Really need help with protein powders?

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!

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

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.

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!

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.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

I was using protein powder when I first started out and wanted to boost my calories and protein. I'm doing much better with my intakes now and I'm so glad. The cost of protein powder is so way overpriced compared to just doing some baking with say, pumpkin seeds.

Google high protein recipes or bars and you will find loads. Making your own is much better AND healthier because it will be more natural and you won't be consuming unpronounceable chemicals. And you'll save money.

For females try and stick with whey isolate protein powders. bodybuilding.com has some great advice as to what to look for, men and women. They also have an online store if you arent close to a gnc. Good Luck! :]

I'm just starting the protein powder journey.

What exactly is a 'protein powder journey'? This thread is making my head spin!

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?

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!

I have never heard of cycling whey protein powder - could you please provide a link where it is discussed. I did google it and everything I saw said you did not need to cycle whey.


Edited to take out the egg discussion as that has been discussed.

I'm just starting the protein powder journey.

What exactly is a 'protein powder journey'? This thread is making my head spin!

That was a rather pretentious way for me to say it, lol, sorry. Something like 20 flavors in a month. Most of which are super gross.