Whey protein and protein in general

mjmottayaw
mjmottayaw Posts: 2 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi I'm new here, but I have heard the drinking a whey protein shake after a run is good for weight loss is this true ? And is to much protein a bad thing in a diet ?

Replies

  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    Drinking extra protein around a workout helps preserve or build muscle mass. Also, protein is much more filling for the same amount of calories compared to carbohydrates.

    Very excessive protein consumption can be hard on your liver and kidneys, but I think most people would be hard pressed to reach that point unless all you ate were protein supplements.
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    Drinking a whey protein shake after a run does nothing. This is misguided advice based on he said, she said information.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Drinking protein is for people who are lacking in protein, it does nothing for weight loss.
  • mjmottayaw
    mjmottayaw Posts: 2 Member
    So I'm still not clear is it good is it bad ??
  • rgioviano
    rgioviano Posts: 5 Member
    Protein after a run isn't really going to do much for weight loss, generally speaking. It'll help with tissue repair from exercise, but it doesn't necessarily have to be right after exercise to still be beneficial. So, it's by no means bad, but it won't lead to weight loss.

    That being said, drinking a protein shake (25g-30g) first thing in the morning is pretty good advice for weight loss. I recommend that to clients all the time, and it's been an easy little change that does actually result in measurable progress.
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    mjmottayaw wrote: »
    So I'm still not clear is it good is it bad ??

    It's not bad, unless you decide to do something like replace all your meals with protein shakes or something absurd.

    It won't help specifically with your weight loss goal, but it could provide other health and fitness benefits, such as better muscle growth and retention. And it will reduce hunger.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    All food is good. There is no special elixir needed after a run. You can only digest so much protein at a time (30 at a sitting) so taking in more than that gets you no extra credit.

    The only food supplement I have heard is a few gummy bears worth of carbs for a half marathon or longer, just in case you hit your "wall" (depleted glycogen stores).
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    edited October 2015
    jgnatca wrote: »
    All food is good. There is no special elixir needed after a run. You can only digest so much protein at a time (30 at a sitting) so taking in more than that gets you no extra credit.

    The only food supplement I have heard is a few gummy bears worth of carbs for a half marathon or longer, just in case you hit your "wall" (depleted glycogen stores).
    This old wives' tale about protein intake/utilization has been debunked by more recent studies. Alan Aragon wrote an excellent research review article about it here. (If you're not familiar with Alan Aragon, you can read about some of his education/training and experience below the article - he knows what he's talking about. He's not one of the "bros" spouting bogus meathead BS.)

    To answer the original question, there's nothing magical about drinking a protein shake after a run. If it helps you hit your protein macro for the day that's a good thing, but as far as weight loss goes it has zero effect - unless drinking the shake fills you up enough that you don't take in a bunch of other calories instead. As far as whether too much protein in the diet is a bad thing, the answer is that it could be - but you'd have to take in a ridiculous, almost impossible amount of protein before it ever started approaching being "bad". Maybe start worrying if you find yourself hitting 600-700g/day (which would be 2400-2700 calories of pure protein).
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