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Protein Powder

healthyhayles
healthyhayles Posts: 44
in Food and Nutrition
Apologies if this question has already been asked in the past (I was looking to see if there was already a post on it, but I didn't have any luck).

Being quite new to the fitness scene, I was wondering what benefits I would have my adding a protein powder into my diet? And why do so many people use them? How do I know which one to go, if I decided to use them? Pros and cons?

Just interested to hear, as I really know NOTHING about them whatsoever. I know that they're popular to add to smoothies, but that's about it.

Do they have an increase in unnatural sugars and things like that? Or are they pretty healthy for you all around?

Some background: I'm 18, going to the gym/working out at least 5 days a week, and do a combination of strength and cardio training.

Thanks in advance :)

Replies

  • fangedneko
    fangedneko Posts: 133 Member
    Here's a fairly good summary.

    http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/lifestyle-guide-11/protein-powder?page=1

    You might want to avoid ones that have proprietary blends of BCAAs added to them, they might be having their protein content artificially inflated with a process known as "nitrogen spiking".

    http://www.wholefoodsmagazine.com/blog/protein-shakedown-nitrogen-spiking-sports-nutrition-industry

    You can always get stuff like BCAA's , creatine, beta-alanine and other common additives elsewhere if you really feel you need them. Optimum Nutrition makes a whey protein isolate that is very pure, they only add additives for flavor (a lot of people swear by their Double Rich Chocolate). I'm sure others will weigh in with more details.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    It's a supplement like any other supplement. If you're struggling to get sufficient protein via normal food it's useful. If you're getting plenty of protein via food there's no reason for it
  • glasshalffull713
    glasshalffull713 Posts: 323 Member
    Not to make it more confusing, but there is a lot of variation between different powders. You will have to do some reading to find out what best suits your needs.

    I take protein because I don't get enough through my diet since I don't really like eating a lot of meat. I also get some protein from eggs and dairy, and some chicken and fish.There's nothing magic about powder though, you would only need it if you want to add protein to your diet and can't get it through food intake.

    As a general summary- eating more protein can make you feel more satiated and also help preserve muscle mass which can otherwise be metabolized when you are eating at a deficit.
  • BenjaminS_Fitness
    BenjaminS_Fitness Posts: 70 Member
    It is protein.
    Do you need more protein or have a recipe that requires them?get protein shakes
    Are you getting enough protein/calories? don't get them

    they have no anabolic/fatburning properties, I do use them because i have some great recipe for pancakes/waffles that requires them (or simply taste better).
  • shanaber
    shanaber Posts: 6,423 Member
    I agree with Glasshalffull - I use them at times when I need more protein in my diet, because it is convenient or if I don't feel like fixing/eating meat or eggs. Typically I will add it to a glass of chocolate milk after a long run as a recovery drink because I usually don't feel much like eating but need to get some carbs and protein into my body.

    Do your research though so you know what you are getting - many have additives you may not need or want, can be high in sugar or have aspartame or other sugar replacements. It really depends on what you need or want in your diet.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    If you are getting enough protein in your diet, you do not need them.
    If you are a on a special program you might need them.
  • healthyhayles
    healthyhayles Posts: 44
    Here's a fairly good summary.

    http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/lifestyle-guide-11/protein-powder?page=1

    You might want to avoid ones that have proprietary blends of BCAAs added to them, they might be having their protein content artificially inflated with a process known as "nitrogen spiking".

    http://www.wholefoodsmagazine.com/blog/protein-shakedown-nitrogen-spiking-sports-nutrition-industry

    You can always get stuff like BCAA's , creatine, beta-alanine and other common additives elsewhere if you really feel you need them. Optimum Nutrition makes a whey protein isolate that is very pure, they only add additives for flavor (a lot of people swear by their Double Rich Chocolate). I'm sure others will weigh in with more details.

    Hi there!

    Thanks so much for sharing those links with me. I feel like I have a better understanding of the amount of protein I need and why protein powders are used. Thanks so much :)
  • healthyhayles
    healthyhayles Posts: 44
    Not to make it more confusing, but there is a lot of variation between different powders. You will have to do some reading to find out what best suits your needs.

    I take protein because I don't get enough through my diet since I don't really like eating a lot of meat. I also get some protein from eggs and dairy, and some chicken and fish.There's nothing magic about powder though, you would only need it if you want to add protein to your diet and can't get it through food intake.

    As a general summary- eating more protein can make you feel more satiated and also help preserve muscle mass which can otherwise be metabolized when you are eating at a deficit.

    Thanks so much for the explanation! I suppose I got confused and wondered if it was something I should definitely be incorporating into my diet because there are SO many recipes out there, whether it be 'healthy' muffins or smoothies that have protein powder in them. I'll definitely make sure I'm getting enough protein in my diet and if not, I will go from there. Thanks again! :)
  • healthyhayles
    healthyhayles Posts: 44
    It is protein.
    Do you need more protein or have a recipe that requires them?get protein shakes
    Are you getting enough protein/calories? don't get them

    they have no anabolic/fatburning properties, I do use them because i have some great recipe for pancakes/waffles that requires them (or simply taste better).

    Hi Ben!

    Thanks for responding. There's definitely been a few recipes that I've seen that incorporate protein powder, so I suppose I was wondering whether it was something I should have on hand. That being said, I wouldn't even know where to start or what brands to look! I suppose that's where I have to do more research.

    Thanks!
  • davert123
    davert123 Posts: 1,568 Member
    What I've seen seems to indicate it is good to eat a lot more protein that i normally did while loosing weight so I reduce the amount of muscle loss - the advise I've seen is between 0.8 and 1g per lean lb of body (look on line for approximations of how to calculate this) .When I am eating at a deficit (loosing weight) it is very hard for me to eat this much protein and keep below my calorie goal by eating food because most protein rich food has a lot of other calories in it as well. Having powder makes it easy.
  • Rachelwin65
    Rachelwin65 Posts: 55 Member
    I like protein powder for breakfast in a shake. It is just a quick way to get breakfast in... and usually keeps me full for awhile. I prefer unflavored whey protein. I find artificial sweetners to be unpleasant at this point. I add banana, cocoa powder, and almond milk.
  • healthyhayles
    healthyhayles Posts: 44
    I agree with Glasshalffull - I use them at times when I need more protein in my diet, because it is convenient or if I don't feel like fixing/eating meat or eggs. Typically I will add it to a glass of chocolate milk after a long run as a recovery drink because I usually don't feel much like eating but need to get some carbs and protein into my body.

    Do your research though so you know what you are getting - many have additives you may not need or want, can be high in sugar or have aspartame or other sugar replacements. It really depends on what you need or want in your diet.

    Thanks so much for the tips and suggestions :) will definitely keep them in mind.
  • healthyhayles
    healthyhayles Posts: 44
    I like protein powder for breakfast in a shake. It is just a quick way to get breakfast in... and usually keeps me full for awhile. I prefer unflavored whey protein. I find artificial sweetners to be unpleasant at this point. I add banana, cocoa powder, and almond milk.

    Thanks so much! Yes, I've seen a bunch of different flavoured ones and was wondering whether that may mean there were extra calories involved. Thanks again :)

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