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[XA84 + 434]

Hey guys, 

I'm hoping on the forum there may be some that are in to fitness enough that you can perhaps give advice on protein powders and the such. I started getting fit a while ago which consisted mainly of running but I'm really unhappy with my physique and core strength so have started weight training. I'm wondering if anyone can advise whether it's time to start looking at the various powders on the market to help along with this. 

This is not something I've done before so any help is appreciated. 

XA84

[Golf Delta + 6]

I'm currently completing a Sport & Exercise Science degree at University, so will try and put a bit of information below, if you have any other questions feel free to PM me!

The idea of taking protein as a supplement is to enhance your protein intake (pretty obvious, I know...). Before looking at taking protein powders, I'd look at the possibility of increasing your protein intake via food first (chicken breast, red meats, etc.) before looking at pumping your body with powders. The thinking behind this is that you'd then cut out calories that your body might not be using. For example, swapping out a meal with a high fat content, for a meal with a high protein content would see you increase muscle mass (in theory) and cut out the amount of fat you are digesting. If you feel that it'd be hard/expensive to increase your protein levels through an increased level of protein-rich foods, then powders may be the way forward.

The three main types of protein powder are:

• Whey
• Casein
• Soy

They all have their own advantages and disadvantages, but the key things to know about them are that Whey and Casein powders both come from milk, which wouldn't make them suitable for vegetarians (not sure whether you are or not). Soy is plant based and so would be suitable for vegetarians/vegans. Most websites will provide all of the supplements, with Whey being (generally) the most popular choice.

In terms of when and how much you should take, you should look at taking approximately 20g of (powdered) protein during each sitting. Most sources recommend taking the supplement approximately 30 minutes before beginning exercise and within 30 minutes of finishing exercise. If you'd rather not supplement both before and after, then taking the supplement after would be the most beneficial. 

Finally, in terms of how to mix the protein powder, most choose to mix it with either water or milk. Whilst both are very similar, it is worth noting that if you do mix it with milk, the calorific content of the protein shake will increase substantially. However, do bare in mind that mixing it with milk does make it taste much better!

Hoped the above has helped. As I said, if you have any other questions, feel free to PM me or drop them below.

Edited March 11, 2017 by Golf Delta

[Reasonable Man + 1,231]

Excellent post by Golf Delta.
I am a sports coach and have many participants dabble with supplements.
As GD says, get your normal diet sorted and that will give you 95% of your requirements. Only when you have this sorted do you need to worry about the last 5%.
You wouldn't expect a £200 pair of running shoes to make you fitter than a £50 pair but after sufficient training a decent pair of running shoes will probably shave some time off your race time over a pair of Green Flash.


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[XA84 + 434]

Thanks @Reasonable Man & @Golf Delta

The trouble for me is that I am a vegetarian and so really struggle to get my protein intake as normal. I try to eat quinoa a lot but there is only so many days that this is possible.

(I'll leave the post in here rather than PM'ing anyone so everyone can view it) 

[Reasonable Man + 1,231]

Have a google of Barny du Plessis.


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[Golf Delta + 6]

Being a vegetarian will limit the types of foods you can eat to increase your daily protein intake. However, as @Reasonable Man has shared, it can be done, but will involve eating more foods such as seeds and pulses. BuzzFeed did an article with a list of recipes which are high in protein and also suitable for vegetarians which might be worth checking out.

Also, out of interest, how long have you been doing the weight training for? It'll likely take between 4-8 weeks to notice any changes, depending how often you are working out and what your current diet is like - especially if you haven't used weight training before. 

[XA84 + 434]

Honest answer, I've not been doing them before. Prior to around a month or two ago I had a sheltered life from gyms and fitness however I started running and I'm now catching the gym bug. I've always been unhappy with my physique and core strength as I mentioned in the above strength so I'm hoping to add that into my routine at the gym. 

[Golf Delta + 6]

I'd first give it a go with just using the weights and eating your usual diet, possibly adding more protein to it if possible. It may well be that your current protein intake is high enough and doesn't need supplementing. 

There's no easy way to tell whether using protein powders will benefit your workout, but if after 6-8 weeks you haven't noticed any changes (take pictures of yourself bi-weekly to see any changes - corny, but will highlight the difference) after that time, then consider supplementing with protein using the methods I have suggested above.

[Sir Penguin 648]

Some interesting information in this topic.

I've been training for a while and have always used protein. Usually just have one shake post gym but I eat lots of high protein food which also helps. Thankfully protein tastes much better than it used to so I usually mix mine with water rather than milk. I get mine from http://t-nutrition.com and usually see what's on offer at the time. USN stuff is usually good. If you're not bothered about any of the branded stuff then there are budget brands available like http://myprotein.com which taste just as good. 

I sometimes treat myself to a pre workout but it sends me a bit loopy. I'm not very tolerant to caffeine  

Like Golf Delta has said in all honesty there is no real way to know if they are of any benefit so we're just going off theory. 

[bennett3214 20]

Supplement with impact whey 30 mins before, and within 30 mins after. Around 20-40g of protein. This will help fuel the muscle tissue and hits the anabolic window.

You need to eat 1-2 g of protein per pound of body weight ,and this can be hard to do unless your constantly eating. So two scoops of whey is equal to 40 g usually.

Then use non complex carbs such as white rice for example and some form of protein.m within an hour or so after. Bananas are ideal post workout.

This will refuel the glycogen stores. Works for me.

Hope that helps!

[Ether + 1,393]

Dont forget to check out any supplements you take and be sure you know whats in them, some will make you fail a drug test.

 http://informed-sport.com Informed sport is the recognised organisation for testing supplements in the UK for most organisations.