Really need help with protein powders?

Sexymama34

I want to start using protein powder ( in smoothies) I am not sure how much protein I should have in a day or how often I should drink it and when is the best time, I am getting mixed reveiws, some say morining and night? Currently I walk about 2-3 hrs daily and work out every other day. Also I am looking for one that is Not Soya, not high in carbs and sugar. Does anyone know of one that is good and is not sold online?

Thanks so much for everyones help!

Debra

Angeliize

My dietician says to have a little before a workout and then the rest after. I use vanilla whey (Jillian Michaels at Walmart). I mix it with Troop 50 OJ and a little silk milk. It tastes good to me and I don't like the taste of many things.

Controversial

Time doesn't really matter, just get it in. For me, the magic number is 165g per day. I try to get this mostly from food but I nearly always require at least one scoop of protein powder (whey protein isolate is my choice) per day.

This is most important - IT DOES NOT MATTER WHEN! Just get it in. All day, every day.

If you don't want to buy it online, you can't be too picky. Just find something your local grocery stores carry that meets your dietary needs (low carb? low cal?) and hope it tastes good. If you can buy online, you get the benefit of reviews and shopping for best price. My choice is Syntrax Nectar Sweets (from Amazon.com) or 365 brand from Whole Foods.

Hope this helps!

erinsueburns

I'm just starting the protein powder journey. All I can say is that the biggest impediment seems to be taste and how much you have to buy. Most companies don't seem to sell individual serving sample sizes, just huge tubs and bags. In the high protein meal replacement category, I'm liking GNC Lean 25 because even though it had write a few carbs, write a few are actually fiber (I don't mind the lab created fibers) which can be bought in stores and much cheaper at Sams Club than GNC. Muscle milk and designer whey I found gag inducing. I have some jay robb samples ordered because I can buy in bulk at my heb. I'm hoping they are good I've tried several different ones most of which I can't tolerate.

But as far as when to have them, definitely after exercise.

lildavid91

try to get around .75g - 1g of protein per pound of your body weight. you can nvr go wrong with more also. dont be afraid that youre going to get big and bulky, it takes alot of time and work to get like that, not over night. As far as when to drink it really doesnt matter. some people use it as a meal replacement whenever they are on the go. But it is good to drink one within an hour of working out because your body will absorb it the best at this time. Brands on the other hand is tough if you dontwant to buy online.. but just shop around at the store and then look up reviews on the ones you are thnking of buying. hope this helps

kapoorpk

Hi...if you are not weight training and exercising moderately, around 0.5 gram of protein per pound of body weight should be sufficient in women. If you take too much of it, you do risk damaging your kidneys. It is recommended to make protein part of every meal of yours. Spreading out its consumption will allow it to be consumed by your body most efficiently. Perhaps, try consuming about 20 gms of it per major meal (i.e. breakfast, lunch & dinner). The issue of pre and post workout is more relevant if you were to be weight training, in which case, it is more important to consume one serving of protein within 30-45 minutes after your workout to help your muscles rebuild.

The best protein powder to my knowledge is called Zero Carb Isopure. Its a whey isolate and not a soy protein, which has the highest absorption rate by your body. It comes in many flavors and can be bought online. It has no carbs, negligible fat and cholesterol and plenty of very pure whey protein and many other vitamins and minerals.

I hope that helps.

Feel free to friend me as well.

Good luck!!

tameko2

It doesn't really matter when you drink it, but you also do not NEED protein powder unless you're unable to meet your protein needs with real food -- like lildavid said you need about .75 grams of protein per lb of body weight at minimum while dieting, to reduce muscle lost while in a deficit.

Other than that, its not ultra important when or what it is. I personally like a blended protein with casein, whey, and egg for mixed digestion rates (whey fast, casein slow, egg in between) but that's not really ultra important either.

And, they're mostly 'low carb' and 'low sugar' - however the best tasting one I've tried so far has a little higher carb ratio. The ones that are ultra low carb taste like super ultra fake sweetener, which I'm personally not very tolerant to the taste of.

*edit to add* lots of peopel seem to like the optimum nutrition gold standard whey as a basic powder, and its available EVERYWHERE so that's a good one to grab and try. Also a big nutrition/vitamin shop will also often sell sample sized packets for you to try. Since your'e adding it TO a smoothie, you may want to test out some flavors. The fake vanilla one I have is effing terrible in goddamn everything I've tried. The chocolate one was just ok. My favorites so far have been the chocolate strawberry and chocolate banana trutein, but I can imagine those would taste meh depending on what youw ere blending it in.

jjrichard83

you don't need that .8 - 1g per lb. Thats just outrageous. I gain lean muscle mass with just 0.4 - 0.5g per lb. the old numbers have been said so much that most ppl believe it to be fact now - sadly trainers are the biggest culprit.

As far as powders go- I really dislike whey, however if you must use whey, you should cycle it (just as you would cycle greens).

I use a mix of hemp, pea, cranberry, and soy protein.

slkehl

It doesn't really matter when you drink it, but you also do not NEED protein powder unless you're unable to meet your protein needs with real food

This. If you live in a developed country and have a balanced diet, that shouldn't be a problem. Protein powder is still great for keeping you full for long periods of time with less calories!

jjrichard83

It doesn't really matter when you drink it, but you also do not NEED protein powder unless you're unable to meet your protein needs with real food -- like lildavid said you need about .75 grams of protein per lb of body weight at minimum while dieting, to reduce muscle lost while in a deficit.

Other than that, its not ultra important when or what it is. I personally like a blended protein with casein, whey, and egg for mixed digestion rates (whey fast, casein slow, egg in between) but that's not really ultra important either.

And, they're mostly 'low carb' and 'low sugar' - however the best tasting one I've tried so far has a little higher carb ratio. The ones that are ultra low carb taste like super ultra fake sweetener, which I'm personally not very tolerant to the taste of.

*edit to add* lots of peopel seem to like the optimum nutrition gold standard whey as a basic powder, and its available EVERYWHERE so that's a good one to grab and try. Also a big nutrition/vitamin shop will also often sell sample sized packets for you to try. Since your'e adding it TO a smoothie, you may want to test out some flavors. The fake vanilla one I have is effing terrible in goddamn everything I've tried. The chocolate one was just ok. My favorites so far have been the chocolate strawberry and chocolate banana trutein, but I can imagine those would taste meh depending on what youw ere blending it in.

ANYONE cracking eggs in their protein shakes is wasting their time...

The human body cannot digest a raw egg white. So, if you like to do the "Rocky Routine" with a raw egg or raw egg white in your drink, you are wasting your time. Because of the Avidin found in a raw egg white, your body cannot digest a raw egg white. The protein in that egg white is only absorbed when heated.

If you must, get the carton egg whites - they are not "raw" and you'll be able to absorb that protein!

damiannikodem

try to get around .75g - 1g of protein per pound of your body weight. you can nvr go wrong with more also. dont be afraid that youre going to get big and bulky

Woah,,, hang on here. This is just flat out bad advice. Google Protein Poisoning aka Rabbit Starvation.

your kidneys cannot process much more than 300g of protein per day. (off the top of my head, look up the exact number. )
if your protein intake is beyond what your body can process it causes your kidneys to fail (permanently) and can cause a sudden case of death. (but you will feel like complete and utter **** once your kidneys fail so you will probbably end up in the ER and your pee will go the consistancy and color of honey)

.8 to 1g of protein per kilo of body weight is plenty. I use GNC brand whey for when I work out and have the 'oh yeah' brand of protein bars for breakfast (because they are delicious and only 160 cal for 14g of protein.)

KathyTheKiwi

Hi,
I was recommended Nutra Life Thermo Max by the health 2000 shop, due to it being high in protein but low in sugar - so I just bought that, don't know if its any good though lol

slkehl

try to get around .75g - 1g of protein per pound of your body weight. you can nvr go wrong with more also. dont be afraid that youre going to get big and bulky

Woah,,, hang on here. This is just flat out bad advice. Google Protein Poisoning aka Rabbit Starvation.

your kidneys cannot process much more than 300g of protein per day. (off the top of my head, look up the exact number. )
if your protein intake is beyond what your body can process it causes your kidneys to fail (permanently) and can cause a sudden case of death. (but you will feel like complete and utter **** once your kidneys fail so you will probbably end up in the ER and your pee will go the consistancy and color of honey)

.8 to 1g of protein per kilo of body weight is plenty. I use GNC brand whey for when I work out and have the 'oh yeah' brand of protein bars for breakfast (because they are delicious and only 160 cal for 14g of protein.)

As far as I know, no Tolerable Upper Limit for protein has been established. I'm under the impression that for the most part, excess protein is pee'd out.

AnvilHead

you don't need that .8 - 1g per lb. Thats just outrageous. I gain lean muscle mass with just 0.4 - 0.5g per lb. the old numbers have been said so much that most ppl believe it to be fact now - sadly trainers are the biggest culprit.

As far as powders go- I really dislike whey, however if you must use whey, you should cycle it (just as you would cycle greens).

I use a mix of hemp, pea, cranberry, and soy protein.

Plenty of peer-reviewed studies state that higher protein intakes are optimal. Links to them in this thread:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/823505-research-on-protien-intake

Also, I've never heard of needing to "cycle" whey protein. It's simply a dairy-based protein source, why would there be a need to cycle it? I'm guessing from your choice of proteins (all with much lower bioavailability than whey), you're possibly approaching this whole protein topic with a vegan bias?

[ETA:]

ANYONE cracking eggs in their protein shakes is wasting their time...

The human body cannot digest a raw egg white. So, if you like to do the "Rocky Routine" with a raw egg or raw egg white in your drink, you are wasting your time. Because of the Avidin found in a raw egg white, your body cannot digest a raw egg white. The protein in that egg white is only absorbed when heated.

This study refutes what you're claiming:

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/128/10/1716.full

Although there was significantly more malabsorption of the protein content of the raw egg (~50% vs. 9% in a cooked egg), ileal digestibility of the protein was certainly still present. So although ileal digestibility was diminished, it doesn't concur with your claim that the body absolutely cannot digest a raw egg - it's just not an optimal method of intake.

jjrichard83

you don't need that .8 - 1g per lb. Thats just outrageous. I gain lean muscle mass with just 0.4 - 0.5g per lb. the old numbers have been said so much that most ppl believe it to be fact now - sadly trainers are the biggest culprit.

As far as powders go- I really dislike whey, however if you must use whey, you should cycle it (just as you would cycle greens).

I use a mix of hemp, pea, cranberry, and soy protein.

Plenty of peer-reviewed studies state that higher protein intakes are optimal. Links to them in this thread:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/823505-research-on-protien-intake

Also, I've never heard of needing to "cycle" whey protein. It's simply a dairy-based protein source, why would there be a need to cycle it? I'm guessing from your choice of proteins (all with much lower bioavailability than whey), you're possibly approaching this whole protein topic with a vegan bias?

[ETA:]

ANYONE cracking eggs in their protein shakes is wasting their time...

The human body cannot digest a raw egg white. So, if you like to do the "Rocky Routine" with a raw egg or raw egg white in your drink, you are wasting your time. Because of the Avidin found in a raw egg white, your body cannot digest a raw egg white. The protein in that egg white is only absorbed when heated.

This study refutes what you're claiming:

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/128/10/1716.full

Although there was significantly more malabsorption of the protein content of the raw egg (~50% vs. 9% in a cooked egg), ileal digestibility of the protein was certainly still present. So although ileal digestibility was diminished, it doesn't concur with your claim that the body absolutely cannot digest a raw egg - it's just not an optimal method of intake.

Ok...

I'll start with the cycling. A number of sites claim that you should cycle or mix up your proteins. Makes sense - you do that with the foods you eat, why go for the exact same powder daily? I'll provide a bodybuilding link- but a quick google search shows it's not an uncommon theory. Some people take 3-4 shakes a day - take some of other powders b/c it may have something the other is missing!

And the egg thing... Of course you found a study to refute it - every study has studies to refute it, however the scientific research that shows my case is FAR greater.

the protein in raw eggs is less digestible than in cooked eggs. In the October 1998 issue of "The Journal of Nutrition," researchers compared the digestibility of raw and cooked egg protein in human subjects, and they reported digestibility of cooked egg protein to be 91 percent compared to only 51 percent for raw egg protein.


Some people have an information bias due to the fact they don't want to be wrong, or don't want to look at it like they have been messing up all this time. We all do it. However if the research is credible, and they have nothing to gain either way, I tend to side with it (until new credible info comes out). They know slightly more than the rest of us, and like I said - they were funded for the truth, not by some company looking for the answer they want.

I am def not looking at it from a vegan bias. I do feel that those proteins are easier to digest, and since switching to a mostly plant based diet I've experienced muscle repair far greater and faster than I did when eating meat and using creatine. That protein works - it's slightly more expensive, but it's more natural and healthy (dairy is not the healthiest option anyway - and the only scientists who will refute that are paid by the meat and dairy industries).

Plant based- I do have occasional meat, but the fact is I never new how crappy i felt until I switched to this diet. Plant based has made me feel so much better.

jjrichard83

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/128/10/1716.full

Your comment saying it refutes it is half true. Ok, there is some absorption, but come on... lol.

Would you rather have 91% absorption or 51% absorption?

I think we can agree if you want the protein of 6 eggs, it's a waste to use 12 to get it when you can get the protein of 6 eggs by simply cooking them.

If you prefer the liquid method - get liquid egg whites which have a higher absorption rate than raw egg whites!

AnvilHead

And the egg thing... Of course you found a study to refute it - every study has studies to refute it, however the scientific research that shows my case is FAR greater.

the protein in raw eggs is less digestible than in cooked eggs. In the October 1998 issue of "The Journal of Nutrition," researchers compared the digestibility of raw and cooked egg protein in human subjects, and they reported digestibility of cooked egg protein to be 91 percent compared to only 51 percent for raw egg protein.

The October 1998 Journal of Nutrition study you cited as part of the scientific research that shows your case is the exact study I linked to prove the point that your claim of raw egg whites being completely indigestible was incorrect.

Your comment saying it refutes it is half true. Ok, there is some absorption, but come on... lol.

Would you rather have 91% absorption or 51% absorption?

I think we can agree if you want the protein of 6 eggs, it's a waste to use 12 to get it when you can get the protein of 6 eggs by simply cooking them.

I don't refute that. Of course it's more optimal to cook the eggs so that the protein is more readily assimilated by the body. I didn't claim otherwise. I was simply refuting your original claim where you said:

ANYONE cracking eggs in their protein shakes is wasting their time...

The human body cannot digest a raw egg white. So, if you like to do the "Rocky Routine" with a raw egg or raw egg white in your drink, you are wasting your time. Because of the Avidin found in a raw egg white, your body cannot digest a raw egg white. The protein in that egg white is only absorbed when heated.

We weren't talking about how much of it was absorbed or whether protein uptake was superior from a cooked egg - the point being addressed was your claim that the body "cannot digest a raw egg white". Which is obviously not true.

jjrichard83

I'll bow to that...

So we can agree if protein is the goal - cooked egg is better than raw HOWEVER you can absorb raw egg protein - just at (about) 50%.


ty for making me re-research it & getting the facts all out and straight!

damiannikodem

As far as I know, no Tolerable Upper Limit for protein has been established. I'm under the impression that for the most part, excess protein is pee'd out.

And how does it get into your urine? Via your kidneys, and they only have a limited capacity to process protein.

Here is a link to a recent peer reviewed article:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16779921

Which states:

Dangers of excessive protein, defined as when protein constitutes > 35% of total energy intake, include hyperaminoacidemia, hyperammonemia, hyperinsulinemia nausea, diarrhea, and even death

A suggested maximum protein intake based on bodily needs, weight control evidence, and avoiding protein toxicity would be approximately of 25% of energy requirements at approximately 2 to 2.5 g x kg(-1) x d(-1), corresponding to 176 g protein per day for an 80 kg individual on a 12,000kJ/d diet. This is well below the theoretical maximum safe intake range for an 80 kg person (285 to 365 g/d).

So the level marked as the maximum safe intake is essentially 1.62g -> 2.08g per pound of body weight, past that damage occurs. (as stated in my original post approx 300g.)

So in short,when large amounts are consumed, no you don't just pee it out. you diminish your bodies capacity to process it and damage your kidneys.

Sarauk2sf

try to get around .75g - 1g of protein per pound of your body weight. you can nvr go wrong with more also. dont be afraid that youre going to get big and bulky

Woah,,, hang on here. This is just flat out bad advice. Google Protein Poisoning aka Rabbit Starvation.

your kidneys cannot process much more than 300g of protein per day. (off the top of my head, look up the exact number. )
if your protein intake is beyond what your body can process it causes your kidneys to fail (permanently) and can cause a sudden case of death. (but you will feel like complete and utter **** once your kidneys fail so you will probbably end up in the ER and your pee will go the consistancy and color of honey)

.8 to 1g of protein per kilo of body weight is plenty. I use GNC brand whey for when I work out and have the 'oh yeah' brand of protein bars for breakfast (because they are delicious and only 160 cal for 14g of protein.)

Could you look up that exact number because I have not seen any studies that actually give an actual maximum, plus body builders often have 300g+.

I would also suggest you read what rabbit starvation is - it is actually due to a lack of other nutrients, not the protein itself.

It looks like your source for this was wikipedia - which is sometimes not a bad starting point but the citations should be reviewed.

Sarauk2sf

As far as I know, no Tolerable Upper Limit for protein has been established. I'm under the impression that for the most part, excess protein is pee'd out.

And how does it get into your urine? Via your kidneys, and they only have a limited capacity to process protein.

Here is a link to a recent peer reviewed article:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16779921

Which states:

Dangers of excessive protein, defined as when protein constitutes > 35% of total energy intake, include hyperaminoacidemia, hyperammonemia, hyperinsulinemia nausea, diarrhea, and even death

A suggested maximum protein intake based on bodily needs, weight control evidence, and avoiding protein toxicity would be approximately of 25% of energy requirements at approximately 2 to 2.5 g x kg(-1) x d(-1), corresponding to 176 g protein per day for an 80 kg individual on a 12,000kJ/d diet. This is well below the theoretical maximum safe intake range for an 80 kg person (285 to 365 g/d).

So the level marked as the maximum safe intake is essentially 1.62g -> 2.08g per pound of body weight, past that damage occurs. (as stated in my original post approx 300g.)

So in short,when large amounts are consumed, no you don't just pee it out. you diminish your bodies capacity to process it and damage your kidneys.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1262767/

Although excessive protein intake remains a health concern in individuals with pre-existing renal disease, the literature lacks significant research demonstrating a link between protein intake and the initiation or progression of renal disease in healthy individuals. More importantly, evidence suggests that protein-induced changes in renal function are likely a normal adaptative mechanism well within the functional limits of a healthy kidney. Without question, long-term studies are needed to clarify the scant evidence currently available regarding this relationship. At present, there is not sufficient proof to warrant public health directives aimed at restricting dietary protein intake in healthy adults for the purpose of preserving renal function.