Training & Nutrition - Protein supplements

I just got into cycling by commuting. I bought a road bike, a cheap one, but nevertheless, I ride the hell out of it. I've got a 15 mile round trip commute that I do 5 days a week + errands which adds another 1 - 5 miles a day. On top of that, I like to get in 30-50 miles on Saturday. I try to take it easy on Sundays, but I get bored and ride at least a few miles.

I'm fairly sure that I'm overtraining, because it feels like I'm starting to slow down. I've dropped about 15 lbs in the past month. I've got about 15 to 20 more to go. I put on a good 30 lbs in the past two years from eating fast food once I started college . . .

I've read that protein supplements can help with overtraining. Would it hinder my weight loss though? What are some good brands/types to start with? I'm totally new at this.

Rest really helps with overtraining. Don't do you weekend rides for one week or if you can, just take the whole week off. I take off a week every 5 weeks or so and I always feel so much better.

You can take various protein supplements that are almost calorie free. Look for L-arginine and L-carnitine in your pharmacy.

Unless you have a very unusual dit, you are likely to already be getting more protein than your body can use for muscle maintenance. Heaping on more isn't going to improve things. Muscles need rest to rebuild the damage you do to them while training. Try taking a week off the bike and see if that helps you.

Unless you have a very unusual dit, you are likely to already be getting more protein than your body can use for muscle maintenance.

Gee, I don't know about that. I try to get about 25 grams of protein per meal, and that takes some effort. Aerobic exercise requires a fair amount of protein, more than most other athletes.

As for weight maintenance, just remember calories in calories out.

There are man types out there. You will have to like the taste or you will not take it for too long. Many seem to use whey protein, some use soy, others milk.

My current thinking is that no single source protein supplement is the ideal method to grow new muscle tissue (anabolism) while, at the same time, preventing muscle tissue breakdown in the body (catabolism).

I have come to believe in “mixed” or “fast and slow” dietary protein (except at night where I would take only slow). So, with fast proteins, the amino acids enter the bloodstream fast, stimulating protein synthesis, but also causing the body to divert a significant percentage of the amino acids to the liver, where they are oxidized and used for energy instead of for promoting lean tissue growth. If you combine whey with casein and egg white you can create a sustained release effect. This should help if the reason you are over-trained is you're protein deficient.

As for brands, some that tastes good to me our

ProPeptide by Dorian Yates. Read about it at

http://www.propeptide.com/products/propeptide.html

http://www.dpsnutrition.net/get_item_dr008.htm Seems to have good prices on the stuff.

I also like the taste of Metabolic Drive (Complete or Super Protein shake)

http://www.t-nation.com/category.jsp?categoryID=34&pageNo=1&s=splash

I've read that protein supplements can help with overtraining. Would it hinder my weight loss though? What are some good brands/types to start with? I'm totally new at this.

Have you looked at how much protein you eat already. As well are you making sure that you are taking in enough calories in a day.

Likewise if if you can put on more weight, in muscle, it will help you loose fat. You don't want too many of those pounds that you have lost already to be from muscle.

www.TrueProtein.com , and build your own custum mix, and it's its extremely low-cost.

Unless you have a very unusual dit, you are likely to already be getting more protein than your body can use for muscle maintenance. Heaping on more isn't going to improve things. Muscles need rest to rebuild the damage you do to them while training. Try taking a week off the bike and see if that helps you.

actually excess protein helps is many more ways than mucles maintenance. Not to mention you likely want MORE muscle. It helps with joints, and injury recovery. As an example, I read a study last year that showed burn victims healed faster on a very high protein diet. This is only one of a thousand reasons.

Grab yourself some biotest products. GROW! For all-protein, slow digesting, WHEY for fast digesting protein, and SURGE as a post-workout recovery mix of hydrolyzed protein and carbs. All of ti great stuff IMO.

I've dropped about 15 lbs in the past month. I've got about 15 to 20 more to go. I put on a good 30 lbs in the past two years from eating fast food once I started college . . .Why not just focus on getting your fruits and vegetables. Screwing around with supplements while you are losing weight won't help in the long run......

See the big picture, keep riding, but it take it real easy every other day. You'll get there.

I agree with RC above. Fruits and veggies and fish helped me getting from size 40 to 34 waist.
Performance biking had to wait until my weight was down.
I will bike 10,000 miles this year and have lost no weight this year but my average speed has gone up.

What's your post-recovery nutrition like? You need to get some good calories right after a hard workout - within the first 30 minutes.

I've had better luck with endurox than I had just eating regular food after my long rides.

Eat whey with your gatorade

Eat whey with your gatorade

Or drink chocolate milk. Or have a chicken sandwich and a soda.