Post-workout recovery shakes

[Cedric]

I used to be very resistant to the idea of protein shakes after a session of lifting at the gym. I like to eat real food, not some chalky powdered thing. After ~6 months of stalled progress, though, I've decided to try them. I'm using the Vega shakes even though I'm not actually vegan, and they don't taste too terrible.

Anyone have any other suggestions for protein shakes they like?

 

[kallipolis]

^Most protein shakes will provide you with more than sufficient nutritional value to create the results that you are working towards.

Many protein shakes are flavoured. I prefer vanilla, or strawberry.

I usually purchase the bargain of the week protein powder in 5 lb. cartons which represents good value for money, rather than stick with any particular brand.

 

[justsimon]

Before I went off dairy, I liked whey protein powder in a smoothie with yogurt and berries.

 

[Fenix69]

What are the benefits of protein shakes? Isn't it best to get protein from food? According to my physician, one only needs about seventy grams or so of protein a day and that more than that can be dangerous.

Your physician is absolutely wrong. If you're trying to build muscle, you need about 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight every day. For me at 145 pounds, that means I need 290 grams of protein per day. For protein, it's better to consume too much than not enough.

I believe someone who isn't trying to build muscle, needs 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight each day.

Whey Protein has the advantage that it's easy, cheap and digests very fast. It's highly recommended to start your day with a shake, because you haven't eaten anything for an extended period of time. Don't use eggs or other whole food protein, because they digest too slowly. Also, most of these shakes are flavored, as kallipolis mentioned, there are a ton of different flavors and they're delicious.

 

[dhchitown1984]

I use Isopure powder....most flavors are pretty good, except for the Green Apple. Don't know why I did that.

You could also make a shake using vanilla powder, yogurt, milk, and fresh berries (frozen also work, but fresh are better). I also made one with chocolate frozen yogurt, bananas and the powder. Also made one where I substituted the bananas with peanut butter

 

[KaraBulut]

I need to rebuild muscle mass but was told that that much protein can cause kidney problems. Nevertheless, I would like to consume additional protein/amino acids. My protein intake is probably only about 50-70 grams a day(from food alone).

Protein restriction is only needed for people with impaired renal function. The average person is able to process protein without problems and our bodies are quite adept at it.

The trick with protein intake is to distribute it across the day. There is a limit to how much protein the body can process in a single meal. Since protein sources tend to be expensive, it's something that you want to get your money's worth from.

The best sources of protein are always going to be meat, eggs, milk and cheese. Cheese and milk make a good between meal snack. Eggs and meat tend to take some preparation. Soy remains an option for vegans but it is not as effective for muscle-building compared to animal protein.

For those interested in muscle building, protein consumed during or immediately after a workout is optimum but that's generally something that is an "ideal". Honestly, it doesn't make that much difference- it's more important to get good quality protein and the timing of the consumption is just a secondary concern.

 

[Cedric]

Do you know of any gluten-free protein shakes?

My Vega shakes are gluten-free.

And, yes, I heard that high protein diets are only a problem for people who already have a kidney issue. If your kidneys are healthy, you can handle quite a bit of protein. I actually heard 1 gram per pound of bodyweight a day (rather than 2), but I'm consuming a little bit more than that (about 1.2 grams). I agree; protein is expensive!

 

[kallipolis]

As a convenient, and highly nutritional snack almonds are recommended as a valuable source of protein. A handful of almonds contains some 8 grams of protein, whereas a large egg has some 6 grams of protein.

Nutritional value of almonds:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=20

Protein content of various foods:

Beef

Hamburger patty, 4 oz – 28 grams protein
Steak, 6 oz – 42 grams
Most cuts of beef – 7 grams of protein per ounce

Chicken

Chicken breast, 3.5 oz - 30 grams protein
Chicken thigh – 10 grams (for average size)
Drumstick – 11 grams
Wing – 6 grams
Chicken meat, cooked, 4 oz – 35 grams

Fish

Most fish fillets or steaks are about 22 grams of protein for 3 ½ oz (100 grams) of cooked fish, or 6 grams per ounce
Tuna, 6 oz can - 40 grams of protein

Pork

Pork chop, average - 22 grams protein
Pork loin or tenderloin, 4 oz – 29 grams
Ham, 3 oz serving – 19 grams
Ground pork, 1 oz raw – 5 grams; 3 oz cooked – 22 grams
Bacon, 1 slice – 3 grams
Canadian-style bacon (back bacon), slice – 5 – 6 grams

Eggs and Dairy

Egg, large - 6 grams protein
Milk, 1 cup - 8 grams
Cottage cheese, ½ cup - 15 grams
Yogurt, 1 cup – usually 8-12 grams, check label
Soft cheeses (Mozzarella, Brie, Camembert) – 6 grams per oz
Medium cheeses (Cheddar, Swiss) – 7 or 8 grams per oz
Hard cheeses (Parmesan) – 10 grams per oz

Beans (including soy)

Tofu, ½ cup 20 grams protein
Tofu, 1 oz, 2.3 grams
Soy milk, 1 cup - 6 -10 grams
Most beans (black, pinto, lentils, etc) about 7-10 grams protein per half cup of cooked beans
Soy beans, ½ cup cooked – 14 grams protein
Split peas, ½ cup cooked – 8 grams

Nuts and Seeds

Peanut butter, 2 Tablespoons - 8 grams protein
Almonds, ¼ cup – 8 grams
Peanuts, ¼ cup – 9 grams
Cashews, ¼ cup – 5 grams
Pecans, ¼ cup – 2.5 grams
Sunflower seeds, ¼ cup – 6 grams
Pumpkin seeds, ¼ cup – 8 grams
Flax seeds – ¼ cup – 8 grams

 

[Cedric]

^Thanks for posting this chart! It's helpful!

 

[Cedric]

^I get Vega shakes at my local "hippy-dippy" food co-op. You can also order them online. Just google them.

 

[JayHawk]

I don't know where all of the info on Protein is coming from and I am certainly not a trainer or a dietitian. However I have been told to only eat 30grams a sitting in your diet or your simply buying protein and pissing it into the toilet. You can process it with no kidney issues but your body only used 30 at a sitting. SO you have to break it up. You want your muscle mass to have protein available all day. Essentially your body finds energy in four ways. Protein, Alcohol, Carbs and Fat. Protein burns very slow and with be the last to go. Alcohol is second slowest so if you drink and are trying to lose stubborn fat then slap yourself in the head. Carbs is third to burn so depending on your goals either eat them or do not. If your looking to get shredded and have that perfect beach body eliminate all carbs that are not green... easy day. Finally protein is left. I recommend tracking your body mass by some method because after you drop below 12 - 14 you will start losing lean mass too and it is very unhealthy.

Can The Body Digest More Than 30 Grams of Protein at One Time?

Read the article above and it gives some great guidance and logic on protein consumption.

SO for what I use:
I like GNC and Complete Nutrition for vitamins and fish oil so I buy my protein shake mix there too.

I stack complete nutrition's mens vitamin every other day with GNC's metabolism vitamin.

For Shakes I have a variety for purpose.

To ensure I have protein available all day I used a morning mix called Amplified XL which has slow, medium and long release proteins and works to raise nitrogen levels in your body. It also mixes extremely well. I use the double chocolate explosion. I will outline some smoothies below if anyone is interested.

Pre Workout I use one of two powders in a shaker cup.

GNC Pro Performance AMP Ampliefied Wheybolic Extreme 60 is a huge F-in name but a very well mixing powder. it calls for 3 huge scoops and I only use 1 or 1.5 sometimes. I mix in a shaker cup and only use V8 Fusion juices because they are all fruit juice and no high fructose corn death syrup.... I find that cherry pomegranate juice and chocolate formula taste awesome together.

Same method for mixing but different flavor of Vanilla is how I use ProComplete V-CORE. It mixes well and goes good with strawberry kiwi juice.

Finally for post workout I use a product from Complete nutrition called rezzerrect and it mixes the worst of anything I have ever tried. Lots of froth and a sour taste. i have begun to include in with a smoothie type drink because as Rx'ed with cold water is nasty.

So for smoothies... I love me some smoothies... my happiness food wise for the day is often in the form of a smoothie...

Double chocolate protein mix, cherry juice, almond milk and a banana. Simple quick and so damn tasty.

Another good one is vanilla protein mix blueberries a banana, and coconut milk....

I like to use frozen berries and just use them as a I need them. But a mouth full of fresh berries is tasty too....

Anyways... love the subject.

By the way after having been deployed and getting out of shape running ridiculous hours I have now dropped 11.3 pounds of fat in two months and gained 4 pounds of mass. Now that the fat is gone I can start building muscle mass again....

Oh one other thing. Part of the deal with low carb diets is that testosterone levels drop... this is bad if your wanting to build muscle.

Both are a good read :

Foods That Increase Testosterone Level

Foods to Boost Testosterone Levels

And from my personal Trainer on the subject:

Poultry is one of the types of foods that promotes testosterone production.

Testosterone is a naturally occurring steroid hormone the body produces to promote muscle mass, bone density and proper growth. To maintain a proper testosterone level, you don't need to take expensive supplements or seek any kind of treatment. In most cases, all you need to do is eat a proper, healthy diet.

 

[JayHawk]

Oh and Travis you will not be healthy for other reasons if you do not do some form of exercise. However your body still needs protein to prevent muscle loss. SO if your doing nothing a shake a day might slow the process of losing your muscle mass.

 

[Cedric]

As much as I hate to admit it, the protein shakes are working. After 2 weeks of using them steadily, I've managed to improve after not doing so for months. I have a shake right after a weight workout and then again later that same day. I still eat lots of real food, though, and I don't use the shakes on days when I only do cardio.

I've put in another order on the Amazon.com store.

 

[JayHawk]

Cedric.. a though you might entertain and it came from my trainer.

Your body is rebuilding that muscle mass for up to four days after you work out. So on days when you only do cardio drink a protein shake at breakfast... you can even do half a dosage or half the Rx on the package and get a great benefit. I saw the greatest gains when i did so...

 

[Cedric]

Cedric.. a though you might entertain and it came from my trainer.

Your body is rebuilding that muscle mass for up to four days after you work out. So on days when you only do cardio drink a protein shake at breakfast... you can even do half a dosage or half the Rx on the package and get a great benefit. I saw the greatest gains when i did so...

Ok, thanks! These things are expensive, but I'm willing to get the full benefit from them!