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weight lifting and protein shake?
librarian11111
Posts: 45 Member
Hi all. For those of you that lift weights, do you take protein shake before, during or after a workout? How much protein do you consume? My trainer said to drink the protein shake after the workout. Just seeing what others do and why. Thanks.
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Replies
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None of the above. I eat when I'm hungry, and not protein shakes.
See where nutrient timing falls on the pyramid of importance?
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Doesn't matter when you eat the protein as long as you eat it. I usually eat before I lift to have something in my system and have a shake right after as I am knackered from the workout. I do it purely for the convenience of an easy meal afterwards, nothing more. 150-200+ g per day depending on soreness.3
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If it’s easier for you or you like hitting protein goals that way, other than that your trainer is wrong...5
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quiksylver296 wrote: »None of the above. I eat when I'm hungry, and not protein shakes.
See where nutrient timing falls on the pyramid of importance?
^ Totally this!5 -
I ensure I get a reasonable protein amount over the course of a day and use whey protein if I need or want the convenience of a shake - I don't time it around workouts. My nominal goal is 1g per pound of estimated LBM but I don't actually bother to track it.
It might be part of my recovery eating after a particularity long and hard cycle ride (5hrs +) if I'm away from home but for general workouts they just fit in my normal day and no special eating, timing or supplementation is required.
Be very cautious of any nutritional info this trainer gives you.6 -
I have a protien shake on the ride to the gym in the morning that soaked overnight with steel oats overnight topped off with coffee.
I prefer to have something light an easily digestible as my lifting sessions will last anywhere from 1.5-3 hours.
It also gives me 30 grams of protien & over 3 grams of leucine and allows me to achieve MPS optimally to start the day. I consume anywhere from 190-240 grams of protien a day as a 240lb, 49 year old, male athlete.5 -
I have a protein shake with water before the gym as I go first thing in the morning. Soon as I finish I have another one blended with oats, banana and egg whites. I also have a protein bar with my second shake. Rest of the day I generally get my protein from food. I think it’s just what you prefer. I’m on a cut just now down to 165lbs and consume about 175-200g protein per day. Mainly because I prefer protein.
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Another "none". I just finished breakfast an hour or so after this AMs workout. 4 slices of thick bacon, 3 fried (whole) eggs, and 1/2 c oats. This is a pretty regular breakfast for me, w/o or not.
Anybody can become a "trainer". Keep that in mind when hiring and taking advice from one.2 -
I don't "time" my protein around my workouts, I time my carbs around workouts. As long as you are hitting your protein goals for the day then you should be fine. What are your stats? Is there any other reason (other than what your trainer told you) that feel you should have a more timed approach to your protein intake?3
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I generally drink a protein shake for breakfast and work out in the evenings. I do it this way to space out my protein consumption between meals to better hit my daily protein goal and I find it helps keep me from snacking before lunch (to help limit calories).4
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Nvm1
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JorrunFulhelm: you asked what my stats are. Today I rode the exercise bike for 40 minutes and lifted weights for anout 25 minutes (rear delt; back extension; leg curl; overhead press.) I guess I'm concerned about the timing of consuming the shake as I generally drink water every 15 to 20 minutes while exercising (and i pour yhe protein in my water bottle before i workout-though i guess i could change that routine.. My trainer said to consume the protein after the workout. I can't not drink water until my hour long workout is over.1
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librarian11111 wrote: »JorrunFulhelm: you asked what my stats are. Today I rode the exercise bike for 40 minutes and lifted weights for anout 25 minutes (rear delt; back extension; leg curl; overhead press.) I guess I'm concerned about the timing of consuming the shake as I generally drink water every 15 to 20 minutes while exercising (and i pour yhe protein in my water bottle before i workout-though i guess i could change that routine.. My trainer said to consume the protein after the workout. I can't not drink water until my hour long workout is over.
The timing doesn't matter. What matters is getting adequate protein throughout the day on an ongoing basis.
If you want to drink the shake after your workout, it's not going to hurt anything. I often drink a protein shake after my workouts. If you want to drink it before your workout, that's fine too. If you want to drink it during your workout, that's not going to hurt anything either.6 -
I personally consume my protein shake after my workout, which is during my lunch break at work, so I eat my food after the gym which is around 1:30 or so1
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I was suggested by a trainer to take Creatine before workout and then protein after.1
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I was suggested by a trainer to take Creatine before workout and then protein after.
It doesn't matter when you take either of those things. Creatine's effects are chronic rather than acute (i.e., when your system is saturated with creatine), so the timing of it is completely irrelevant as long as you're taking it on a daily basis for a prolonged period. Protein timing has already been addressed.
There are a lot of trainers who have their degree in broscience and just parrot what they've heard from other bros without bothering to do any research and see whether it's true or not.7 -
The timing doesn't matter. What matters is getting adequate protein throughout the day on an ongoing basis.
If you want to drink the shake after your workout, it's not going to hurt anything. I often drink a protein shake after my workouts. If you want to drink it before your workout, that's fine too. If you want to drink it during your workout, that's not going to hurt anything either.
Done all of the above and, unless you are among the 1% to 2% of elite athletes with superior training and genetics, as Bob "Bobcat" Golthwait would say, IT DON'T MATTER!!0 -
It doesn't matter when you take either of those things. Creatine's effects are chronic rather than acute (i.e., when your system is saturated with creatine), so the timing of it is completely irrelevant as long as you're taking it on a daily basis for a prolonged period. Protein timing has already been addressed.
There are a lot of trainers who have their degree in broscience and just parrot what they've heard from other bros without bothering to do any research and see whether it's true or not.
I’m going to tell him that 🤓🤣0 -
Who cares about protein shakes. They dont build muscle. Get into the gym and work your butt off!20
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I was suggested by a trainer to take Creatine before workout and then protein after.
Oh dear - another clueless trainer who hasn't bothered to take a few minutes understand how things work before giving advice! That's plain lazy.
Protein timing around workouts wouldn't really matter (if you are hitting a reasonable daily goal) but only dosing creatine around workouts simply isn't the way to do it.
You could point your trainer towards Examine.com where they will find a good write up on creatine.8 -
Who cares about protein shakes. They dont build muscle. Get into the gym and work your butt off!
They can certainly help with MPS just as much as food if a person decides to go that route. They can be useful to some people and do have a part in building muscle if utilized correctly. Gym alone won't build muscle without adequate calories, macros, and amino acids all the can be consumed by a balanced protein shake as well as food.9 -
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I was always told...and I have had several different personal trainers over the years...to have protein within a 1/2 hour after working out with weights. Reason being and this is from those trainers...that when you lift weights, if doing it properly, your muscle fibers tear. So having protein after, fills those muscle fibers, helps them repair and that is what helps you build up those muscles. So, are you guys telling me that every trainer I have had was wrong? Just curious.6
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flippy1234 wrote: »I was always told...and I have had several different personal trainers over the years...to have protein within a 1/2 hour after working out with weights. Reason being and this is from those trainers...that when you lift weights, if doing it properly, your muscle fibers tear. So having protein after, fills those muscle fibers, helps them repair and that is what helps you build up those muscles. So, are you guys telling me that every trainer I have had was 24wrong? Just curious.
Yes. There is a whole body of research in muscle protein synthesis that shows timing of protein intake to be largely irrelevant in a 24 period. The trainers that told you this are just regurgitating old broscience.7 -
Interesting. So, all of the info I have read and people I have spoken with are wrong.
I guess the real answer here should be to do what is right for you. What feels right to you...what gets you the best results because there will always be two sides of the coin and only the individual knows for sure what works for them.3 -
Search Eric Helms and Brad Shoenfelds work on protein synthesis. By all means do what works for you and what you prefer. Just understand nothing bad happens if you don't hit some artificial anabolic window.4
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flippy1234 wrote: »I was always told...and I have had several different personal trainers over the years...to have protein within a 1/2 hour after working out with weights. Reason being and this is from those trainers...that when you lift weights, if doing it properly, your muscle fibers tear. So having protein after, fills those muscle fibers, helps them repair and that is what helps you build up those muscles. So, are you guys telling me that every trainer I have had was wrong? Just curious.
I was talking to a trainer he said that it doesn’t matter when you take the protein before or after but it’s BETTER to do it closer to your workouts because that’s when your muscles are more spongelike - or something along those lines without getting technical.
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I was talking to a trainer he said that it doesn’t matter when you take the protein before or after but it’s BETTER to do it closer to your workouts.
Meh. If by closer he means within 4 to 6 hours or so, very slight almost immeasurable advantage for the average person.4 -
Meh. If by closer he means within 4 to 6 hours or so, very slight almost immeasurable advantage for the average person.
There's also the amount of time it would take for your body to digest what's been taken in and make it available to the muscle. It's not like that's an instantaneous process.7
This discussion has been closed.
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