Pre workout vs protein powder

bozgrit10
bozgrit10 Posts: 15 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Quick question.
when and what should we take for pre workout?
When and what type of protein powder is best for someone looking to utilise it?
Thank you for helping in advance

Replies

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Lots of people here recommend coffee for a preworkout.

    You could add protein powder to coffee if you wanted. (Many protein powders clump if added directly to hot liquid - I temper PP in a little room temperature water before adding it to coffee, and skip the milk and sugar.)

    The *timing* of your protein is not important.
  • goal06082021
    goal06082021 Posts: 2,130 Member
    I was going to say, isn't preworkout basically just caffeine/a stimulant?

    The best protein powder for you is protein from a source your gut tolerates (be it whey, pea, soy, whatever), in a flavor you find palatable, at a price point that fits in your budget.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Telling people something about yourself would help.
    No-one knows anything about you, your situation or your training......

    Personally I've never needed or wanted a stimulent before training - what do you want to get from a pre-workout?

    For protein if/when I need or want to supplement my diet I just use a whey protein added to skimmed milk.
    For most people working on hitting a good quantity over the course of the day is more important than the timing of dosage.

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    bozgrit10 wrote: »
    Quick question.
    when and what should we take for pre workout?
    When and what type of protein powder is best for someone looking to utilise it?
    Thank you for helping in advance

    Most people honestly don't need a pre-workout. Protein powder is just a supplement to increase your protein consumption...when doesn't really matter all that much...whether you need to supplement at all would depend on your intake otherwise.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    It's a bit of an over-simplification to boil down preworkouts to just being stimulants. Most contain one or more of creatine, beta alanine, nitric oxide promoters, which all have effects beyond being a stimulant. However, I wholly agree the majority of the supplement industry is driven by marketing hype. Do some research and/or trial and error to see what and how much provides benefit to you.
  • bozgrit10
    bozgrit10 Posts: 15 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    Telling people something about yourself would help.
    No-one knows anything about you, your situation or your training......

    Personally I've never needed or wanted a stimulent before training - what do you want to get from a pre-workout?

    For protein if/when I need or want to supplement my diet I just use a whey protein added to skimmed milk.
    For most people working on hitting a good quantity over the course of the day is more important than the timing of dosage.

    Im 19 M and 69KG looking to grow lean muscle and some weight. Have never taken pre workout nor protein powders. I run a fair bit and am getting back in weights and resistance training since i'm looking to gain lean muscle for sport

    Thanks for the reponse btw
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,480 Member
    I’m way older than you, so my “needs” and thought processes are a little different from you.

    I eat breakfast (usually pancakes and coffee) before my morning walk or run. I used to do it fasted, but I’m golden now that I’ve found a clean public restroom at the halfway point- which has also enabled me to tack on some distance, lol. 🤗

    I work with my trainer at 1. I will usually have a light lunch (maybe a few ounces of grilled chicken, greens and tomatoes in a low carb wrap) an hour before, and a second light lunch (maybe a large salad or a chicken sausage in a slice of bread) afterwards.

    I’ll have a chai to tide me over, and then a bowl of fruit and cottage cheese before I head out to late afternoon mat classes. Lately, I’m finding that need to have that snack earlier, though, to avoid gas (Pilates rolls) and occasional nausea (yoga headstands and inversions).

    So yeah, having to time snacks a little more carefully lately.

    And I often take a walk after dinner just to catch some fresh air.

    The only protein powder I use is adding a serving to a whole recipe of pancakes-just to eke out a few extra grams of protein per day. Otherwise I’d rather enjoy my protein as tasty food- chicken, steak, pork, dairy.

    I don’t think protein powder before or after a workout is a magic bean. Good all around nutrition? Now that’s magic.
  • kenziestabes
    kenziestabes Posts: 338 Member
    I think it just depends on what works for you. I workout in the mornings before work and try to drink 2, sometimes 3 cups of coffee a day. So, I drink coffee number 1 as a pre-workout of sorts when I get up and I'm getting ready for the gym. Coffee number 2, I mix protein powder in and put in a travel mug to drink at work. This is because I don't get enough protein in my normal diet (despite eating lean meat at every meal) and so that I feel full longer during the time between breakfast and lunch.

    Long story short, something like a pre-workout or coffee might be good if you need to give yourself an energy boost (early mornings or after a long day at school/work, maybe) but if you're already awake and energized in the hour before you work out, you probably don't need anything extra. As for protein, there are calculators online that can give you an estimate of how many grams of protein you need for your goals. If you can get that through diet alone, great! Meats, cheeses, and leafy greens are great for that. If not, my personal preference is collagen powders, but it's really up to your preference.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    bozgrit10 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    Telling people something about yourself would help.
    No-one knows anything about you, your situation or your training......

    Personally I've never needed or wanted a stimulent before training - what do you want to get from a pre-workout?

    For protein if/when I need or want to supplement my diet I just use a whey protein added to skimmed milk.
    For most people working on hitting a good quantity over the course of the day is more important than the timing of dosage.

    Im 19 M and 69KG looking to grow lean muscle and some weight. Have never taken pre workout nor protein powders. I run a fair bit and am getting back in weights and resistance training since i'm looking to gain lean muscle for sport

    Thanks for the reponse btw

    If your protein intake is low then very sensible to remedy that to support your training/exercise. Timing isn't really a big issue compared to consistently hitting a sensible goal - it certainly won't do you any harm to time some around your training but it's not a requirement to progress. Whey protein works well but so does regular food.

    Preworkout - I've just never seen the point TBH so can't really help.
    I don't need to take anything to boost my energy for lifting. I really, really don't understand why some people want to feel tingly, jittery or hyper when lifting. Some of the ingredients (in some preparations) don't need timing around exercise (creatine for example) so to me seems an odd way to supplement.
    If you want to experiment then maybe someone else could recommend what to look for and why. @psuLemon perhaps you could comment as you know your stuff?

    Do make sure the biggest ticket item (the quality and consistency of your training) is your main focus. The rest just supports your training.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    sijomial wrote: »
    bozgrit10 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    Telling people something about yourself would help.
    No-one knows anything about you, your situation or your training......

    Personally I've never needed or wanted a stimulent before training - what do you want to get from a pre-workout?

    For protein if/when I need or want to supplement my diet I just use a whey protein added to skimmed milk.
    For most people working on hitting a good quantity over the course of the day is more important than the timing of dosage.

    Im 19 M and 69KG looking to grow lean muscle and some weight. Have never taken pre workout nor protein powders. I run a fair bit and am getting back in weights and resistance training since i'm looking to gain lean muscle for sport

    Thanks for the reponse btw

    If your protein intake is low then very sensible to remedy that to support your training/exercise. Timing isn't really a big issue compared to consistently hitting a sensible goal - it certainly won't do you any harm to time some around your training but it's not a requirement to progress. Whey protein works well but so does regular food.

    Preworkout - I've just never seen the point TBH so can't really help.
    I don't need to take anything to boost my energy for lifting. I really, really don't understand why some people want to feel tingly, jittery or hyper when lifting. Some of the ingredients (in some preparations) don't need timing around exercise (creatine for example) so to me seems an odd way to supplement.
    If you want to experiment then maybe someone else could recommend what to look for and why. @psuLemon perhaps you could comment as you know your stuff?

    Do make sure the biggest ticket item (the quality and consistency of your training) is your main focus. The rest just supports your training.

    My general recommendation is before you get a pre-workout, that you ensure everything else is in place, such as adequate calories (non aggressive deficit), protein and then timing carbs around your workout. If you feel you still need a little extra boost, then you want a pre-workout that has at least the few ingredients: L-Citrulline (4-6g) or Citrulline Malate (6-8g) and Beta Alanine (1.6-3.2g).

    Even so, I prioritize supplementation to be 1. Protein, creatine monohydrate, vitamin D and then pre-workout.

    For pre-workout brands: Legion, Outworked, Genius, Kaged Muscle, Redcon Total War and Cutler Nutrition (2 scoop) are the brands i find adequately dosed.

    And if you want a caffeinated version, than something with 200mg.

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