Post Workout Protein Help

Congrats on the 25 lb loss!

Recovery, after almost any kind of intense workout, is sped up by trying to eat within 60 minutes of the workout. If you were bodybuilding you'd want more protein but the general recommendation is 4:1 (carbs:protein). I like Clif bars myself, some people like protein shakes; you'll see lots of people drinking chocolate milk after running.

Protein

The body uses protein to build and repair all protein components of the body. This includes muscle, blood, organs, nerves, skin, hair and the brain. It also helps to keep you feeling full for longer.

Some good sources of protein include:
lean meats and poultry
dairy products
soy beans
nuts
lentils
eggs

Hope this helps.

I drink the GNC pro Performance Amplified Wheybolic Extreme 60 protein after my workouts (2 scoops) with 2 cups of water. It's 40 grams of quick protein to help with the recovery. I like the taste, but am searching for something new. I've been using this stuff for years.

I'm sure others will chime in as well, but if your protein intake is adequate for the day it will provide what you need whether you eat it right after working out or not. The evidence for the necessity of eating protein in the hour or so after a workout is really not there at this point. I just try to meet my daily macros.

Try Champion Nutrition's Pure Whey - Any flavor you like. I've tried strawberry, vanilla, and cookies n cream... All really good. I don't buy any other brands now.

Keep your training heavy (5 rep range is perfect) and not to failure. Focus on strength increases weekly in the basic compound movements. Protein is important, but don't get carried away with mythology. Carbs SPARE protein, so that it can do it's job and not be used for energy. You can get away with less overall protein if your carbs are high enough. If you lower your carb intake then yes, you will have to increase protein to ridiculous levels so that it may be used for energy. Not recommended. Carbs are cheaper and cleaner.

The meal you eat after your workout is the most important meal of your entire day and you need to eat it with 30 minutes of training in order to restore your glycogen content, so that your muscles can tear down and rebuild more easily.
It is also important to make sure you are eating a protein that your body can actually use.

Here is a link of a blog article I wrote on finding a good protein supplement and how it all works:
http://hiitthechallengewithjennifer.blogspot.com/2012/03/find-out-if-your-body-is-using-protein.html

I would also luv it if you joined my fb page at www.facebook.com/hiitthechallenge
there are also tons of before/after pics of people transforming there bodies there!
God bless,
Jennifer

I love carbs, but you can't build muscle without adequate protein. :noway: You need a good balance of everything. Eat, drink, lift, and be merry! :drinker:

This may help some of the misconceptions about the post workout "window of opportunity" myths out there.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_nutrition/the_top_10_post_workout_nutrition_myths

Then again it probably wont.

The one I have been using for at least a year is 1 cup skim milk, 1 cup fat free yogurt, 1 serving peanut butter, 1 scoop Gold Standard whey. High protein for recovery, healthy fats for energy, and a decent amount of carbs. Plus it tastes great!
Granted, I'm not going for mass (more a runner, so lean muscle is what I'm focusing on) but that is affected by the workout itself.
Good luck!!

Different people are going to have different takes. For interesting info that is based on research I'd visit Lyle McDonald's site Bodyrecomposition.com. There is also some good info on Alan Aragon's site. Bottom line is it is far more important what your macro intake may be in a 24 hour period than when you take them. For protein in strength training you want a minimum of .8 grams per lb of lean body mass. More is better. Some go as high as 1.5 grams. I personally do 1 gram per lb of total body mass as a goal. I don't always get there but I get close.

I use protein shakes to supplement as I find it difficult to get all the protein I want from food sources. On workout days I have some carbs before workout as research shows that fed workouts result in higher lipolysis (fat burn) than fasted workouts. After workout, I immediatly down a protein shake with about 48 grams of protein and under 20 grams of carbs. I am believer in carbs before, protein after. There is really no reason I do immediatly after except that I like to. It's refreshing, rehydrating and I'm hungry at that point. (I workout in the morning and and the only thing I've eaten is a little coffee and a banana!) I don't take in more food for about 2 hours and then it's a healthy mix of protein carbs and fat.

Bottom line=timing is not critical. Mix is. With that in mind, come up with a good macro mix, around 150 grams to 180 grams of carbs, too much more and you'll increase insulin and shut down fat burning, .8 to 1 gram of protein per lb of lean body mass and let the fats fall where they do with what's left. That should be good. Keep up the good work!

You can get all the protein you need from your diet.

This... The other day I was looking at my nutrients table from scanned foods, and my protein intake was something like 230 grams of protein. It was all from food.