Protein Shake 101

chocobunny122
chocobunny122 Posts: 21
in Food and Nutrition
Hello lovelies! So a new gym is opening up in my neighborhood and I want to start hitting it every night so I can finally change my body for good! Anyways, I always hear people talk about protein shakes and so I was just curious as to what they do exactly. What are some recipes? When are you suppose to drink them? Post workout or pre workout? And finally, what should I do at the gym if I drink one? Thank you for your help! :) -friend me-

Replies

  • Yzfdude1
    Yzfdude1 Posts: 23 Member
    Depends on your diet if you need protein shakes or not. As always you should try to get most of your macro nutrients through whole foods.

    I take Whey protein as a meal replacement for my pre workout and post workout snacks (meals 2 and 4) however I'm building muscle and I'm a low carb dieter.

    I take an extra Casein protein before bed to help fuel my recovery while I sleep.

    Here is a website that is geared for the females that might help you decide if you want to start using protein shakes.

    http://thesweatybetties.com/what-is-the-best-protein-powder-for-weight-loss-and-toning/

    Good luck with your diet and workouts!
  • KittyViolet
    KittyViolet Posts: 220 Member
    I don't use protein shakes as meal replacements. I drink them as a beverage with a meal, or I drink it as a snack in between. I drink them to make sure I get enough protein each day, and it helps fill out my fruit and veggie intake, too. It gets harder to fill my protein quota as grocery day draws near and I start to run out of meats.
  • farsteve
    farsteve Posts: 157 Member
    Generally protein shakes are used to supply your body with protein immediately after a resistance (weight training) workout. Some studies have shown that a pre-workout shake is better than a post workout shake and some studies say before and after and then try to eat real food within about an hour after your last shake.

    Still talking in general terms, you should have a minimum of 20 grams of protein before and 20 grams of protein after your lifting workout. (I am from the before and after club). Recent studies say that you don't need to add any carbs to the protein but I think that can be a personal thing. Like if you're trying to gain, then add carbs, if you're trying to lose, don't add carbs. If you are using protein shakes in conjuction with lifting, you want to avoid any added fat to the shake since that will slow up the absorbtion of protein by your body.

    Men's Health Forum has a whole section devoted to protein shake receipes:

    http://forums.menshealth.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9991056124/m/662106093
  • Natashadb
    Natashadb Posts: 44
    So are they only for weight lifting? How about running?

    Or am I being completely daft here?
  • Lalouse
    Lalouse Posts: 221 Member
    JM on Protein Shakes www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgSSOnyzESw
  • ludoles
    ludoles Posts: 10
    I always check out this website before buying any protein products - www.pro-proteinshake.com - My personal favourite is the Labrada Lean Body Hi-Protein shake because of the high protein:carb ratio.

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