Really need help with protein powders?

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.

I drink GNC 100% Whey every morning for breakfast. Chocolate Deluxe flavor.

The best protein powder I have used is a relatively new one I think...Promasil...I get it at GNC. I like the soft serve vanilla flavour...I mix it with low fat milk and frozen strawberries using my Magic Bullet. It makes a fantastic strawberry shake. Delicious.

Promasil is carb and suger free and has only 90 calories per scoop.

There seems to be a few ignorant ppl on this thread... Claiming "ridiculous" with such bias on a topic that is and never will be definitive.

The egg whites "thing" was not shot down. Your body can't digest those proteins as effectively - almost 50% LESS effectively. Getting the protein value of 6 eggs would require 12 to do so in that method.

The guy who said all this misinformation - why don't you read instead of just skim over everything and then add your two cents in?

There is plenty of debate on the topic of protein - how much is needed, when to take it, which ones are "complete" cycling, etc. None of us are going to come to any real conclusion to this topic. The great thing about the internet is all the info is right at our fingertips. The bad thing - anyone can write the info and edit it. Much of the stuff we learned 20 years ago has been proven wrong - x amount of sets, reps (also a topic we can not fully agree on).

It seems that everyones opinion is "fact" to them (myself included at times). The best we can do is not go searching for info to support our opinions (why would we do that? We already think it anyway!). We should instead - look for info to dispute our opinions and try to see topics from all sides instead of being just plain ignorant.

As for the cycling - search around and you'll see... - so why should your powders be any different? Not just with proteins, but with a lot of foods, if you eat the same things over and over you can start to lack the enzymes needed to effectively break down other foods and need a re-introduction period before you cans tart eating them normally again. This also has been shown to be an affective way to avoid developing intolerances and/or mild allergies to your regular protein source. It's the same in humans as it is in dogs. Changing their food every now and then is best too. Googling "protein cycling" may not give you the results and thinking it's proving your points - dig deeper.

I was not afraid to be proven wrong (we were both 1/2 wrong) and none of you should either. if you knew it all you wouldn't be on a chat site trying to learn more info and arguing with the mass ignorance that runs wild here.

OP: You do not need protein powders if you get your protein from food. They are just to supplement if you are not able to. Assuming you do not have a pre-existing medical condition, aim for 1g or protein per lb of LBM. Timing is really not that important - just get enough during the day, although if you do fasted training in the morning, it is not a bad idea to get some protein within a reasonable period of your workout.

Timing is fairly important for best absorption. Why do you think trainers, nutritionists, and high performance athletes consume proteins after workout? 3:1 carb protein apparently is a good thing after workouts.

Because there is a lot of broscience out there. The studies that look at post workout benefits only look at a small picture and also are based on fasted and/or endurance training - which is why I mention that if you train fasted then it is a good idea to eat something relatively soon after training.

If you are training in a fed state, there is no need to rush and get your post workout shake.

There seems to be a few ignorant ppl on this thread... Claiming "ridiculous" with such bias on a topic that is and never will be definitive.

The egg whites "thing" was not shot down. Your body can't digest those proteins as effectively - almost 50% LESS effectively. Getting the protein value of 6 eggs would require 12 to do so in that method.

The guy who said all this misinformation - why don't you read instead of just skim over everything and then add your two cents in?

There is plenty of debate on the topic of protein - how much is needed, when to take it, which ones are "complete" cycling, etc. None of us are going to come to any real conclusion to this topic. The great thing about the internet is all the info is right at our fingertips. The bad thing - anyone can write the info and edit it. Much of the stuff we learned 20 years ago has been proven wrong - x amount of sets, reps (also a topic we can not fully agree on).

It seems that everyones opinion is "fact" to them (myself included at times). The best we can do is not go searching for info to support our opinions (why would we do that? We already think it anyway!). We should instead - look for info to dispute our opinions and try to see topics from all sides instead of being just plain ignorant.

As for the cycling - search around and you'll see... - so why should your powders be any different? Not just with proteins, but with a lot of foods, if you eat the same things over and over you can start to lack the enzymes needed to effectively break down other foods and need a re-introduction period before you cans tart eating them normally again. This also has been shown to be an affective way to avoid developing intolerances and/or mild allergies to your regular protein source. It's the same in humans as it is in dogs. Changing their food every now and then is best too. Googling "protein cycling" may not give you the results and thinking it's proving your points - dig deeper.

I was not afraid to be proven wrong (we were both 1/2 wrong) and none of you should either. if you knew it all you wouldn't be on a chat site trying to learn more info and arguing with the mass ignorance that runs wild here.

I did search around as I said and did not see anything with regard to whey protein. Again I ask, please could you direct me to where you saw it as I cannot find anything.