Protein shakes etc - confused ?

1. It depends on your goals. Some need them if they work out really vigorously or can be used if someone is doing high protein diet. It can be a sales pitch too though as some drink them thinking it will just overall help lose weight.

2. After a workout is best. Protein after a workout and carbs before is the "ideal"

3. I use the Weider 90% protein. It's 116 cals for one scoop (chocolate flavored). 1g fat, 2g carbs, 25g protein. I mix mine with milk and ice which increases the calorie level, but you can add it to water. I don't drink them all the time. I more often drink them if I did both cardio and strength training in one day.

ETA: I bought the Weider brand at Superstore and have seen it at different grocery stores.

And i forgot to mention that if you don't want the extra calories from a shake, just eat a protein snack after working out. There's been a few recent studies saying a glass of chocolate milk of all things is a great replenishment.

I drink a super delicious whey isolate protein powder called ALLMAX ISOFLEX in the peanut butter chocolate chip flavor no more then 45minutes after my workouts. Its not hype, if you are training hard your body needs protein!! :flowerforyou:

1 - are they really needed or is it just a sales pitch

Strictly speaking, they are not needed.Think of it basically as a convenience factor. Ideally you should get all your nutrition from real whole foods. But realistically, it is often quite difficult to prepare that much food every day, especially if you follow the 5 or 6 meals a day philosophy. This is where protein supplements come in handy. They are a useful TOOL for providing yourself enough protein.

Also, yes it is a sales pitch. There's way too much marketing around these products.

2. - if they are needed WHEN do I drink them ?? from what I can figure out I drink AFTER a workout ??

After a workout take both protein and carbs. Your body will use the protein to rebuild the muscle, and use the carbs to replenish the glycogen stores that you've just depleted. Many experts say that you can even take a high glycemic index carb right after the workout. It's the one time of day that it's "ok" to do that, they say. Not exactly sure why - presumably because it enters the blood faster.

3. - again if they are needed which is best protein or whey - or OTHER ?? and which brand ??

Just go with whatever reputable brand you can get your hands on the cheapest, and that you can tolerate the taste of. Keep a very close eye on the ingredients. Most use artificial sweeteners which is a deal breaker for some folks. On the other hand, if they contain sugar that could also be a deal breaker. Go with what you're comfortable putting in your body.

Also be aware that some of them are protein+carbs, essentially making them a meal replacement. And others are close to 100% protein. Again, different tools for different scenarios. You can use the protein+carb type of drink after a workout or as a meal replacement. You can use the protein-only drink before bedtime, or as a base to your own homemade meal replacement.

Hope that helps a bit. It's a rather confusing area, ESPECIALLY with all the marketing.

I second the comment that they are a convenience, not a necessity. It's the protein that is important thing, not the way it is ingested. Shakes can be a quick, easy, and sometimes even economical way to get in a few extra grams of protein.

Personally, I prefer food. I tried a big bag of protein powder from Costco this past month. On one hand it was a lot cheaper than Greek yogurt (at $0.42 for 27g protein). On the other, it seemed an easy way to add a lot of calories, even when I offset the calories in the drink with reductions in other foods. This month, I am going back to greek yogurt and see if it makes any difference.

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All the really serious tri-athletes I know use them, but they train for up to 8 hours in one go...! I've always reckoned they're probably useful for body builders etc who break down a lot of muscle regularly and want to rebuild it fast. without having to consume tons of food. Book I read recently is an eye-opener........ advocates that the 'western diet (read obesity)' and 'western diseases' are a direct result of our loss of touch with real food - i.e. unprocessed fresh local seasonal foods. I'm now very into the idea that anything that claims to have added supplements/health benefits is a waste of time - did you know that bread has already had it's natural omega 3 removed????? Diversity is where it's at.....!!

I attribute my 12kg weight loss to meal replacement protein shake for brekky. I used to not make time to eat breakfast or have cereal at work, and have since found that the increase in protein in my diet has made me drop fat % and inches, whilst increasing my lean muscle mass.

I have since had friends ask me how I lost weight and they have replicated the same nutrition and exercise program I did with fantastic results. A work colleague of mine has now lost 14kgs over 4 months and fits into size 10 (Australian sizing) jeans for the first time in her life! I would strongly recommend the shakes I tried, but would warn people to be aware of the different brands and nutritional info before getting into them as can vary significantly between brands. Quick, convenient and a craving killer - I owe my protein/meal replacement shakes a lot!

If you are getting enough protein from your daily food (think 1g of protein per pound of lean bodymass as a minimum goal) then you certainly don't need any. If you need to get more protein in your day to get up to that goal, but can't handle another chicken breast, then try whey.

I thought that the nutritional guideline for protein for a male (FDA) was .84g per 1kg body weight not per lb.

As the body does not store protein (amino acids) if you take excess and can not use it (such as for muscle fibre building, cellular repair etc) then the amino acids will be converted (depending on which amino acid) to either fat for storage or to glucose for use ( or then for storage).

I believe you're right, but it also depends on ones goals. Runners will need less protein than bodybuilders. I've read in a lot of forums where bodybuilders will aim for 1 to 2 grams per pound of lean mass.There may be a mis- translationin there where it is supposed to be kilograms, but if I aim for 2 grams per kg. Of actual bodyweight, it works out the same as 1 gram per lb. Of lean mass.