Protein
 

There are a ton of different types/brands of Protein Shakes out there. What would you guys recommend? Either something as a breakfast thing or just something after i get done riding.

I'm looking to lose weight and bike more, not necessarily be a body builder. If any of that helps.


Thanks.

I started taking a whey protein a few months ago after asking pretty much the same question you did. It is a whey protein that I mix in a smoothie with acidophilus yogurt, some pieces of fruit, glucosimine and condroitin (bad spelling) and unsweetened cranberry juice. I drink it after the ride.

I found a web based trainer named Gary Moller, www.healthandlifestyle.co.nz

He advises to do training rides on an empty stomach under the premise that your body will learn to draw energy from fat stores. This will probably draw some comments from some of the people who view this thread. There are some strong, opinionated people here. Its like liberals vs. conservatives. Choose the ones that make sense to you and get going.

COSTCO sells EAS Protein powder. Thats my source. Hammer nutrition also seems to be a favorite.

Training on an empty stomach would only serve to teach you how to ride with less energy, so that when you provide yourself the nutrients you need you'd feel like a new rider. This doesn't sound like a "sound" philosophy.

Let me explain a couple of things with proteins. First, lets focus on three different types of protein powder (This is being overly simplified). First, you have Whey. Whey protein powders will be a quickly absorbing protein, it goes in, your body can begin to readily hog it down, but before you know it, it's gone (~2 hours, give or take). Second, you have Casein protein powders. Caseinate protein is going to be alot like cottage cheese, matter of fact it's "good" for you to eat cottage cheese before bed. These Casein proteins break down much slower. While the Whey protein began being absorbed in 15 minutes and only lasted 2 or so hours, the casein protein begins absorbing slowly over a half hour, but doesn't stop for several hours, 4-6 hours depending on your body's digestion and metabolism. This is why casein is good to take before bed, during a time your body is left without anything to sustain itself. The third type of powder is going to be a blend of these two. It will have whey protein which will jump start your absorption of protein, while the Casein protein will give you the longer lasting protein feeding source. You may draw a comparison here to a complex carb vs simple sugar. All the energy at once, or sustained energy?

That said, a whey protein is very beneficial at breakfast and immediately after a strenuous workout. It's almost immediate uptake stops the catabolism that your body endures over night, and prevents the body from becoming catabolic and eating its muscles for protein following a workout.

Whey protein is dirt cheap, and can be a great addition to a workout routine. Really, the primary difference between protein powders (aside from whether its whey, casein, soy, egg, or a blended protein) is the flavor (which also can add unwanted sugars) and whether it also contains amino acids, vitamins, and minerals too. Many will come combined with Glutamine, BCAA's, among other things, but you can also easily just get a basic protein-and-nothing-but just about anywhere for cheap. The cheapest stuff will taste like your riding shorts, so I would recommend spending an extra 4 or 5 dollars and making it a more enjoyable experience.

Tiarnon-thanks for your more seasoned response. I bought some Hydrolyzed Protein last weekend from GNC. The rep. there said it was easier to digest and goes to work faster. I did a Google search when I got home. It seems there is controversy about the benefits of Hydrolyzed Protein. Are you familiar with the problems and did I fall for a sales routine?

I am probably in minority, but unless your diet is completely elfed up there really no reason why you can't get enough protein from it.

Protein is just marketing, I'm tellin' ya.
If you want to lose weight, why would you want to drink a high calorie beverage that wont keep you full for a reason you don't fully understand? (marketing).
If you feel like you need protein so bad, why can't you just slam some cottage cheese or a piece of chicken with some brockarock and at least feel FULL for the calories you consume?

This is a great response to pay attention to. Really, there's little to gain from taking protein supps that you can't already get from your food anyways with a balanced diet eating 5-6 meals a day (smaller, more around the clock). However, esp for people like me getting ready to head to work at 5:30, it can be hard to get up and cook those 2-3 eggs when you could be sleeping like a baby instead. So...a protein shake will suffice. And immediately after a workout, the faster the nutrition arrives, the better.

It is true, you buy a fitness magazine and you're PAYING to look at 50% adds for different products. And most of it is hype. As you can already tell, there's SO much marketing and its all silly. If you want whey, just look for a basic whey protein isolate, I'd go with an EAS, BSN, MetRx just because they would taste a little better then your GNC/Vitaminworld/walmart bottom barrel, like eating ground up leather, stuff.

Are you taking a multivitamin? For an active male, a multivitamin is def something you would want to be taking. And if you're a busy body on the go, a protein shake may be just the thing to keep yourself sustained.

Check out Syntrax proteins. http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/syn/syn.htm

They are by far the best tasting I have found. The only thing I've found that tastes better after a long brutal group ride than the chocolate protein shake I have on ice in the cooler is an actual bottle of chocolate milk that has several hundred more calories in it.

The GNC brand proteins are very low quality and usually more expensive than those you can purchase on-line.

You can sub some spelt flour into normal baking for white flour or even whole wheat. Lower gluten and way higher protein content.

I have nothing against supplements, but I'm starting to believe that real food is often a good idea, and it's sort of more enjoyable than the whey protein/recovery drinks I've run across. Chocolate milk is considered to be a pretty good recovery beverage, and I enjoy it a heck of a lot more than whey protein. :)

I just recently started tracking what I eat and I was shocked at how much protein I get! I rarely eat red meat, make chicken once a week, fish two or three times, the rest all vegetarian and still I'm getting a ton of protein. I had been drinking a whey protein shake after hard workouts, but I think I'm going to stop that now that I've seen how much I'm getting from regular food.

Now my question is, what should I have for my post-workout breakfast, at least on hard days (2 hours of tempo intervals)? Right now I've been having a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries, and a protein shake. According to the daily plate, the oatmeal is 210 calories, has 47 grams of carbs, and 7 grams of protein.

I keep reading about how whey protein is easily absorbed and that's why it's good to have right after a workout, but what's a good alternative? Would nonfat greek yogurt work?

I agree 100%. I have a food science, & nutrition background.

I think it is really genius how the supplement companies have managed to convince athletes & trainers that their products will not only benefit them but are totally necessary. It may go done in history as the greatest con job ever.

Whey used to be thrown away daily by the ton. Its a byproduct of making cheese. Of all the dairy proteins it is by far the least complete and least beneficial. You would be much better off drinking a glass of whole milk after a workout than making a shake with whey.

Not only would it work, it would probably taste better to.Honey drizzled on Greek yogurt on top of oatmeal = smile on your face.

Yes, I love the stuff and eat it daily, but right now it's one of my mid-morning snacks. Will move it to breakfast and find something else to snack on at work, and skip the protein shake. Now the problem is that snacks with protein makes me feel fuller longer, but I'm already getting plenty of protein...

Okay, so really, how much protein is too much (at around 120 lbs)? I'm training a lot (cycling and some weights) and trying to put on muscle, but on a lot of days I'm getting well over 125 grams--yesterday was 175 (out of 3k calories on a 4-hour ride day).

I despise Greek yogurt, the flavor/texture is just -not- for this guy. Though it is def better for you then regular yogurt. Grats to those of you who can tolerate the stuff.

It is absolutely true that, given the time and capacity, getting your proteins from whole sources (Eggs, chicken, steak, whatever) is going to be more beneficial. The unfortunate fact is that many folks (myself included) can't, won't, or just plain don't get up early enough to fix ourselves a proper breakfast in the morning. Thus, in this instance, slamming a quick whey/whey & casein blend shake to get by is def better then nothing. Then you have post workout. This one people don't have nearly as much of an excuse for, but it is justifiable.

You all are right though in that you don't "need" a protein drink. Unless you're Jay Cutler or Ronnie Coleman-size, you can most certainly get your protein by dietary means alone. But at times, they can be very beneficial! And no joke, if you haven't had a shake in a while, there are some REALLY good tasting ones out on the market if you don't require a zero-carb protein mix.

Around 100 - 120 grams of protein a day has been proven more than adequate for endurance athlete recovery. But it all depends on your goals, really.