Effects of protein powders

Hey, I use Herbalife protein powders and although I only started 3 weeks ago, I can see my skin is in much better condition. Although I am losing very slow now, because I am taking in more muscle, I think my skin - no more cellulite on my bum- looks so much better for it.
But yes, you are right, they are expensive. I pay £28 for about 3 weeks of shakes. People say it's not expensive, but when you also pay for gym membership and all that, it is quite.

Hey, I use Herbalife protein powders and although I only started 3 weeks ago, I can see my skin is in much better condition. Although I am losing very slow now, because I am taking in more muscle, I think my skin - no more cellulite on my bum- looks so much better for it.
But yes, you are right, they are expensive. I pay £28 for about 3 weeks of shakes. People say it's not expensive, but when you also pay for gym membership and all that, it is quite.

It's interesting that you also noticed your skin improved. I have no idea why protein powders/shakes cause this. Does anyone else?

The main reason I use them is to get a head start in losing weight again (short term) and because they have a lot of protein they seem to keep me full for hours. They are also handy when you travel or are very busy because it saves you from eating junk when you don't have a chance to eat a proper meal.

I also noticed that my recovery after lifting weights has improved - I'm no longer muscle sore for days after a workout.

As for the cost - I agree with Matt - less than "real" food - depends how much you are using them. I currently use MyProtein (UK) and they are pretty reasonably priced.

ive been drinking an australian one called physique and i swear by it! its fantastic as a snack and fills you right up. the more muscle you have the more fat you burn. i think ive lost almost 10 percent of fat and i think its coz of the amount of protein i take in... and i wouldnt be taking so much of it in without a shake. i think they are good, but maybe you should just get one (i know alotof brands do sample sachets) and see how it works for you??

I have an issue with protein powders. The body uses natural protein (i.e from food) to use for fuel and cellular repair. The idea is that powders can be used as quick and easy extra. The problem is that to make protein into a powder it is 'denatured' (i.e broken to bits - not like it would be from food) by heating and freeze drying.. Denatured protein is not digestible by the body's enzymes as they are the wrong shape (it's called lock and key theory - the enzyme and protein only work together if the fit is exact). In the same way, a lot of the protein is produced as recombinant protein from bacteria. Bacteria are prokaryotic life forms and do not have the protein modification systems the eukaryotes (which we are) have to make the protein useful for us. So I don't understand how they are actually supposed to work. Also they are expensive especially with something like a gym membership on top. Plus, too much nucleic acid (i.e DNA - makes protein) causes gout.

I use gold standard optimum nutrition 100% whey - double rich chocolate:
120 cals per scoop
3g carbs
1g fat
24g protein

They are expensive, but as others have said, for the amount of protein you get, £ for £ they aren't that expensive. Imagine getting that much protein through just chicken, it would cost you a lot more!

In terms of muscle building:
1) You can't turn fat into muscle. You burn fat and build muscle, most people can't do these at the same time, but as a newbie and / or obese person it is possible,
2) The most important thing when building muscle is an excess of calories. Obviously if you want to lose weight you'll be in a deficit, and most likely will only gain a little if any. Then to focus on maintaining your muscle (a lot of people lose muscle while dieting) or gaining it if you can, a small deficit, heavy lifting, and sufficient protein should all help this. It doesn't matter where the protein comes from, you could have it from food, or protein shakes, it won't make a difference if you get the same amount overall. It's just that protein shakes are more convenient, and cheaper than buying lots of fresh meat!

I think the denatured argument has been done to death hasn't it?

Fried eggs = denatured.

Cooked meat = denatured.

Load of junk the denatured argument, its used to sell product. I eat all my food cooked and plenty of whey and the like. Does it look like the protein doesn't work to you on me?!

You will gain very little muscle if any whilst in deficit. The idea of having a good protein intake is to assist in not losing so much muscle mass whilst losing weight.

Protein shakes are there to supplement your diet not to be a meal, but it is not something that's wrong to do. I've done it, but I'd rather get it from my diet, on work out days I most usually have one post workout that night sometimes, usually as my dessert after dinner as its tasty as with a banana thrown in there for some extra potassium.

Hey, I use Herbalife protein powders and although I only started 3 weeks ago, I can see my skin is in much better condition. Although I am losing very slow now, because I am taking in more muscle, I think my skin - no more cellulite on my bum- looks so much better for it.
But yes, you are right, they are expensive. I pay £28 for about 3 weeks of shakes. People say it's not expensive, but when you also pay for gym membership and all that, it is quite.

It's interesting that you also noticed your skin improved. I have no idea why protein powders/shakes cause this. Does anyone else?

The main reason I use them is to get a head start in losing weight again (short term) and because they have a lot of protein they seem to keep me full for hours. They are also handy when you travel or are very busy because it saves you from eating junk when you don't have a chance to eat a proper meal.

I also noticed that my recovery after lifting weights has improved - I'm no longer muscle sore for days after a workout.

As for the cost - I agree with Matt - less than "real" food - depends how much you are using them. I currently use MyProtein (UK) and they are pretty reasonably priced.

Hey Skin improvements are likely especially if you have a complete protein. If you think about it the skin is made of a complex of different types of proteins, and if you are getting more amino acids with which your body can make, say collagen, then your skin will improve too.

I have an issue with protein powders. The body uses natural protein (i.e from food) to use for fuel and cellular repair. The idea is that powders can be used as quick and easy extra. The problem is that to make protein into a powder it is 'denatured' (i.e broken to bits - not like it would be from food) by heating and freeze drying.. Denatured protein is not digestible by the body's enzymes as they are the wrong shape (it's called lock and key theory - the enzyme and protein only work together if the fit is exact). In the same way, a lot of the protein is produced as recombinant protein from bacteria. Bacteria are prokaryotic life forms and do not have the protein modification systems the eukaryotes (which we are) have to make the protein useful for us. So I don't understand how they are actually supposed to work. Also they are expensive especially with something like a gym membership on top. Plus, too much nucleic acid (i.e DNA - makes protein) causes gout.

Don't you cook your food? That also denatures protein. I think you are getting it a little wrapped around your neck. Whey IS natural protein, its from cheese or milk. Most good protein brands also use a cross flow, cold processed, micro filtered whey retrial system that doesn't involve any heat.

HTH.

Cooking your food has been shown to actually increase the amount of protein you absorb from it. It also becomes easier to digest than raw protein. If you buy a good quality protein powder, from a reputable brand that has GMP and can back up their product with true science (not pseudo-science like "I could tell you but I wont"), then the quality of protein is absorbable and is totally usable by the body. We are used to preparing our protein for thousands of years so our bodies have evolved to make enzymes to digest the denatured proteins. As a matter of fact the stomach acid would denature the proteins before even the enzymes got to work.
Protein powders aren't expensive when you compare them to the equivalent cost of food protein - such as steak.

I think DNA causes gout is a little simplistic. The nucleic acid group purines are broken down into uric acid which could potentially build up in the joints to cause gout, but this should be avoidable if you don't completely over do protein and you drink enough water to keep flushing it through. Our bodies are quite good at dealing with it.

For anyone affected by gout - Cherries and nettles (tea) are very good at breaking up the uric acid crystals, as is apple cider vinegar.

Yeah it's definitely working for you!!! As a female though, that's not the look I'm after Thanks for sharing your point of view!

My point is, denaturing isn't worth a wet fart in a tornado in terms of thought over it. Whether you are looking to gain muscle or just retain what you have, its worth having a good level of protein running thro you, be it from powders or whole foods.

People make these statements based on information that whilst technically true, actually bears very little impact on effect, especially when considering that we all cook our food before eating it.

Also - I agree VERY Strongly with what someone posted above - taste test several and pick one you can stick with. I've made the mistake of switching mine out for both more expensive and cheaper powders and every time it's caused me problems when I couldn't stand the taste of it. Drinking 2 litres of something in a day is no fun when it makes you feel sick!

I like Jillian Michaels protein powder. It blends out very creamy and is sweetened with stevia.

I use Nature's Best Isopure Protein powder (Dutch Chocolate) - $75 from GNC but only $42 from Amazon! I've noticed since drinking it after a workout (with crushed ice, some strawberry greek yoghurt and a banana mixed into an AMAZING smoothie), that it keeps me going til lunch but also helps with my muscle strength.

Hey. In the end it's just about getting more protein into your diet. You can do that with food ofcourse, but whey is a quick easy way to get a big tasty dose without adding other carbs or fat to your toll. It's also more easily digested and sucked up by your muscles right after a worout. It all depends on your protein goals. Whey powder can help you meet high protein goals required for gaining muscle. It's also a yummy treatlike snack to keep you full between meals. But it's not necessary for moderate fitness goals.