Whey Protein Drink Mixes

mcboyd1983

I need some advice...I see that a lot of people drink these protein shakes and what not everyday if they are very active/workout. Since I do not eat a lot of red meat and I know protein is good for restoring muscle I bought one of those sample packets at CVS today to try out and see if I like it. I have a couple of questions though...

A) Do you drink it before or after a workout? And how much time before or after?
Are there any cons about these types of mixes?
C) I get scared that I will start gaining weight if I do decide to try this out, because I think of those body builders that take these and bulk up.

It was only $2 to try...so I figured I'd try it out at least once.

emmoen

Do not worry about drinking a protein shake and turning into a weight lifter. You would have to consume so many more calories then just a protein shake. I would suggest taking in immediately after working out b/c that is when your body need the protein to help repair your muscles. Drinking it before will only hurt your stomach, as it sloshes around in there while you try to work out.

ChitownFoodie

I am not an expert, but what i have been told is.......You won't gain weight unless you intend on it. You have to add additional calories to it, like with peanut butter or milk if you want to gain weight. You should drink it immediately after working out because you only have about an hour - 1.5 hour window for it to be used to repair muscle. Whey is a lactose based product, so if you are lactose intolerant its not a good idea to use it. hmmmm....cant think of anything else.

mjclefebvre

Drinking it before will only hurt your stomach, as it sloshes around in there while you try to work out.

I second that - especially if you're doing high impact aerobic activity (maybe not "hurt" your stomach, but you might get sick) ... however, if you want to have protein before, just cut it with less water - should be better on your stomach.

tango232

yeah i agree with the last posters, try to drink the shake right after your workouts, idk if its in my head but after i go lifting and drink one my muscles seem to feel alot better, but again that might just be in my head. And if your worried about gaining weight, mix it with water(tastes terrible) or fat free skim milk(tastes alot better n u look forward to drinking it)

kgool

I drink one scoop of whey protein in unsweetened Silk Almond Milk (35 calories) after every workout and it seems to be working very well.

Vipecap

Generally you want to drink a protein shake after a workout within 30-45min of finishing up. It helps give your body nutrients for muscle repair which is wear your strength/growth come into play, since you are breaking down muscle during your workout. As everyone has mentioned, don't worry about becoming bulky. You would need to eat at a decent caloric surplus to start gaining muscle and muscle gains after you start are very tough to come by in terms of growth.

hamncheese67

I drink after workout, usually about 1/2 hour aftwerward since I shower first. I usually add fruit, plain nonfat yogurt, and ice, and then blend it for a smoothie. If you are watching your sugar intake and/or are concerned about artificial ingredients, check the label as ingredients will vary. I've been using the vanilla protein whey from Whole Foods sweetened with stevia.

mcboyd1983

Thank you everyone!!! Ok I'm excited now to try it out tonight :-)