Protein Query

JFL

g'em... sorry bout starting to waffle before!

any advice on the protein stuff though? im under the impression that there's no point in taking any supplements unless i do a serious amount of training. am i right?

Dragan

Depends on the goals, protein will help support growth and recovery from sessions.

If your looking to add substantial size or strength are doing some pretty awful things to yourself in the gym then upping you protein to higher than "average" levels is always a good idea.

However, even then the majority of your protein should be coming from wholefoods.

I'd imagine if you looking to just maintain you current size then what you doing sounds good, based on info from the other thread.

g'em

no worries JFL, and starting you a new thread here to keep the stickies clutter free! (I'm a bit organised like that...)

You need to assess your diet before you start looking at supps. Protein supplements in particular are really only necessary if you feel you really can't get enough protein in your normal food intake, or you like using the shakes for convenience.

As a rough guide, try to get some form of protein in with every meal (5 or 6 times a day). If you have that covered, you're laughing. You'll see lots of different amounts of protein that an athlete/ lifter needs to get in a day, but as a starting point you can't go wrong with 1g of protein per lb of body weight. A couple of eggs, a couple of portions of meat and some milk should cover that no prob.

EileenG

If you are not trying to put on weight, and are doing normal (moderate intensity) exercise, then you don't really need protein supplements.

However, if you are lifting weights hard, or doing any other exercise very intensely, then you might benefit from a whey shake after workouts. You don't need to go overboard, around 30g of whey is plenty for most people.

Your best bet really is to try to make sure that all the meals you eat have a quality protein in them. Eat an egg or two for breakfast, and get plenty of fish in your ordinary meals.

JFL

christ the replies are quick! i was taking the whey shakes after workouts but i was getting sick of them and it was so much hassle. i actually prefer mackerel and other fish to the shakes but wasn't sure if i was getting enough out of them.
im waiting til the new year to get back into heavy training because i wanted to wait until my weight had remained constant for a few months before i started. any of this make sense?

rubadub

i was getting sick of them and it was so much hassle. i actually prefer mackerel and other fish to the shakes but wasn't sure if i was getting enough out of them

Some would define supplement as something in addition to your normal diet. I like whey shakes, and like the thickness it gives museli, so I see it as part of my normal diet now. Chicken was always part of my "normal diet", but not 6 fillets day, which I could eat now.

Some will drink cartons of fruit juice after a workout to up their simple carbs levels, these people might never otherwise drink fruit juice, opting for fresh fruit instead (for fibre, nutrients etc). In my mind this is supplementing your normal diet with a processed foodstuff, just like protein. Fruit has been processed and refined to make it consist of mainly carbohydrate/sugar, in just the same way milk has been refined, processed and dried to produce a foodstuff that is high in protein. I read a lot of ingredients labels and whey powder is probably in more foods than you think. I wonder at what stage do you cross the line of defining a foodstuff as a supplement or being “normal food”. If tradition held that people mixed whey powder with water to have on cereal, and milk was only mainly on sale in BBer type supply shops then people would might be calling milk a supplement, and never use the word supplement when describing whey.

A good broad variety of proteins is what I aim for. I have read studies that were suggesting that even a little whey can go a long way in promoting muscle growth. It is a great protein for muscle growth, and with a variety of others should aid you well.

JFL

so i should incorporate more high protein foods into my normal diet and have a shake after workouts. makes sense, thanks

BossArky

JFL wrote: »

so i should incorporate more high protein foods into my normal diet and have a shake after workouts. makes sense, thanks

Yep, in case you are looking for protein ideas:

- tuna,
- chicken
- almonds
- eggs
- milk