A lot of people want to know about protein powders. But you are not too sure exactly what kind of protein powder is best for you and how to use protein powder effectively...
Well, that is why I wrote this article for you! :)
Whey Protein With Creatine
And sure... we wonder if protein powder really works if you are skinny and want to become a bodybuilder.
So many questions and I will try to answer them satisfactorily for you. Without the hype... nonsense... and confusing crap that bodybuilding magazines and your even more confused bodybuilding buddies tend to spout as gospel.
And oh yeah... I assume you been to your local bodybuilding supplements store... and oh boy! It is so confusing. You COULD ask questions from the store owner or employee... and usually... they don't know much more than you!
So the purpose of this article is to educate yourself on the kinds of protein powders and whether or not they are effective.
To start it off... you DON'T need protein powders to become a bodybuilder. However, it means that you will have to consume VAST amounts of quality foods to equal the protein and calories that a typical protein shake can give you. If you want my opinion... get the protein powder... it is going to make life way easier for you.
Also -- relatively speaking the protein and calories that a protein shake can give you is a bargain! If you choose to just eat good quality foods high in protein... plan to spend a lot of more money!
But I have to hasten and dissuade you from completely or even mostly substituting your solid, whole foods with a protein shake. Because dude... your body wasn't designed to digest liquid foods. That is why protein powders are called "supplements." You can supplement your healthy eating food plan with protein shakes but don't go overboard here...
And most of your protein foods should be meat, fish, poultry and eggs. And to become a bodybuilder... you are going to have to eat at least six times a day! And that might not always be convenient for you to prepare meals all day. That is when the protein shakes come in. But as a rule of thumb, try not to exceed forty percent of your daily intake of protein and calories from the protein shakes. Don't go overboard here.
When you combine the whole foods with protein supplements... you are getting a much better balance of nutrition. Also, cooking for yourself six to eight times a day can be a royal pain in the rear... if you know what I mean!
Your next question would probably be this... do protein powders work and are they healthy for me? In short, the added protein from the shake WILL help you make muscular gains. That is a given. Also, protein is healthy and is NEEDED for your body to grow and repair itself. I could get into biology and explain how the building blocks of life and such... but you could do that yourself by Googling...
If we went back to your local bodybuilding supplement store... we are going to find dozens and dozens of different brands of confusing arrays of protein powders. So begging the question... are all protein powders created equal?
No, they are not!
And it isn't a good thing. Lot of protein powders have artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharin. Others have fructose and artificial colors. Those items are unhealthy for you. And many folks react... badly... to artificial sweeteners... including myself. And it is extremely hard to find a brand that doesn't have all those things. I get my supply from the Internet with a very good suppler.
So you SHOULD avoid chemicals and other man made stuff that doesn't belong in your body. But sometimes you don't have a choice or don't care... in that case... you won't have any problems selecting a protein powder for yourself.
And I want to talk a little more about fructose. It is a refined carbs that just jacks up your blood sugar which screws up your metabolism and gets you fat. Avoid any protein powders that contain fructose, sucrose or brown rice syrup.
As a rule of thumb... the best tasting protein powders are probably the ones you want to avoid. That is unfortunate but there are ways around it when you buy protein powders that are natural and healthy. You can blend them with berries, fruits and even almond butter to improve the taste.
The next important question you are going to have to ask is how much? Truth be told... you SHOULD be eating protein in every one of your meals. They say you should eat at least one to one and a half gram of protein per pound of lean body mass. It does involve some math. For instance, if you weight about one hundred and fifty pounds and have ten percent body fat. That means you probably have about one hundred and thirty five pounds of solid lean muscles. You SHOULD be eating at least 135 to 205 grams of protein each day.
Personally, I think the best time to drink a protein shake is before, during and after you workout. It is easier that way because you really don't have time the sit down and eat a meal. Also... protein powders are more readily absorbed by the body when it needs protein quickly... such as while working out.
Which leads to the #1 rule for skinny guys who want to gain muscle mass. NEVER TRAIN HUNGRY! To do so means you are an incredible dork. While working out... your muscles need energy and it is going to get it from somewhere. If you don't have any store of protein in your stomach... your body is going to rob from Peter to pay Paul... that right... your body will metabolize it's own muscles for the protein and calories to support your workout! It makes no sense to workout if you have NO CHANCE of getting bigger... right? RIGHT!
Ok... now let's talk about the different kinds of protein powders out there:
You have your Whey protien which is easily digested by your body. It is the perfect protein shake to use in your before, during and after workout nutrition.
Then you have your Casein protein powders. This is another good source of quality protein... however, this protein is slowly digested by your body. It would be good for one of your meal replacement supplements. But not ideal for your workout nutrition.
I should mention soy protein. It is pretty controversial because some folks are so deadset about soy being the miracle wonder of our modern world. But I don't think so. There are a lot of science that shows soy isn't a healthy choice. I just as soon just avoid this source of protein powder and choose another one...
You also have protein blends which can be good because you will get the full spectrum of slow and fast digested proteins. Again, don't use these protein powders for your workout nutrition. Stick with the whey protein powders.
There are also whey hydrolysates, which can also be called hydrolyzed whey protein. Or they can also be called peptides. All means the same. This type of protein is absorbed the fastest by your body. This type of protein is excellent for your before, during and after workout protein shakes.
You may also wonder about whey isolate? Generally speaking, most of the whey protein powders are a mix of whey concentrate with a small amount of whey isolate. Whey Isolate is more expensive than the whey concentrate. That is because it is a more pure form of protein. It has more protein and less fat.
The choice of the mix will be up to you. The advantage of more whey isolate is that it is a better protein source for your body. The disadvantage is the price.
This is what you should do. Pick a protein powder that has whey hydrolysate as the 1st or 2nd ingredient on the label for your before, during and after workout protein shake. And use a blend protein to use any other time for a full spectrum of slow and fast proteins.
That's it! You should know enough to be dangerous! (just kidding!). Hopefully, this article puts protein shakes outside of the "black box" that many folks tend to put them in. You should be able to make a good decision of which protein powders you will be getting to help build your muscle mass.