Cowman

Im new to the boards..
but I was wondering if any of you guys have any real experience with protein shakes and can offer your experiences? Im quite sure I don't get enough protein in my diet and as im young and like to work out/play sports it seems that I probably need more..
I've been looking at a lot of information online but im trying to decide if its worth the high cost?

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Plan9Senior

To maintain or build muscle your body needs at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. What exactly are your health goals?

Cowman

Mostly to build lean muscle
Im about 6'0 158 pounds right now
I've been working out for about..6 months now, but I've only seen limited gains( I mean, I've had huge gains, but I seem to be stuck as of late, I simply don't seem to be getting any where recently), I believe because im not getting enough protein..I've had experience with being overweight in the past and as a result I've been cautious to eat large amounts of steak etc simply to get the protein from them, and the chicken/fish/soy hasn't been enough

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Plan9Senior

You definately need more protein. For the next day or so start keeping track of your daily protein intake. Make sure it is 160 or more grams per day. CANNED TUNA IS YOUR FRIEND! :P If you cannot reach that goal by the food you are eating, then go buy some protein powder to suppliment what you are lacking (which is what it is for). Be careful what kind you get though. Some are protein with weight gainers, and others are a lot lower on the calories/carbs (which I like). Assuming you are going for lean muscle, stick to one with the lower cals and carbs (some even come with L-glutamine which is a nice bonus).

Gaining muscle takes dedication and patience. Realistically and naturally, you will only be gaining around 5-7 pounds of lean muscle per year at the most if you are training right (and that is only for your first few years of training). Later on you will only be gaining about 2 lbs/year, but at least it is natural and not from an unhealthy drug cycle (I am very anti sterroids). You can always gain more weight by a buld diet and you will appear to gain mass, but it will be mostly fat and water. If you want to try creatine, maybe that will help your muscle growth. I am not knowledgeable on that product because I stay away from it.

Cowman

I agree that staying away from creatine, euphredra, etc are neccessary..I just don't feel its worth whatever risk there may or may not be in taking them..

thank you for your info..
could you perhaps hook me up with a website that has a list of how much protein different foods have in them? Like a protein dictionary or something

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Plan9Senior

If you have a couple bucks I advise going to the bookstore and picking up this little book called 'The Doctor's Pocket Calorie Fat & Carbohydrate Counter". It has litterally everything I can think of in there along with their nutritional breakdown (protein, fat, calories, carbs, cholesterol, calcium, fiber, iron, sodium, caffeine, alcohol are included in the breakdown). This book has been a godsend to me There are other books that are similar that are even cheaper: http://www.save2much.com/buy/search/...rotein_Counter

a1t3r3g0

There's been some good advice in this thread, but I just wanted to point out that I am the same height and same weight (ok, well, 157 pounds accoring to the scale at the gym). I'm sure it's not uncommon, but I just found it pretty freaky.

Cowman

Thx plan9, I'll look into buying a book so my counts are more accurate..


Alterego: Im in the general range of 157, anywhere from 156 to 158, so I just picked 158 as an easy number =)

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BubblegumTeflon

Canned tuna is bad. . .it has scary amounts of mercury, same with most fish now. Avoid it or you could get poisoning and your hair starts to fall out and worse. Try chicken breast and egg whites, shakes are good substitutes but not really the real thing, not like a good meal. George Foreman is your friend

Plan9Senior

Seriously, I have seen 2 of your posts and you have no clue what you are talking about. I don't mean to be rude but please don't give advice if you don't have a clue. You can eat a serving of canned tuna a day and have absolutely no risk of excess mercury. Not only that, but the only people to be concerned would be preganant women

Anibal5

Protein does not have to be expensive. It become expensive if you;
1) Use it as a fuel because you dont eat enough fat, carbohydrates or total calories
2) Use supplements when they are not needed

Try to break your meals into 3 main and 2 snacks and 1 post workout drink. Another option is 3 meals and 3 snacks or even 3 meals and 3 supplement drinks.

If you want a protein supplement look for a whey protein concentrate NOT isolate but a mix of both would be fine. Also a calcium casinate would be ok as well. They should be some of the cheapest. Do NOT get a mix with carbohydrates or extra supplements i.e. creatine. Very rarely is the extras at either;
1) A correct i.e. effective dose
2) Effectively suspended in the mix
3) Of excellent quality when compared to quality if bought seperately

To add your own carbohydrates you can simply go to a keg/home brew shop and purchase some dextrose. This is very fine sugar and mixes very easily with a handshaker.

When at home you can simply use other things like ice-cream, yoghurt, espresso, peanut butter etc ... to add to your drink with a blender to take it to the next level.

Let us all know how it goes.

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BubblegumTeflon

My friend's dad is a nutritionist and every time I see him he's preaching never to eat this stuff, seriously. "Hi, how are you DID YOU EAT ANY FISH?!? YOUWILLDIEDON'TDOIT!!"

Uhm, mercury is bad for everyone, if you think differently then that's fine, feel free to gulp down some thermometers or something.

dannoxxxx

If you are stuck than one of the best things you can do is mix up your work outs. This doesnt mean changing the muscle groups you train each day but the sets you do for those muscle groups.

For example(chest), if you normally start with incline dumbbells and move onto Flat barbell press. Thenyou may do some flies and decline.

Switch up what you do first and/or swap one exercise for another one. Like do some dips or cables or instead of incline dumbbells do incline barbells. Stuff like that works a slightly different region of the same muscle. Therefore bringing more chest muscle fibers into action and the more fibers you work out, the more fuller and stronger you will become.

rodgerd

When you say young, how young? Lots of men are relatively gangly into their late teens/early twenties, and men don't actually typically reach full physical maturity and finish filling out until the late twenties.

That said, I'll second people who suggest looking at ways to enhance protien in your diet, rather than shakes and the like. It's cheaper, for one thing, and investigating your diet will probably leave you healthier all around for another.

And I'll resist the urge to grab my crotch and chant, "I got yer protien shake right here".

a1t3r3g0

I did a quick search on Google.. http://www.google.com/search?q=mercury%20in%20tuna

Pretty much I've found that pregnant women should stay away from canned tuna just to be safe.

Also, everything says for albacore tuna. Now, when it comes to tuna, I have no idea what the difference is between when one goes to buy albacore tuna and when one buys chunk light tuna, but does this mean that you shouldn't worry if all you eat is chunk light? Because that is all I ever eat.. I tried albacore once and I don't like the taste.


Also, the study that the FDA did.. they only tested 48 cans, finding three cans contained mercury above the accepted levels of sale. 3 out of 48, in one test? Is the FDA that limited on funds that they can't test more than 48 cans of tuna???


Oh, and regarding the chuck light.. on this page http://kids-md.com/Tipsheets/133_jul1603/tuna.asp I just read this quote:
"When you look at the canned fish, if that's what you enjoy, then reach a little higher to where the Alaskan wild salmon is, and the sardines are, because that has much less in the way of some of the toxins," Dr. Hightower says. "And if you're going to eat tuna, then chose the chunk light."

So I guess it's a good thing that I've been eating chuck light after all

breid

1gram is not necessary. It depends on you body composition. A 400lbs fat guy would not have to eat 1gram per lbs of weight. On the other end Look at a baby? Get what you can from food and suppliment a little each day. I suppliment a little over 50 grams a day and I weigh 245 solid and growing. Oh yeah I'm 5'10

Plan9Senior

In all due respect, you are wrong. Let me explain this more clearly for you. To maintain your muscle or to grow muscle you need about 1.5 grams per pound of your lean body mass, so they basically say to just figure 1 gram per 1 lb of your total weight. To figure that out your lean body mass, you would need to quire your bf%, but like I said, it is more simple to just eat 1 gram per lb of your weight.

Being that you are only 5' 10 and 245, you are obviously very high on the bodyfat %, hell you are actually severely overweight and need to be careful. If you are only taking in 50 grams of protein a day, I am glad you shared this because at 245, you will not be able to keep any of the muscle let alone grow more at the rate in which your protein consumption is at right now.

Eagerly awaiting your reply
-P9

*edit* In a thread below this, you stated that you were 250, which although at that weight 5+or- 5 lbs doesnt make much difference, but just realize that unless you are informed try not to guess your way at giving people advice. From the looks of it (since every thread on this page shows that you have recently responded to it), it seems as if you are just trucking for a high post count. There is a nonsense forum for your needs.

sailor

Milk! Lots of people dont drink much milk, but there is a lot of protein in there... Granted, it isnt the most fat free food, but for $3 a gallon, at 8g of protein per cup, it certainly doesnt hurt to have a glass at breakfast and dinner.

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Plan9Senior

Milk is crap

Sleepyjack

i consume quite a bit of milk, hi-lo mainly, generally a bit more than a litre a day, sometimes a lot more. Which probably isn't good for me, but i love the stuff.

I used to use a protein/energy drink called sustagen that had really good stats (like, high protein, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin A, low fat and so on). Now i sometimes make my own protein drink of just getting 500ml of milk, some banana, 2 eggs and vanilla essence for flavouring. Its cheap and easy to make, and seems to get the job done for me and my fitness goals.

tigerkick

I'd like to share this to all of you..

<center> Top 7 Protein Sources </center>


1. Egg whites -- They may not be as tasty as the whole egg, but they are an efficient protein source.

“Egg Whites are an excellent source of protein, because the protein is instantly absorbed by your body,” says Raphael. “They also have no fat and no cholesterol.”

2. Whole egg -- For years, fear of the cholesterol in egg yolk has made people shy away from this wonderful source of protein. But in moderation, you have nothing to worry about.

“Even though the yolk is high in cholesterol, it is also higher in protein than the egg whites. One of the best sources of protein is the yolk in the egg. A Harvard study, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (April 1999) showed eating an egg a day did not raise the risk of heart disease.

3. Steak -- Beef... it’s what’s for dinner... and it’s what’s for muscles if you want more of them. And not just protein, but creatine and iron and iron as well.

4. Chicken -- Prefer something a little leaner? Chicken is a mainstay in bodybuilder’s diets. Lean cuts of chicken breast have 28 grams of protein, no carbs and only 2 grams of fat.

5. Tuna -- Have you ever seen those dedicated gym rats eating tuna right out of the can? It may seem a little crude, but tuna is a hit for muscle gain, and the convenience outweighs the "lack of decorum." Higher consumption of fish is associated with a reduced risk of some types of stroke among middle-aged women, according to an article in the January 17 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

6. Cottage cheese -- Guys, don’t let your egos get in the way. This may be a staple of women’s diets, but there’s nothing wimpy about eating this high protein food.

“Protein in cottage cheese is of extremely high quality and contains all of the essential amino acids (building blocks of protein) in the amounts proportional to the body’s needs,” says Raphael.

7. Salmon -- If you get sick of tuna but still want to get your protein from the sea, salmon is a great alternative. Postpone your appointment with St. Peter by consuming omega-3-rich fish such as Salmon.

source :

http://www.efitness.com/news/article...8303/code,4169

Plan9Senior

MmmmMMmm, I LOVE my cottage cheese! Its a nice mid-day snack (i eat it every day) and has about 15 grams of protein per serving.

Sleepyjack

cheers for the list tigerkick. Looks like i am gonna have to start invading my mum's stash of cottage chesse

a1t3r3g0

Cottage cheese makes me gag

But I do enjoy numbers 3, 4, 5, and 7.

Plan9Senior

Personally, I love the stuff, but I have one friend who hates it and to force it down (because its so good for you) he mixes a half a pack of sugar-free sweetener and a half spoonfull of unflavored cocoa into his cottage cheese to make it better tasting without adding any fat or calories (and it ends up tasting pretty good too).

djeyeless

Never had a protein shake, but i make them for my girlfriend all the time! She thinks they are tasty, and says that they go down nice and smooth. She has one every morning, and every night. She likes the blueberry ones the best. She is a physical fitness trainer and reccomends them to her clients! They are quick and easy.

1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 scoop protein powder
1/2 cup milk
1 cup fresh fruit (either blueberries or strawberries works great!)

For a dessert, use 1 cup vanilla ice cream instead of milk. YUM.

Plan9Senior

My favorite is Bioplex Chocolate Whey Protein powder mixed with water. Tastes great and is high in protein, low in calories, and only has 2 carbs . Best part is that I buy the glutamine kind which has a nice amount of glutamine in it too.

AP1

concerning protein: muscletech makes a shake called nitrotech which i've been using for about 2yrs with pretty great results. over that time i've managed to gain almost 20lbs of lean muscle mass. granted i lift 6 days a week almost religiously. i have a lot of friends that use other muscletech products with varied results, but we all are using the nitrotech with good results. it should go with out saying that, as with all mass building products, that you should stick to what the label suggests and maintain regular diet and excersize if you want results. good luck to you. hope this helps.

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Cowman

Ok this thread ended up getting a lot of replies thanks for all the suggestions....
I didn't want to spend a huge amount of money going into it, as I don't have very much , so I increased my chicken/beef/egg intake to boost my protein( I havn't brung myself to eat tuna yet =/ ), also I bought some *soy protein* at a health food store...only 14 grams per glass, but it's low on calories ( around 120 ), and when mixed with milk it works out to like 23 grams of protein..

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EleqTrizi'T

That's off. 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight is nothing more than the ideal plan for optimizing muscle growth. You certainly do not need that much to maintain.

bing bing

wheat germ is the vital ingredient for any protein shake.

Plan9Senior

Let me rephrase what I wrote. To maintain muscle while dieting you need at least that amount. Same goes for if you are trying to gain muscle. Even if you are just maintaining your current physique (honestly who falls into this category? ) then you are right about not needing 1 gram per pound, however, you need more protein then you think and it certainly doesn't hurt having it. Being that this thread is about protein shakes, I don't think that it would be an unfair assumption that one who is taking protein suppliments are trying to make a difference in their body and not really "maintaining" what they have, ergo I didn't think that I would have to explain my post as completely as I just had to now... but thanks to you I did

keif

what do you guys think about protein bars? and which brand do you suggest will do that trick...

Plan9Senior

I think they are good for post workout, and only if you are just too short on time to make a meal instead. Remember... they are suppliments, not meal replacements.

almostaugust

Great advice on here guys. Thanks alot.

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ShadowWraith

Well i went to GNC today and got some of their store brand weight gainer/protein stuff one of the staff recommended. I'm pretty scrawny, 5'9, 140 lbs so i figure i'll build some mass before switching to lower calories/carbs. Is this a good idea or should i return it and get something else? Also, the guy told me to take it with meals as opposed to before workouts so im not sure which one i should do. thanks

aa1037

I don't really like bars too much - they don't taste good, usually have more sugar and fat than shakes, and don't go down as easily.

Personally, I reccomend Optimum Nutrition's 100% Whey Protein. 23g of protein per serving, 77 servings in a 5lb jug (only $30!). Plus, it's instantized (more easily digested) - and tastes good with water or milk, or a mix of both.