Do i need a post workout protein drink??

vienna26
vienna26 Posts: 115 Member
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Im new to all this protein shake stuff anways i work out 5x a week doing 3 hour runs on the treadmill, 2 fourty minutes kettlebell sessions and one hour boxercise class, ive just bought a Carbohydrate and protein mix drink for after my workouts it contains 13.6 protein and 22.5 carbs and 176 cals , i dont know whether what i am doing is right dont know much about this, all i know is im meant to give my body protein after i workout so i believe. I dont like milk so a shake would be easier for me.

Im also thinking that 22.5 carbs is a lot for a woman i want to lose weight not gain it.

Any help will be greatly appreciated thanks :-)

Replies

  • madmish00
    madmish00 Posts: 35
    The ideal ratio for a post workout drink is 3:1 protein to carbs. Flavoured milk is ideal. I have strawberry milk after my strength workouts and it definitely helps. Don't view carbs as the enemy. I eat 50% plus of my calories from carbs and have never had a problem losing weight without cutting these. Post workout carbs are used to replenish your body's glycogen stores which helps your body to recover from the workout
  • vienna26
    vienna26 Posts: 115 Member
    So you think that the one ive got is ok and not too high in carbs then, i was going to buy a different one instead that is more protein and less carbs.

    But ill stick with this one if its ok and not too many carbs i logged it into my diary and i was one over my daily carbs goal but im sure that wont matter too much would it??

    YIve heard so many people say cut carbs if you want to lose weight think thats why i started to freak out abit about the carb content especially as ive just upped my calorie intake lol
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Im new to all this protein shake stuff anways i work out 5x a week doing 3 hour runs on the treadmill, 2 fourty minutes kettlebell sessions and one hour boxercise class, ive just bought a Carbohydrate and protein mix drink for after my workouts it contains 13.6 protein and 22.5 carbs and 176 cals , i dont know whether what i am doing is right dont know much about this, all i know is im meant to give my body protein after i workout so i believe. I dont like milk so a shake would be easier for me.

    Im also thinking that 22.5 carbs is a lot for a woman i want to lose weight not gain it.

    Any help will be greatly appreciated thanks :-)

    You run for 3hrs on the treadmill in 1 session?

    But no, you don't need a post workout protein shake.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    Shakes are not necessary at all. You can get protein from real food if you don't want to spend the money on them. Personally, I think they taste disgusting and if I wanted protein, I'd rather eat 18 grams of it via a Greek yogurt. Also, for what you do, the post workout protein really isn't necessary.
  • srhershey
    srhershey Posts: 181 Member
    After I do Insanity, I have a glass of almont milk and choc whey protein. I'm not able to eat after I work out and having the shake right away keeps me feeling great. The protein I use is vanilla or chocolate Pure Protein 100% whey, 1 scoop is 140 cal, 3g of carbs, and 25g of protein.
  • Tilran
    Tilran Posts: 627 Member
    Im new to all this protein shake stuff anways i work out 5x a week doing 3 hour runs on the treadmill, 2 fourty minutes kettlebell sessions and one hour boxercise class, ive just bought a Carbohydrate and protein mix drink for after my workouts it contains 13.6 protein and 22.5 carbs and 176 cals , i dont know whether what i am doing is right dont know much about this, all i know is im meant to give my body protein after i workout so i believe. I dont like milk so a shake would be easier for me.

    Im also thinking that 22.5 carbs is a lot for a woman i want to lose weight not gain it.

    Any help will be greatly appreciated thanks :-)

    You run for 3hrs on the treadmill in 1 session?

    But no, you don't need a post workout protein shake.


    Uhh I'd like to know the answer to that too. You run 3 hours a day?!?! Iron Man it much? You must burn over 2000 calories a day. You should be drinking a tub of the protein powder a day lol
  • wolfpack77
    wolfpack77 Posts: 655
    Protein intake is not time sensitive. As long as you're reaching your daily requirement (for active women about .8g per lb of body weight) you don't need to worry about when its taken. Does it hurt to take it post workout? Of course not. But it wouldnt matter if it you took it pre-workout. Or any other time of day. You get the same benefits of the protein either way.

    Also 22g of carbs is nothing. Especially after a workout. Dont even worry about that. At your activity level, you could take in 3x that after a workout and virtually none of it would be stored. It gets burned up quickly replenishing your muscles with sugars (glycogen) and assisting the recovery process.
  • vienna26
    vienna26 Posts: 115 Member
    Im new to all this protein shake stuff anways i work out 5x a week doing 3 hour runs on the treadmill, 2 fourty minutes kettlebell sessions and one hour boxercise class, ive just bought a Carbohydrate and protein mix drink for after my workouts it contains 13.6 protein and 22.5 carbs and 176 cals , i dont know whether what i am doing is right dont know much about this, all i know is im meant to give my body protein after i workout so i believe. I dont like milk so a shake would be easier for me.

    Im also thinking that 22.5 carbs is a lot for a woman i want to lose weight not gain it.

    Any help will be greatly appreciated thanks :-)

    You run for 3hrs on the treadmill in 1 session?

    But no, you don't need a post workout protein shake.

    Lol no i meant i do an hour run 3x a week should of worded it better, a hour on the treadmill is more than enough!!
  • vienna26
    vienna26 Posts: 115 Member
    Protein intake is not time sensitive. As long as you're reaching your daily requirement (for active women about .8g per lb of body weight) you don't need to worry about when its taken. Does it hurt to take it post workout? Of course not. But it wouldnt matter if it you took it pre-workout. Or any other time of day. You get the same benefits of the protein either way.

    Also 22g of carbs is nothing. Especially after a workout. Dont even worry about that. At your activity level, you could take in 3x that after a workout and virtually none of it would be stored. It gets burned up quickly replenishing your muscles with sugars (glycogen) and assisting the recovery process.

    Thank you i appreciate this information :-) Youve put my mind at rest haha
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
    I think it really depends on your goals. Are you trying to lose? maintain? preserve muscle while dieting?
    Your shake sounds kinda low on protein and a little high in cals (I don't really care about carbs). And if you are eating a meal near enough to working out? That is probably good enough.
    But if it works into your over all goals for the day, cals and macros and all that, there's no harm in it.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Does it fit your macro goals? Then it's fine. :smile:
  • bulbadoof
    bulbadoof Posts: 1,058 Member
    My rubric for whether or not a food is a good source of protein is 1 gram of protein for every 10 calories. Your drink wouldn't pass my test, but it's not terrible either. If you get some protein powder and mix it with milk, you'll probably have better macros. Carbs aren't really a bad thing, but I like to save my allocated carbs for things I actually expect to see them in, like popcorn or cereal.
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
    The ideal ratio for a post workout drink is 3:1 protein to carbs. Flavoured milk is ideal. I have strawberry milk after my strength workouts and it definitely helps. Don't view carbs as the enemy. I eat 50% plus of my calories from carbs and have never had a problem losing weight without cutting these. Post workout carbs are used to replenish your body's glycogen stores which helps your body to recover from the workout

    This ^^. Chocolate skim milk is just as effective. Although you do need protein after your workout you need 3 times as many carbs. Ideally you should have 1 gram carbs per kilogram of lean mass ( .5 grams per pound) within 15 minutes post workout. Especially if you workout as much as you do.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    The ideal ratio for a post workout drink is 3:1 protein to carbs. Flavoured milk is ideal. I have strawberry milk after my strength workouts and it definitely helps. Don't view carbs as the enemy. I eat 50% plus of my calories from carbs and have never had a problem losing weight without cutting these. Post workout carbs are used to replenish your body's glycogen stores which helps your body to recover from the workout

    This ^^. Chocolate skim milk is just as effective. Although you do need protein after your workout you need 3 times as many carbs. Ideally you should have 1 gram carbs per kilogram of lean mass ( .5 grams per pound) within 15 minutes post workout. Especially if you workout as much as you do.

    Why is that?
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
    Your body sends carbs straight to replenishing muscle glycogen within 15 minutes post exercise. Studies show that a mixture of carbs and protein (preferably at a 3:1 ratio) actually replenishes glycogen fasterr than carbs alone. This is important because you need your glycogen stores to be as replenished as possible before your next workout. Especially if you're competing.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Your body sends carbs straight to replenishing muscle glycogen within 15 minutes post exercise. Studies show that a mixture of carbs and protein (preferably at a 3:1 ratio) actually replenishes glycogen fasterr than carbs alone. This is important because you need your glycogen stores to be as replenished as possible before your next workout. Especially if you're competing.

    So what if you're not working out till the next day, still time is of the essence to rapidly replenish glycogen (which is unlikely fully depleted anyways)?
  • Hendrix7
    Hendrix7 Posts: 1,903 Member
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  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
    Glycogen stores are usually depleted 60-90 minutes of intense exercise. And if your not a regular exerciser I would say a post workout meal isn't crucial. However if you train 4x's a week for an hour or longer it's a good idea.
  • vienna26
    vienna26 Posts: 115 Member
    Yeah i train 5 times a week and thinking about upping to 6 soon so think i will defo have one to help with recovery anyway. Thanks alot everyone youve all been very helpful :-))
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    Your body sends carbs straight to replenishing muscle glycogen within 15 minutes post exercise. Studies show that a mixture of carbs and protein (preferably at a 3:1 ratio) actually replenishes glycogen fasterr than carbs alone. This is important because you need your glycogen stores to be as replenished as possible before your next workout. Especially if you're competing.

    So what if you're not working out till the next day, still time is of the essence to rapidly replenish glycogen (which is unlikely fully depleted anyways)?

    Bro science or science? Quite a bit of science out there...


    Effects of supplement timing and resistance exercise on skeletal muscle hypertrophy.
    Cribb PJ, Hayes A.

    Postexercise protein supplementation improves health and muscle soreness during basic military training in marine recruits
    Paul J. Flakoll, Tom Judy, Kim Flinn, Christopher Carr, Scott Flinn.

    International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: Nutrient timing
    Chad Kerksick, Travis Harvey, Jeff Stout, Bill Campbell, Colin Wilborn, Richard Kreider, Doug Kalman, Tim Ziegenfuss, Hector Lopez, Jamie Landis, John L Ivy and Jose Antonio.

    Postexercise nutrient intake timing in humans is critical to recovery of leg glucose and protein homeostasis.
    Levenhagen DK, Gresham JD, Carlson MG, Maron DJ, Borel MJ, Flakoll PJ.

    Effect of milk-based carbohydrate-protein supplement timing on the attenuation of exercise-induced muscle damage.
    Emma Cockburn, Emma Stevenson, Philip R Hayes, Paula Robson-Ansley, Glyn Howatson.
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