Protein shakes

[Sgt_Major]

When's the best time to drink these?

Before, during or after a session?

[tekkengod]

i take em prior to workout.

[CosmicFish]

As a general rule of thumb, I have one pre and one post. The pre workout one is complex carbs (milk and oats) and the post workout one is protein and simple carbs (currently RAM, but typically milk, whey powder and glucose). When I bulk, I usually drink milk during the workout as well.

As for which is "best" I have no idea. :D

[Sgt_Major]

:D

At the minute, Im splitting it half + half, before + after....

[Gary]

It depends on your goals, if you're struggling to gain weight then all three are good, if you're losing it then either pre or post workout, split between the two is fine too.

[koolaid]

I take them after, I use to take them before and after but it can get a bit expensive.

hehe last night i did my usual weight work out and then tabata front squats (for the first time)

took a while to recover and get my breathe back, then i started talking to a friend on the phone, after about 20mins on the phone i noticed my body keep twitching all over,realised i hadnt had my protein shake and was sweet after i had it. was kind of funny.

[exothermic]

they say the best time is after... amm if you drinking more than 1 a day then i dont think it matters when you take the other one, but just remember to take one after workout like directly after

[Gary]

This study (http://ajpendo.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/281/2/E197) gets quoted a lot in promoting Pre WO over Post WO shakes, although this is for a combination of carbs and protein not a protein drink.

If money is short then Cosmic's excellent suggestion of mid-workout milk consumption is one I've had great results with, increased strength and size as well as far quicker recovery times. Without it I feel the same difference as I would with a bad nights sleep. This only works for strength workouts in my experience, when I tried it during Muay Thai training it made me feel extremely dehydrated.

[Incredible Bulk]

i take one on waking up

one post workout

one before bed.

i prefer to get a good pre-workout meal such as some complex carbs from a jacket spud etc than taking it in liquid form. Many i know sip a shake throughout their workout.

different strokes for different folks but i never mess with my 3 timings as above

[Jamo2]

So the milk ideas a great idea?
my during-workout drink is still being tested. I used to just drink water, then tried maltodextrin. Didnt see any difference really, just a bit more energy.

Might try the milk. mmmm

[Incredible Bulk]

So the milk ideas a great idea?

no, i never use protein powders with milk... the caesin slows everything down absorption wise plus cow milk is for calfs, not humans. :p ;)

my during-workout drink is still being tested. I used to just drink water, then tried maltodextrin. Didnt see any difference really, just a bit more energy.


thats what your supposed to see :D
what were you expecting?!!!

[harhar]

no, i never use protein powders with milk... the caesin slows everything down absorption wise plus cow milk is for calfs, not humans.

Maximizing the absorption rate of protein is overrated. It won't make any difference in the long run to put milk in your shake. Chocolate milk works very well as a post workout drink.

Theres no reason to skip milk if you're not lactose intolerant. I would drink a gallon a day to get some easy calories in if I weren't lactose intolerant.

[TheCount]

Personally I am a believer of if you are eating well a shake shortly after your workout as a recovery boost when you go to sleep is all you need.

The use of milk in the shake in terms of absorbtion is debateable... for most people it will make very little difference. Milk tends to make unflavoured whey many times more bearable too

[Tom@Foresight]

I normally say take your protein shake post workout!

[spirez]

no, i never use protein powders with milk... the caesin slows everything down absorption wise plus cow milk is for calfs, not humans. :p ;)

I hope you don't use whey protein then..

I've always been told to take protein powders with milk as the fat helps the synthesis of the protein somehow. Think it's something to do with fat increasing anabolic hormones. Kind of makes sense as all natural protein sources are accompanied by fats, but i don't know the science of it.

[Incredible Bulk]

whey is a by product of processing milk, it is not the same as drinking milk.
Caesin protein powder on the other hand is similar to drinking milk... ;)

i have been drinking whey shakes with water for a while now and it didnt hinder my muscle gains, i just know that water is easier to pass through the system than milk.

each to their own, i prefer to avoid asking my stomach to digest something it is not designed for.

[spirez]

Do you believe in the paleolithic diet too?

[Incredible Bulk]

Do you believe in the paleolithic diet too?

lol, trying to put that diet into modern times can be a hard task unless you live soley on meat and vegetables you know havent been touched by chemical process.

but i will, where neccesary stay away from processed garbage found in the middle aisles of supermarkets. I mainly stick to the outsides, fresh meat, veg, wholemeal bread

[spirez]

I don't really go for it myself but another friend who doesn't drink milk swears by it. They don't have bread either for the same reason that the body is not predisposed to digest it.

And they believe in metabolic typing where they only eat foods native to England. Not sure if this is the same as paleolithic though?

[Incredible Bulk]

i dont go that far, wholemeal bread with some scrambled eggs hits the spot...

cows milk is just not something i see appealing to drink, it serves no need other than calcium (due to poor eating habits), forfilling habits past down to us from previous generations of using milk, and taste.

if they can make knitting needles out of caesin then it makes you wonder

[Gary]

Milk is tasty :D

I like it for longer workouts, some sessions will run close to a couple of hours and the idea of drinking milk peri-workout to fight catabolism appeals to me. I have no problems getting through 4 or even 6 pints in a workout. Without the milk I feel weaker and don't recover as well. Each to their own I guess.

[Incredible Bulk]

Milk is tasty :D

Without the milk I feel weaker and don't recover as well. Each to their own I guess.

all in your head ;) :)
Took me a while to come off it, weetabix with water was a good start :cry:

[CosmicFish]

all in your head ;) :)
Took me a while to come off it, weetabix with water was a good start :cry:
Water and Weetabix and Squats. Doesn't have the same ring. :D :Angel:

[spirez]

all in your head ;) :)
Took me a while to come off it, weetabix with water was a good start :cry:

Now that's just wrong!

[Incredible Bulk]

its either that or oatmeal with water :p

[Gary]

its either that or oatmeal with water :p
Oatmeal with water is tasty, oatmeal with marmite is an acquired tasty :)

[Prophet]

Ideally you want your blood amino acid levels elevated pre, during and post workout. But If I could only pick one it would be post. Just because of your bodies increased absorbtion abilities in the post work out period.

[Jack_Brando]

you know they taste really bad...just dont take them. But if you must it doesnt matter weather before or after, because its not going to work instantaly, takes a day or two buddy. I would say after words because i dont want some shake sloshing around in my belly when im training.=)

[Roual]

May have missed the mark here, but I though that taking whey protein shakes post workout were better because of the increased insulin sensitivity and faster absorbition of the protein.

Also, if you read some of Chad Waterbury's stuff, he recommends a carb / protein ration of 2 / 1 as a pre workout shake.

[blessed_samurai]

All things considered-the most important aspect is what you're consuming in the 24 hour period of your training. If your preWO is great or your PWO is great and the rest is crap, then nil is happening.

That being said, protein generally takes 3-4 hours to break down. You add in fiber, carbs, and fat and you've got a much longer lasting breakdown. And then you still have concentrations much longer than that. Essentially a pre-WO meal a couple hours before training consisting of fiber and protein will do you well through training and into after training. Fat free chocolate milk PWO, followed by a whole meal 30-60 min later.

[Incredible Bulk]

apart from the chocolate milk shake i'm nodding away :D

most people get tied up in the science and not enough in the application or proper training and dieting.

many get hung up thinking this far into it will get them huge, but they often miss the basics of eating to grow and lifting like a mad man lol.

[Incredible Bulk]

if you look at the bodybuilders from the 40's - 60's, they were huge even by todays standards... and they were working with limited supplements (whey was new) and they mainly relied on their diets.


and yes i know they were on steroids back then, dont rely on that arguement ;)

[SickDevildog]

When's the best time to drink these?

Before, during or after a session?
I drink one first thing in the morning, and one before going to bed.

The other 2 are pre and post workout.

[Jamo2]

all in your head ;) :)
Took me a while to come off it, weetabix with water was a good start :cry:


Well i dont know, tried milk while working out for the first time the other day.
Did a new personal best on squats, then went on to shrugs and benching.
You know that "i just trained" feeling, i didnt get that like i usually do, walking to the car like a Baby giraffe or anything, and then i was fresh to train again the next day if i wanted to.
Dont try it till youve knocked it

[Incredible Bulk]

its all personal opinion though with both our stances, it could be attributed to something else in your diet or simply the placebo effect.

if it works for you, dont change it :)