Do Protein Shakes really help?

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  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    If you aren't getting enough protein, yes.
    Otherwise, other food is just as good generally :).
    There's a small window after your workouts (30-60 minutes) when your cells are in "intake/recovery" mode, and absorption of nutrients is optimal. Protein shakes and powders are quickly and easily absorbed in this period, which makes them good for immediately post-workout -- this ensures that the maximum amount of amino acids are absorbed into your muscle cells. (As opposed to having to cook something which might take a while.)
    From what I've seen this is the case if you haven't had protein prior to your workout. It seems to be much less important if you've had pre-workout food with protein in it.
    I generally do manage to eat fairly soon after a workout, but will have had protein-food at some point before, so don't get overly stressed about it.
  • Cammy_Atleta8
    Cammy_Atleta8 Posts: 33
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    i'd stop the powerades. lots of sugar in those.

    if you are logging your food, and doing the hard work in the gym, and meeting your protein goals, then you shouldn't need a protein shake.

    Ok thank you! :smile:
    Definitely drop the sports drinks and stick to water then!
  • Cammy_Atleta8
    Cammy_Atleta8 Posts: 33
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    If you aren't getting enough protein, yes.
    Otherwise, other food is just as good generally :).
    There's a small window after your workouts (30-60 minutes) when your cells are in "intake/recovery" mode, and absorption of nutrients is optimal. Protein shakes and powders are quickly and easily absorbed in this period, which makes them good for immediately post-workout -- this ensures that the maximum amount of amino acids are absorbed into your muscle cells. (As opposed to having to cook something which might take a while.)
    From what I've seen this is the case if you haven't had protein prior to your workout. It seems to be much less important if you've had pre-workout food with protein in it.
    I generally do manage to eat fairly soon after a workout, but will have had protein-food at some point before, so don't get overly stressed about it.

    Ok thanks! :smile: Say for a snack whats the best source of protein to have? Something nut some nuts or peanut butter with fruit and water or something like that?
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    Two chicken breasts right after the workout should be decent protein for that meal. Wouldn't really need to add a shake to that.

    Did you set calorie targets to weight gain? Are you tracking intake? Are you getting somewhere close to 1g/lb bodyweight protein with your current diet?
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    Ok thanks! :smile: Say for a snack whats the best source of protein to have? Something nut some nuts or peanut butter with fruit and water or something like that?
    Me, I'd go with some lean meat if aiming for protein specifically..
    Pack of ham, chicken or whatever.

    If you want protein and carbs, skimmed milk is pretty good. If you're bulking, I'd make it chocolate milk for more carbs :).
  • Cammy_Atleta8
    Cammy_Atleta8 Posts: 33
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    Ok thanks! :smile: Say for a snack whats the best source of protein to have? Something nut some nuts or peanut butter with fruit and water or something like that?
    Me, I'd go with some lean meat if aiming for protein specifically..
    Pack of ham, chicken or whatever.

    If you want protein and carbs, skimmed milk is pretty good. If you're bulking, I'd make it chocolate milk for more carbs :).

    Perfect thanks :)
  • Sreneesa
    Sreneesa Posts: 1,170 Member
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    Your total daily protein intake is very important. Protein shakes are helpful for achieving optimal protein intake, but they're not necessary. Most people who don't track their protein intake aren't getting anywhere near enough to build muscle efficiently.

    EDIT: and definitely stop the powerades!


    YES ^^

    This


    I couldn't eat that much protein a day to reach macro so protein smoothies for me are essential. Mines has 30 grams a serving.
  • FlexinHenrique94
    FlexinHenrique94 Posts: 48
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    What's the deal on drinking powerade post-workout? I thought that was intended for intra or pre workout... I never drink those and any isotonic drink btw. Waste of money in my opinion.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    Drinks with loads of carbs (but not fructose) will help replace muscle glycogen.
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    Ok thanks for the advice guys! :smile:

    So it's better just to stick with lots of water to hydrate and give the sports drinks a miss?
    I also had another question. And it was about Libido? Apparently if you over train your libido drops right down and also if you don't eat enough calories or something? :ohwell: But i'm not certain on this!

    I train only on Monday's, Wednesdays and Fridays and the session I do lasts always 45 minutes maximum. So this is definitely not overtraining?
    And also, do you know any exercises that really make the arms grow? I'm an Ectomorph so my arms are very long and only look not bad when tensed but when you just have them normally they still look long and thin. Thank you!

    1. Resistance training will naturally increase your testosterone and therefore increase your libido.

    2. Arms take a long time to grow, and their size is 2/3 triceps and 1/3 biceps. Also, none of your muscles will grow much at all if you're not eating enough protein. If you want big arms you have to accept that it will take a very long time (assuming you do it naturally). You'll get the fastest results by focusing on doing chin-ups, pull-ups, rows, bench press, and dips as your core exercises (and variations of them). Then after you've exhausted yourself with the compound exercises, do some higher rep assistance work that targets the arms like curls and tricep pushdowns.
  • Cammy_Atleta8
    Cammy_Atleta8 Posts: 33
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    Your total daily protein intake is very important. Protein shakes are helpful for achieving optimal protein intake, but they're not necessary. Most people who don't track their protein intake aren't getting anywhere near enough to build muscle efficiently.

    EDIT: and definitely stop the powerades!


    YES ^^

    This


    I couldn't eat that much protein a day to reach macro so protein smoothies for me are essential. Mines has 30 grams a serving.


    Ok that's cool :smile: Thanks for your help!
  • Cammy_Atleta8
    Cammy_Atleta8 Posts: 33
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    What's the deal on drinking powerade post-workout? I thought that was intended for intra or pre workout... I never drink those and any isotonic drink btw. Waste of money in my opinion.

    I thought that there replace minerals lost in sweat during exercise? But, yes your right. There a lot of money for what they are and now I think water would just be as effective if not more :smile:
  • Cammy_Atleta8
    Cammy_Atleta8 Posts: 33
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    Drinks with loads of carbs (but not fructose) will help replace muscle glycogen.


    Ok, thanks! :smile:
  • Cammy_Atleta8
    Cammy_Atleta8 Posts: 33
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    Ok thanks for the advice guys! :smile:

    So it's better just to stick with lots of water to hydrate and give the sports drinks a miss?
    I also had another question. And it was about Libido? Apparently if you over train your libido drops right down and also if you don't eat enough calories or something? :ohwell: But i'm not certain on this!

    I train only on Monday's, Wednesdays and Fridays and the session I do lasts always 45 minutes maximum. So this is definitely not overtraining?
    And also, do you know any exercises that really make the arms grow? I'm an Ectomorph so my arms are very long and only look not bad when tensed but when you just have them normally they still look long and thin. Thank you!

    1. Resistance training will naturally increase your testosterone and therefore increase your libido.

    2. Arms take a long time to grow, and their size is 2/3 triceps and 1/3 biceps. Also, none of your muscles will grow much at all if you're not eating enough protein. If you want big arms you have to accept that it will take a very long time (assuming you do it naturally). You'll get the fastest results by focusing on doing chin-ups, pull-ups, rows, bench press, and dips as your core exercises (and variations of them). Then after you've exhausted yourself with the compound exercises, do some higher rep assistance work that targets the arms like curls and tricep pushdowns.


    Ok got it! Thanks for some of the exercises to by the way :smile: . I do all those exercises that you mentioned to so hopefully it will help over time! I'm getting about 100g of Protein on the day after I workout and on the next day (rest day) about 70g? Is that ok?
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    Advice is usually to keep protein constant on rest and workout. Something like 1g/lb of body weight is around about right if you're fairly lean.
    You may not need quite that much, but it's quite possible that much will help too.
  • dannstarr
    dannstarr Posts: 1 Member
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    Do protein shakes really help? Yes, and no. Protein shakes in themselves will do nothing to help you "bulk up" it's your whole diet (plus training) that counts. I use protein shakes to help in both bulking up and cutting down. They are just food, nothing more, nothing less.

    They can assist the "whole diet" part though.

    To grow muscle, you need to be in a positive energy balance, and you need "enough" protein

    How much is enough? Who really knows? It's often said that you should stick to 1g per lb of lean mass minimum... Which, ok, is a fair guideline, but it really is all speculation. The fact is that you need quality protein to be present in the diet. How much has never actually been proven... As long as it's in there, and your calories are high enough, you can and will build muscle.

    Oh, and on the powerade post workout , you really aren't doing any harm to your muscle gains by drinking it. While I don't care for the particular brand, it does contain fast acting carbs, which spike insulin, which will tell your body to drive nutrients into your muscle cells.... So it might actually help you. Couple it with some protein, be it from meat, eggs, whey or where ever, and that protein is going straight to your muscles to aide repair and growth... Add in some creatine then too, and that will help the muscle hold even more of those nutrients.

    Keep your body hydrated with plenty of water, it really should be your main drink, but some fast acting sugars right at the end of your workout are GOOD for building muscle
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    Not quite 'all speculation' - those figures have been defined from the results of studies trying different amounts.

    Trying to get a precise figure isn't reasonable as people are different, their hormone levels are different at different times in their lives and so on.
  • Cammy_Atleta8
    Cammy_Atleta8 Posts: 33
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    Advice is usually to keep protein constant on rest and workout. Something like 1g/lb of body weight is around about right if you're fairly lean.
    You may not need quite that much, but it's quite possible that much will help too.

    Perfect, thank you :smile:
  • Cammy_Atleta8
    Cammy_Atleta8 Posts: 33
    Options
    Do protein shakes really help? Yes, and no. Protein shakes in themselves will do nothing to help you "bulk up" it's your whole diet (plus training) that counts. I use protein shakes to help in both bulking up and cutting down. They are just food, nothing more, nothing less.

    They can assist the "whole diet" part though.

    To grow muscle, you need to be in a positive energy balance, and you need "enough" protein

    How much is enough? Who really knows? It's often said that you should stick to 1g per lb of lean mass minimum... Which, ok, is a fair guideline, but it really is all speculation. The fact is that you need quality protein to be present in the diet. How much has never actually been proven... As long as it's in there, and your calories are high enough, you can and will build muscle.

    Oh, and on the powerade post workout , you really aren't doing any harm to your muscle gains by drinking it. While I don't care for the particular brand, it does contain fast acting carbs, which spike insulin, which will tell your body to drive nutrients into your muscle cells.... So it might actually help you. Couple it with some protein, be it from meat, eggs, whey or where ever, and that protein is going straight to your muscles to aide repair and growth... Add in some creatine then too, and that will help the muscle hold even more of those nutrients.

    Keep your body hydrated with plenty of water, it really should be your main drink, but some fast acting sugars right at the end of your workout are GOOD for building muscle


    Thanks, mixed reviews about the PowerAde but it seems ok! I only have half the bottle followed by a glass of water then my meal. :glasses:
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    Thanks, mixed reviews about the PowerAde but it seems ok! I only have half the bottle followed by a glass of water then my meal. :glasses:

    PowerAde, Gatorade, etc., are all useless. The only thing that makes them different from sugar water is that they have some salt and B-vitamins added to them.

    If you want carbs or sugar post-workout (not a bad idea) just add them to your protein shake.

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