Clueless about post-workout protein - help?

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LaurenAOK
LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I just stared the 30 day shred yesterday and today holy crap I can hardly move. I've heard that drinking a protein shake immediately after working out can help with soreness because it helps the muscles repair themselves more quickly... or something like that. I'm completely clueless.

I'm interested in starting to drink daily protein shakes for this reason and also because I'm a vegetarian and want to make sure I get more than enough protein every day. Can I get some recommendations of good brands? Specifically ones that may help with the muscle soreness and preferably something I can by at walmart/target/etc.

Please keep in mind that I am pretty much broke... I know they sell those big jars of protein powder that are like $30 each but I honestly can't afford that... so any lower-budget suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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  • stefanieswanger
    stefanieswanger Posts: 10 Member
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    Hello Lauren,
    I would suggest any type of "liquid" protein within 30 minutes after your workout. This could be milk, yogurt, whey protein, etc. So if money is a problem, why not go for milk. It has less protein then you will find in a whey protein but it is a great start. I use it for some of my lighter workouts.
    As far as a decently prices whey protein, I prefer the vanilla Body Fortress Whey which can be bought at Walmart. The flavor is decent and the container is cheep compared to some of it's peers!
    Good Luck.
  • Golfgirl315
    Golfgirl315 Posts: 14 Member
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    I work out with a trainer and she has told me to do the same thing. Within 20-30 minutes drink a high protein shake of some sort. Be careful though...some have a ton of calories. I've found one that has 110 calories with 17 grams of protein. Pretty tasty and certainly better on the calorie count. I think its Advantage?? Or EAS? Something like that. I got them at Target and they were 4 for $4.67.

    Good Luck!
  • MaggieMay131
    MaggieMay131 Posts: 211 Member
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    Yeah, I got a HUGE tub of Muscle Milk at Costco - yes it was $30, but I'm not even halfway through it and I've had it for months! (using 1-2x a day!) Buying in bulk can be worth it :)
  • smiverz
    smiverz Posts: 40 Member
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    a good quality whey protein is what u want
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    Post workout protein supplements will do absolutely nothing for muscle soreness. Even if it did make "muscles repair faster," the pain you're experiencing isn't muscle damage, it's inflammation in the connective tissues.

    I
  • AlSalzman
    AlSalzman Posts: 296 Member
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    Low budget? Low-fat / skim milk + 2tbsb chocolate sauce. Good ol' chocolate milk!

    Pretty much all the same benefits as designer protein, inexpensive, tasty enough that you won't shy from drinking it. The only downside is the sugars in the chocolate sauce, but if you've done a good job with the rest of your meals for the day it won't be your undoing.

    My wife does pilates, yoga, and Zumba like a fiend and this is her recovery potion. She very rarely complains of soreness.

    Me, personally, I worked with a nutritionist to come up with the right ratios of whey and casein and all that crap... it works for me, but it is way more expensive and tastes like *kitten*. She must be smarter than me or something.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    Post workout protein supplements will do absolutely nothing for muscle soreness. Even if it did make "muscles repair faster," the pain you're experiencing isn't muscle damage, it's inflammation in the connective tissues.

    I

    ^ this

    and since you're looking to supplement your diet with a protein powder, it'd actually be better cost per servingwise to get a larger tub vs a smaller tub
  • Starlage
    Starlage Posts: 1,709 Member
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    buying the big tubs are worth it like others have said- it'll last you forever! Until you have enough for one of those though I buy adkins pre-made shakes. They're kind of expensive though, around $7-$8 for a pack of four but they taste really nice. They're also easier sometimes or great for on the go instead of having to mix up the powder.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    Greek yogurt. I just ate a 6 oz. cup of plain Fage. 100 calories, 18 grams of protein, no powders necessary.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
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    Thanks for the help, everyone! I found Body Fortress Whey Protein on sale at Walmart for only $14.95 :D Chocolate peanut butter flavor, it doesn't even taste bad! 130 cals per scoop and 26 grams of protein. I'm pleased.
  • traseeann
    traseeann Posts: 2 Member
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    Try the Vega Whole Food health Optimizer. The Vanilla Chai is my favorite.

    http://myvega.com/products/whole-food-health-optimizer/features-benefits

    Whey proteins are generally not advised for Vegans. Vega is a plant based protein. It was designed by an Ironman triathlete for quick "recovery" after workouts. Expensive- yes, but a jug will usually last me about 2 months

    HTH :-)
  • Scott_P
    Scott_P Posts: 95 Member
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    If you buy protein powder just watch what is in each scoop. For example my protein has 35g protein per 40 gram scoop leaving 1g carb, 1g sugar and a bunch of other stuff. Ive seen lower quality powders that have 20g protein per 40 gram scoop leaving the other 20grams as more sugars and lots of other junk.
  • burniejason
    burniejason Posts: 3
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    I use Designer Whey Protein out of Trader Joes. It is relatively inexpensive and tastes pretty good. I drink one for breakfast each day and mix it with 2% milk. Total is 220 calories with 18 grams of protein. Good luck!

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