I'd like to know what those of you who make shakes put into them? I think I might not be getting enough protein, so i'm curious!

I use shakes as a meal replacement and also lift weights to build muscle in addition to cycling and I think I probably add 25 to 35 grams of protein to my shakes with whey protein powder(the higher end after weight training the lower end otherwise). You can also use milk or other types of protein powders.While the right amount for you will depend on a number of factors such as your size, training style or whether its a post/pre training drink etc. I think 25 grams may be a good number to shoot for particularly if your concern about the amount now.For a complete ingredient list of my shakes see the post-training recovery drink thread but note I cycle the fats as well with more post ride .

Chocolate soymilk, chocolate whey protien powder, strawberries or raspberries.

Soy milk, Protein powder (I love my protein), banana, strawberries.

chocolate, chocolate & more chocolate .
Well I've got to keep my weight u Strength up i meant strength

Start with OJ with the pulp, add strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Add a little soy protien. Next 1/2 a banana.
filark

Soymilk, water, a banana, about 25 grams of Soy protein powder and a big splosh of High Juice tropical fruit cordial drunk straight after riding .

Is yogurt, milk, whey, frozen bannana, berries and flax seed oil too much?

Beowulfe...

"yogurt, milk, whey, frozen bannana, berries and flax seed oil"

You fiend! How did you get my Turbo Fart Juice recipe?

BK

Ve half our vays!!

I bike extensively but dont lift weights. as far as upper body workouts, i do about 200 crunches/situps and pushups. can i take protien shakes? I plan to lift when i get my schedule set.

Yeah, sure. Just don't expect it to change much. 0.5g of protein per kg of body weight is plenty, even for body builders. There is no proven benefit and many potential downsides of going above this. Not all proteins are made equal, some are more "bioavailable" than others. Also, some dietary proteins (non-meat derived) are deficient in a number of the 8 essential amino acids (amino acids are the building blocks for all proteins). For example, if you eat 40g of protein completely from beans, only a fraction will be absorbed by your gut and made available to your body. And the fraction you do absorb may not represent the full complement of amino acids you will need manufacture new proteins. The proteins sources that are 99%-100% bioavailable are milk/yoghurt (casein - aka whey protein) and soybeans - I am not sure about the amino acid profiles of these two, but I would always argue for a varied diet to obtain all the nutrients you need. If I remember correctly, an milk has about 1g of casein per 8oz, which means you could drink two 16oz glasses of skim milk/day to get a 0 fat, 32g protein "supplement" for pennies.

When milk is separated to make cheese or extract protein, etc., it separates into two parts - casein and whey. These are not the same thing, and whey protein is actually a much better source than casein.

As for how much total protein to consume .5g/kg is on the low side. For a 80kg man (176 lbs) that would mean only 40g protein a day. Even the USDA (which sets minimum values as the levels necessary to prevent disease, not the levels for "optimum" health) recommends 65 gr/day for a person that size. Increasing your protein intake can help you moderate insulin levels leading to a lower body weight and better glucose utilization for better energy sustainability. Excess protein does cause kidney and possibly liver damage, and high protein foods often contain tons of saturated fat. However, I wouldn't worry as long as you eat 1.0-1.5gr pro/kg body weight per day.