Do you use protein shakes? page

[joshclem]

I train for MMA and every single person I train with drinks protein shakes.

Even Mark advise's them - and even though I do trust Mark - we all know a good proportion of his revenue comes from this product so I do not believe he can be completely unbiased.

I personally feel that if I have a steak and steamed vegetables after my workout that has gotta be much better and easier to absorb than a bunch of powder.

Whats your opinion?

[nixxy]

I use protein powder mainly for the fact that I'm a student, and the whey protein powder I buy is cheaper per protein gram than any other source except eggs (which I already eat in abundance).

I try to limit my protein powder use but now that I'm powerlifting and aiming for ~150g protein a day, it seems a bit inevitable because it is already quite an unaffordable lifestyle for a student!

EDIT: Also I use Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey so it's naturally flavoured instead of chemically flavoured.

[Damiana]

No. I see no need for them unless you're a weight lifter who's obsessed with bulking up and getting your protein nownownowNOW after a workout. I get sufficient protein through my food, and its a hell of a lot more enjoyable gnawing on a shank of pork than to drink a flavored chemical shake.

[joshclem]

Hmm...

2 fine women telling me what to do... I could get used to this.

I might meet you both in the middle and start using hemp shakes ( taste like hell ) but are a natural protein shake

thank you

[GroksRoyalewCheese]

From what I understand (and this is a complex subject), whole foods offer just as much muscle building potential as supplements do. However, there is no way a steak will be absorbed more quickly or efficiently than a whey protein shake, particularly if it's whey protein isolate. One big thing is convenience, most folks won't want to cook a meal after a hard workout, they'll want to drink something that provides all the protein and amino acids your body is screaming for.

From what I've read, pre-workout nutrition is just as important if not more-so.

[MissJecka]

I do, just because I want to. I definitely don't have one every day; maybe once or twice a week, if that. It's a nice thing to add to smoothies if it's very fruit-laden and needs a bit more protein added. I just added a scoop to a smoothie this morning.

I agree that there are much better ways to get protein into your diet, and I'd rather chew my Calories than drink them. Most of my 90-100 daily grams of protein come from eggs, meat, and raw dairy (in that order) but, again, if I need something quick or a little something-something in my smoothies, I'll add a scoop of grass-fed whey, because not all protein powders are...

...a flavored chemical shake.

[slowcooker]

I train for MMA and every single person I train with drinks protein shakes.

Even Mark advise's them - and even though I do trust Mark - we all know a good proportion of his revenue comes from this product so I do not believe he can be completely unbiased.

I personally feel that if I have a steak and steamed vegetables after my workout that has gotta be much better and easier to absorb than a bunch of powder.

Whats your opinion?

You are right - steak is better and easier to absorb. About 40% of the protein in meat is bio-available vs. 20% or so from powders or even eggs whites. One thing you could benefit from is BCAA supplements. There is lots of good info on this site Bioletics | Know you body, find you edge! Read the Eric Cressey interviews.

[eKatherine]

I went through a period of time when I was using them. After a while, I had to admit that I couldn't tell if they were working for me or not. So I stopped and have never used them since.

[Toshison]

I use protein powder mainly for the fact that I'm a student, and the whey protein powder I buy is cheaper per protein gram than any other source except eggs (which I already eat in abundance).

I try to limit my protein powder use but now that I'm powerlifting and aiming for ~150g protein a day, it seems a bit inevitable because it is already quite an unaffordable lifestyle for a student!

EDIT: Also I use Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey so it's naturally flavoured instead of chemically flavoured.

Is the O.N Gold Standard Whey you buy imported from the U.S? If so, thats kind of funny to me since where I am (in Canada), the purest, cleanest Whey protein comes from New Zealand (that is of course if the marketing is true) since New Zealand has very strict regulations with their dairy industry. All New Zealand Whey comes from grass-fed, antibiotic-free cows.

I buy my protein from CanadianProtein.ca and they sell New Zealand grass-fed Whey and I have to say that the protein I get from this site is vastly superior to Optimum Nutritions. Mixability, taste, affordability and flavour (for the flavoured options) are better.

[RichMahogany]

I train for MMA and every single person I train with drinks protein shakes.

Every single one? The place I train is more BJJ-focused, but I'd say less than 25% drink protein shakes. I'm the most successful so far at MMA, and I never touch the stuff. I'm with you, I'd rather eat steak and egg yolks than drink a powder.