Protein Supplements

Body2Shape

Protein Supplements is an excellent means of getting vital nutrients into your body whether it be pre\post workout out, first thing in the morning\last thing before bed or even during the day as a meal replacement.

However, for your shakes to work productively toward your fitness goals it is essential that you understand what to take and when!

These days, there is a vast selection of protein supplements available on our shop shelves. The majority with varying goals in mind such as, Weight and Muscle Gain, Fat loss and muscle gain, Power and Speed improvers, Strength gainers etc.

For those new to Protein, the notion of walking in to your local supplement store and attempting to chose a product to suit your needs can seem daunting. Don’t worry though, hopefully by the end of this article you will have a sound knowledge of protein supplements from Whey protein isolates to meal replacement shakes!

The information regarding the effectiveness of the product is sourced from the Nutritional information and ingredients label which all supplements have.

One should not be impressed by the label and the many false claims often made by supplement companies. We have all seen the “gain 20 lbs of muscle mass in week!” labels which unfortunately are untrue.


"So, how do I know which protein is best suited to my needs?!"

Overall you should look for a product with everything in it whether your trying to gain weight and muscle or lose fat and build muscle. For instance, a product with;

Requirements:

5-10 grams of glutamine
A good isolate protein for fast absorption
All 20 Amino acids to rebuild muscle
High dose of the 3 BCAAs (leucine, iso-leucine, Valine)
Maltodextrin\Waxy Maize Starch as a means of replenish your depleted carbohydrate stores

With this in mind it's now time to gauge how many Calories, Carbs, Protein and Fats you require from your protein shakes. This all depends on your goals.

If your trying to add weight and gain muscle mass you should aim for 500-900 calories as a post work out and meal replacement shake. This should include the above ‘requirement’ ingredients.

If you wish to gain muscle mass and lose/maintain body fat you should go for a 300-400 Calorie shake for post work out and a meal replacement.

For both goals I would recommend a Low Calorie Whey isolate first thing in the morning to prevent your muscle cell breaking down (catabolism) due to the long fast when you sleep.

Also, 3-5 whole eggs or casein protein before bed to prevent catabolism.

At a typical diet would look like the following;

Meal 1 – Whey Protein w/glutamine then your Breakfast
Meal 2 - (post workout) – High Calorie Shake 500 Cals
Meal 3 – lunch
Meal 4 - Dinner
Meal 5 – Meal replacement or Weight Gainer Shake w/banana
Meal 6 - Supper
Meal 7 – Eggs or Casein Shake


Types of Protein Powders:


Whey Protein

Whey protein is a protein derived from casein, the protein found in cows milk. There Are Two Kinds Of Whey Protein - whey concentrates and isolates.

Concentrates - are about 80% pure protein. They are cheaper, and may not have as smooth a taste as isolates.

Isolates - Isolates are at least about 90% pure protein. They are more expensive, and may have a better taste. This form of whey can be produced in 3 ways:

Ion-exchanged - this is the standard WPI. Impurities are removed, but so are beneficial peptides that are included in WPCs.

Micro-filtered - this is kicked up a notch. The whey is filtered to an isolate, but the peptides that are in concentrates remain in tact.

Hydrolyzed - this is micro-filtered whey kicked up a notch. It goes through another filtration process that breaks it down more and makes it quicker digesting.


Casein Protein

Casein is a slower digested protein which can maintain elevated amino acid levels for up to 6-7 hours as oppose to Whey protein which usually keeps levels up for 3-4 hours.

It is for this reason that this product is suitable before bed as it releases protein slowly into the night which prevents muscle breakdown.

Hope this Info Helps!

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