to shake or not to shake

Posts: 16
edited November 11 in Health and Weight Loss
My question is this.....if i workout late at night should i still have protein after and what is the best protein for after a workout??without a protein shake??

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  • Posts: 15,151 Member
    I use BCAA's after lifting.
  • Posts: 588 Member
    Its up to you. Protein powders aren't a miracle for anything, they just make getting your daily protein quicker and more convenient.
    Eating late at night will not make you gain fat, contrary to what you have probably heard. Your OVERALL calories are what matter.
  • Posts: 4,925 Member
    If you exercise enough that you need protein at all, then you should consume protein within 30 minutes, no matter whether you are going to bed or not. Your body processes protein more readily after exercise and consuming protein during the short window when it does that can help prevent soreness.
  • Posts: 2,463 Member
    edited January 2015
    Holy broscience batman. There is no need to immediately consume protein post workout. This is a very old, very dubunked, fitness myth. Bcaas are also not necessary unless your diet is low in protein to begin with. Bcaas are found in protein so if you are getting protein in your diet (which you should be) then there is literally no reason to supplement bcaas. The only way I can see one getting benefits from bcaas is to take them preworkout if you are training completely fasted. Even then, the evidence to do so is shaky at best.

    To answer your question, just hit your calories and macro nutrients for the day. Timing of things is FAR less important for most goals. Here's a fancy chart that puts it better then I do:
    nutrient-timing-table_r4-01.png
  • Posts: 201 Member
    Nice info. Appreciate your sharing it... I have always thought the human body is pretty adaptive....
  • Posts: 1,673 Member
    I vote the "not" option.

    Trust me - you're just giving your money away for no legit benefit.

    If you're gonna do that, you can make it easier on everyone and just send it to me instead. :)
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  • Posts: 5,623 Member
    emily_stew wrote: »
    I thought this was going to be about shaking one's booty....guess I'll leave now.

    I thought it was gonna be about shake 'n' bake, legit
    american-kraft-shake-n-bake-original-chicken-coating-mix-4-pack-box-311g-802-p.jpg


    Meal timing isn't relevant for weight loss, only for personal purposes. I.e. if you are starving after workouts and a protein shake helps, then cool beans. If you find you have more energy eating it before a workout, then that's fine too. Or you can omit it if you are meeting your protein needs with other food sources. I now only use protein powder for emergency protein needs (no protein sources in fridge for lunch) or for baking. Or to add to smoothies and yogurt if I need to increase my protein.
  • Posts: 4,925 Member
    edited January 2015
    vismal wrote: »
    Holy broscience batman. There is no need to immediately consume protein post workout. This is a very old, very dubunked, fitness myth. Bcaas are also not necessary unless your diet is low in protein to begin with. Bcaas are found in protein so if you are getting protein in your diet (which you should be) then there is literally no reason to supplement bcaas. The only way I can see one getting benefits from bcaas is to take them preworkout if you are training completely fasted. Even then, the evidence to do so is shaky at best.

    To answer your question, just hit your calories and macro nutrients for the day. Timing of things is FAR less important for most goals. Here's a fancy chart that puts it better then I do:
    nutrient-timing-table_r4-01.png

    Perhaps someone should tell the fitness experts that, because I've seen several articles on it in recent months and no articles suggesting that it is incorrect. Even your own chart mentions it in column two.
  • Posts: 42 Member
    JossFit wrote: »
    Eating late at night will not make you gain fat, contrary to what you have probably heard. Your OVERALL calories are what matter.

    True. But eating late at night--especially protein--is bad sleep hygiene. If you have problems sleeping, you should avoid it. (You should also avoid working out in the evenings in that case.)
  • Posts: 312 Member
    i workout at night too......and yes, a post workout shake is a good idea......liquid is easier for your body to digest that late at night......compared to say a chicken breast or something.......as far as recommendations, i really don't have any.....i honestly switch my protein brands up every time i run out.......this month it's muscle milk.....last month it was six star whey protein.....month before it was total soy.....etc.
  • Unknown
    edited January 2015
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  • Posts: 4,925 Member
    MrM27 wrote: »
    No
    That^^^^ You were told factual information, you just refuse to believe it you also never went back to address the post from earlier today address how much fat we oxidize per day and rate of loss.

    You give out way to much false information around here and never accept the fact that you are incorrect. You'll never learn things being that way.

    As the chart from Precision Nutrition states, timing of nutrition may be important for exercise lasting over an hour and is important for exercise lasting more than two hours. Why are you attacking me for saying the same thing, but giving more details?
  • Posts: 2,463 Member
    edited January 2015

    Perhaps someone should tell the fitness experts that, because I've seen several articles on it in recent months and no articles suggesting that it is incorrect. Even your own chart mentions it in column two.
    I'm not overly interested in what so called experts say. I far prefer research articles that are supported by cold, hard, science. Many fitness "experts" have a hand in supplement sales or are sponsored by supplement companies. It behooves the supplement companies for people to think meal timing is important. Stress the need for protein immediately post workout, sell more protein supplements.

    As for the chart, it stands on it's own. The 2nd column does not apply to 99% of the MFP population including the OP. I'm assuming by the nature of the question the OP is not an advanced exerciser. He makes no mention of attempting extreme fat loss or extreme muscle gain, there is no mention of fasted training, and there is no mention of exhausting/continuous training > 1 hour. Typical weight lifting sessions are not continuous and contain breaks between sets. So OP does not fit the middle column which would make nutrient timing only "possibly important". The OP certainly doesn't fit the far column. Therefore if you go by the chart for the op, nutrient timing is "not very important."

    As to research showing the not so importance of meal timing for most non extreme goals: http://www.jissn.com/content/10/1/5
    One of the authors is Alan Aragon, the guy referenced in the chart. This is a rather comprehensive review of the available literature and cites 85 other scholarly works.
  • Posts: 2,463 Member
    edited January 2015

    As the chart from Precision Nutrition states, timing of nutrition may be important for exercise lasting over an hour and is important for exercise lasting more than two hours. Why are you attacking me for saying the same thing, but giving more details?
    exhausted or continuous exercise, not just exercise. This does not included your typical weight lifting session where you take breaks between sets. This is more along the lines of an endurance event and has more to do with the ingestion of carbohydrates then it does protein.

  • Posts: 4,925 Member
    vismal wrote: »
    I'm not overly interested in what so called experts say. I far prefer research articles that are supported by cold, hard, science. Many fitness "experts" have a hand in supplement sales or are sponsored by supplement companies. It behooves the supplement companies for people to think meal timing is important. Stress the need for protein immediately post workout, sell more protein supplements.

    As for the chart, it stands on it's own. The 2nd column does not apply to 99% of the MFP population including the OP. I'm assuming by the nature of the question the OP is not an advanced exerciser. He makes no mention of attempting extreme fat loss or extreme muscle gain, there is no mention of fasted training, and there is no mention of exhausting/continuous training > 1 hour. Typical weight lifting sessions are not continuous and contain breaks between sets. So OP does not fit the middle column which would make nutrient timing only "possibly important". The OP certainly doesn't fit the far column. Therefore if you go by the chart for the op, nutrient timing is "not very important."

    As to research showing the not so importance of meal timing for most non extreme goals: http://www.jissn.com/content/10/1/5
    One of the authors is Alan Aragon, the guy referenced in the chart. This is a rather comprehensive review of the available literature and cites 85 other scholarly works.
    vismal wrote: »
    exhausted or continuous exercise, not just exercise. This does not included your typical weight lifting session where you take breaks between sets. This is more along the lines of an endurance event and has more to do with the ingestion of carbohydrates then it does protein.

    The OP never specified that what kind of workout, so I answered accordingly. It sounds like that for your workouts, no, it wouldn't apply. But my evening workouts are always at least an hour long and during the summer months they are two hours or more. I don't have rest periods built into my workout, because when you're on a bicycle, stopping means falling over. I don't usually worry about it for an hour long workout. Sometimes I'll drink a glass of milk, which is a quick source of protein. After a two or more hour ride, I turn to chocolate milk, since it has more carbs than regular milk. But in both cases, it is with the intent that I'll be eating shortly. The only time I'll drink a high priced recovery shake is when I'm riding some distance from home. You can usually throw them in the bag without being concerned about refrigeration. That isn't the case with milk.
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  • Ok so then on nights when i do tae kwon do then for an hour then jump into krav maga for another hour...perhaps i should take a protein shake in between??? And just an fyi....i am a female not a male thanks!
  • Posts: 5,623 Member
    Ok so then on nights when i do tae kwon do then for an hour then jump into krav maga for another hour...perhaps i should take a protein shake in between??? And just an fyi....i am a female not a male thanks!

    If you want to, sure. If you are hungry between, then yeah go ahead. If your energy is still the same during both and you aren't hungry, then why bother?
  • ana3067 wrote: »

    If you want to, sure. If you are hungry between, then yeah go ahead. If your energy is still the same during both and you aren't hungry, then why bother?

  • Whoops....posted that too soon....its not about the hunger....its more so because i keep being told to have protein after a hard workout/cardio session to feed my muscles or i will ruin any progress i am making......its all so confusing to me
  • I just want to lose about 30 lbs.......and tone up. If you have any tips on how to achieve this by may then im all ears! I have recently started calorie tracking and i find it very helpful.
  • Posts: 4,925 Member
    MrM27 wrote: »

    I would say it's a safe bet that you just so many others think they fit into the far right column when they actually don't. Your resistance to absorb actual information is amazing. And like I said earlier, go back into the 42 lbs thread and address the post I wrote to you where you said I was talking nonsense. You talk as if you understand things so go and prove it


    I answered your question, but I'm pretty sure my answer is going to make you mad.
  • Posts: 15,151 Member
    Whoops....posted that too soon....its not about the hunger....its more so because i keep being told to have protein after a hard workout/cardio session to feed my muscles or i will ruin any progress i am making......its all so confusing to me

    You will not ruin your progress, you're not building muscle in a deficit, you're maintaining it.
    I just want to lose about 30 lbs.......and tone up. If you have any tips on how to achieve this by may then im all ears! I have recently started calorie tracking and i find it very helpful.

    Adding more calories is not going to help you lose quicker.
  • Posts: 17,456 Member
    bet I'm the only one singing 'haters gonna hate, players gonna play... I just wanna shake" now aren't I?

    (never have a daughter)
  • Posts: 409 Member
    ok no science here, i think you and i are in the same boat, need to lose weight, doing exercise and eating at a deficit, i DO take protein shakes, but only if I am miles off hitting my protein target that MFP has set for me, which by the way goes up once you log your exercise, however i think what folk are trying to say is, its personal preference., or only really vital if you are working at a proff level. In which case you would probably already know the score i guess.
    To answer your question I am in the UK and use holland and barratt cookies and cream flavour as the others made me feel like puking lol!, i take it with skimmed milk and usually throw some Chai seeds in it too. I may also have a protein shake if i am really close to hitting my cals, but feel hungry, as it def placates the need for me to snack, and it has to be better than a mars bar.
    good luck on your journey. x
  • pinkiezoom wrote: »
    ok no science here, i think you and i are in the same boat, need to lose weight, doing exercise and eating at a deficit, i DO take protein shakes, but only if I am miles off hitting my protein target that MFP has set for me, which by the way goes up once you log your exercise, however i think what folk are trying to say is, its personal preference., or only really vital if you are working at a proff level. In which case you would probably already know the score i guess.
    To answer your question I am in the UK and use holland and barratt cookies and cream flavour as the others made me feel like puking lol!, i take it with skimmed milk and usually throw some Chai seeds in it too. I may also have a protein shake if i am really close to hitting my cals, but feel hungry, as it def placates the need for me to snack, and it has to be better than a mars bar.
    good luck on your journey. x

    Thank you! With so much advice it is so hard to know what to follow but i guess its trial and error! All i know is that calorie counting including protein shakes cant hurt me. I am just trying to seek out the most knowledge that i can and take pieces of everyones know how into my routine. It only makes sense to do what works for you! Good luck to you as well!
  • rabbitjb wrote: »
    bet I'm the only one singing 'haters gonna hate, players gonna play... I just wanna shake" now aren't I?

    (never have a daughter)

    Lol it actually crossed my mind while writing it...i cant lie
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  • Posts: 2,463 Member
    Too c

    The OP never specified that what kind of workout, so I answered accordingly. It sounds like that for your workouts, no, it wouldn't apply. But my evening workouts are always at least an hour long and during the summer months they are two hours or more. I don't have rest periods built into my workout, because when you're on a bicycle, stopping means falling over. I don't usually worry about it for an hour long workout. Sometimes I'll drink a glass of milk, which is a quick source of protein. After a two or more hour ride, I turn to chocolate milk, since it has more carbs than regular milk. But in both cases, it is with the intent that I'll be eating shortly. The only time I'll drink a high priced recovery shake is when I'm riding some distance from home. You can usually throw them in the bag without being concerned about refrigeration. That isn't the case with milk.
    To clarify again, the chart does not refer to protein timing specifically. It refers to nutrient timing. For people doing 2 hour long cardio activities you probably want to have carbohydrates before, and possible during the event. Protein timing is still not really important providing you are getting an adequate amount throughout the day. If you read the research article I posted there is a whole section about having a mixed meal roughly 1-2 hours before training. Many times this meal can function as a pre, intra, and postworkout meal as it is digesting throughout the entire workout process. The bottom line is, unless you are an ADVANCED trainee, with ADVANCED goals, protein timing doesn't matter much at all. It's Far more important that you just get adequate protein for the day.
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