A 150lbs female rower would likely need a smaller matchbox than a 200lbs male rower.

cacrat

NO. No no no no no no no.

The only time protein powder is ever justifiable is if you're bodybuilding. EVER. It is completely unnecessary and unhealthy. The only reason people think they need it is because the people who market that stuff are trying to make money. Period.

Wow. Bold, but wrong. Just like has been said by many, a protein supplement is just that, to supplement your diet with more protein. If a person, regardless of bodybuilding or not, cannot get their daily protein intake through whole foods, they can supplement their diet with the shakes. There are others as well that will use them for convenience. And like kevanos said, its just as safe as any whole food. Indeed, protein powders are made from whole foods, eg cheese. I will understand your position if you say cheese, or any other whole food used to make protein powders, are unsafe.

TurboJenn

with it being so important for my metabollism, I need it.

Protein shake is certainly not a bad choice for breakfast but this is simply not true. Breakfast does not speed up/keep metabolism going. If you skip breakfast, scientific studies say your metabolism actually kicks up a bit. Just hate to see people misinformed.

This is the first time I have heard this. Do you have a reference? I'd be really interested in reading it.

thkelly

NO. No no no no no no no.

The only time protein powder is ever justifiable is if you're bodybuilding. EVER. It is completely unnecessary and unhealthy. The only reason people think they need it is because the people who market that stuff are trying to make money. Period.

please stop posting nonsense like this on here. people are asking legitimate questions and answers like this are ignorant and make you sound like an idiot

Tree72

I definitely agree with the author of the article. Whey is not better than whole food proteins. But it's not worse either. For me it's definitely a matter of convenience. With my current goal of weight loss it's very nice to be able to get a large amount of high quality protein for relatively few calories.

Newfiedan

with it being so important for my metabollism, I need it.

Protein shake is certainly not a bad choice for breakfast but this is simply not true. Breakfast does not speed up/keep metabolism going. If you skip breakfast, scientific studies say your metabolism actually kicks up a bit. Just hate to see people misinformed.

I have to strongly disagree with you on this front. For every one study saying it is does not there is one saying it does, I know for me personally it does work, if I skip breakfast I will have much lower energy levels and feel sick. In the month that I tried skipping it i gained 8 pounds, and that was all that changed was timing of my meals. All figures were the exact same thing, then when I went back to my usual routine I lost 10 pounds in 1 month so if you are correct then there is no reason why I gained that weight or lost more when eating breakfast.

Newfiedan

to the op, interesting read, I have bookmarked it and he did bring up some good points. I do not think it is necessary and for many years I did not use one, but when I am dieting and cutting down fat I like them for convenience.

Noz7

I use pea protein and don't trust whey protein as is from animals. Similarly, I don't trust egg whites only because the yolks are so very good for you.

koosdel

I use three different proteins. I do not believe they are necessary. It could get all the goodies I need through diet, but that's hard for me. With protein drinks I can keep my cals under controll, and get all the proteins and vitamins I need.