Protein Shakes - Yes or No?

[TD Moose]

I skip protein shakes and other preparations tailored for sports recovery. Instead I have chocolate Ovaltine mixed with 12 oz of 2% milk. In addition to that, I'll eat a fistful of mixed nuts. I compared the nutrition information to a few sports powders and it is remarkably similar. The chocolate milk and nuts is cheaper and tastes so much better.

 

[Longboard]

When I was a little kid I didn't wan't to eat "The Yellow" in my fried eggs, but my parents told me I had to, that all the nutrition was in there. I learned to love yolks by the time I was a teen, but during high school the egg yolk/cholesterol/early death from heart attack scare was in full bloom. I then started to avoid eggs. Around 1980 I started eating egg whites for protein but never having been a waster of food I found others to donate the yolks to.
I still can't get myself to waste food, but through strong effort I make an exception with the yolks. It's the only food I ever throw away, I eat apples down to and including the core, and toast the stale bread that the rest of the family refuses to eat. When my wife is done cleaning and cutting vegetables, I eat what she considers garbage. And despite my good intentions of not planning on eating bacon double cheeseburgers, when a son leaves 1/4 of a huge juicy one on the plate during a restaurant meal I just can't resist not letting it go to waste even though I've completely finished a giant salad. So much for feeling guilty about having eaten even the yolk that was in the salad! All those little yellow balls down the drain for the month and I cave in for the burger. I try.

 

[NickW]

Lol Board!

 

[Bare Lee]

Like Mr. R. Bondi, I generally subscribe to the notion that processed food is crap, but if enough people reported positive results with protein powder, I might give it a try. I usually run or lift at the end of the day, and then eat some kind of animal flesh for dinner shortly thereafter, so I get a lot of protein soon after my workouts. Still, might be worth considering substituting a cup of whole milk for my post-workout, pre-dinner bottle of Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA. It's probably really bad to introduce a mild toxin like alcohol into the system so soon after stressing it, and I've read somewhere that recovery can't begin until your body first oxidizes all the alcohol out of the system.

 

[Sid]

Like Mr. R. Bondi, I generally subscribe to the notion that processed food is crap

I try to differentiate between the types of processing. For example, nondenatured whey protein isolate is mechanically processed, so the nutrients should remain intact and unchanged.

Some things are essentially food industry byproducts processed and altered to resemble food.

Others are chemically altered or contain chemical additives.

Probably, the most insidious type of processed food is the modernization of wild vegetables over the centuries to make them more commercially viable, at the expense of taste and nutrients.
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/05/26/opinion/sunday/breeding-the-nutrition-out-of-our-food.html

 

[migangelo]

eat the yolks. fat is good for you and carries many vitamins your body needs. cholesterol is the building block of hormones that your body makes. every cell in your body is lined with cholesterol. it's what keeps us from being watery blobs. there is no connection between cholesterol and clogged arteries. that was just a guess and was carried to the masses with no proof.

i also eat apple cores and anything left on the table. except bread. that's rare.

milk is best left for babies, from their mother. drinking milk from another animal, insane. if i makes you happy though then don't worry what me or anyone else says.

 

[Bare Lee]

I try to differentiate between the types of processing. For example, nondenatured whey protein isolate is mechanically processed, so the nutrients should remain intact and unchanged.

Some things are essentially food industry byproducts processed and altered to resemble food.

Others are chemically altered or contain chemical additives.

Probably, the most insidious type of processed food is the modernization of wild vegetables over the centuries to make them more commercially viable, at the expense of taste and nutrients.
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/05/26/opinion/sunday/breeding-the-nutrition-out-of-our-food.html

Excellent points, thanks, and thanks for the link!

I like the Nutrabio whey protein isolate ...

Talked me into it! I just ordered the 2-pound container.

P.S., you running much these days Sid? Haven't seen report mileage for many a moon.

 

[barefoot kean]

I use Optimum Nutrition gold standard whey protein on occasion. Its awesome.

 

[mokaman]

No protein shakes for me...never even tried before...I just eat regular food, don't really see the need for anything special. Definitely eats lots of eggs...rarely do I go to the trouble of separating the yolks and whites then I only cook the whites and put the raw yolks on top of the cooked whites...that's too much trouble normally though.

 

[Sid]

Talked me into it! I just ordered the 2-pound container.

P.S., you running much these days Sid? Haven't seen report mileage for many a moon.

I think you'll like it. Several of my coworkers who lift regularly are pleased with it. I like that it's essentially pure unadulterated protein, that I can have post-workout along with my bagel, which is essentially pure carbs.

I did a 5mi trail run a couple of weeks ago, then a 4 miler minshod in my neighborhood on Sat. I took a break from running in Feb to focus on getting better at swimming, and I am now. I've been doing my laps in the morning before work. I like exercising in the AM, so that means I can really only hit the trail on Sat. If I exercise too late, I won't be able to get up at 4A to hit the pool when it opens at 5A. (Swim class is on Sun.) I'm trying to limit my running to natural surfaces to maximize enjoyment and minimize impact and road hazards. Though, I'll need to work in some lifting, too, at some point.

 

[NickW]

I use Optimum Nutrition gold standard whey protein on occasion. Its awesome.

This is what I used to use.

 

[skedaddle]

I like hippy hippy shakes but the Swinging blue jeans, does that count?

 

[Darkand]

Lol, a brilliant mix of replies and opinions!
I've found this and want to give it a try!
http://m.myprotein.com/sports-nutrition/recovery-xs/10529568.html?rbm=a
Protein shake with electrolytes and some carbs for recovery.
What do you think?
I'm looking to use it after long runs only for recovery, so I don't beef up too much.
I want to compare this with eggs and other proteins to see what the difference is, if any!

 

[Sid]

I'm looking to use it after long runs only for recovery, so I don't beef up too much.

Weightlifters work hard to build muscle. Just eating protein without strength training is not going to build muscle, otherwise all the fatties would be ripped from their cheeseburgers and barbeque.

"Seems like everyone at the gym is doing it: filling up on protein to bulk up those biceps. But it's a misconception. Eating extra protein actually doesn't do much toward boosting your muscle mass and strength."
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exerci...ore-protein-help-your-body-gain-muscle-faster

I use protein powder because I can buy 15lbs of it at discount and keep it in the pantry. It takes seconds to dump a scoop in a drink container with ice and keep in the car for after my workout. This saves me time from shopping, cooking, baking, grilling, whatever. Same reason why I have a bagel post workout.

 

[spoonerweb]

Tea eggs??

Tea eggs are hard boiled eggs that are then slightly cracked and soaked in a mixture of strong tea and soy sauce. I think they are best eaten hot, so I usually buy mine at 7-11 instead of making them myself. Most I have ever eaten in one sitting was 12.

I usually eat the eggs after my morning run, so anything I eat then is more dry than usual.

 

[Sid]

I've found this and want to give it a try!
http://m.myprotein.com/sports-nutrition/recovery-xs/10529568.html?rbm=a
Protein shake with electrolytes and some carbs for recovery.
What do you think?

It seems a bit expensive. A lot of those supplement companies provide health/fitness stores free sample packs to give out to their customers. Or they sell smaller sized packs to try out.

 

[happysongbird]

Tea eggs are hard boiled eggs that are then slightly cracked and soaked in a mixture of strong tea and soy sauce. I think they are best eaten hot, so I usually buy mine at 7-11 instead of making them myself. Most I have ever eaten in one sitting was 12.

I usually eat the eggs after my morning run, so anything I eat then is more dry than usual.

I've seen those eggs in 7-11 and they did not look at all appealing!

 

[Longboard]

Weightlifters work hard to build muscle. Just eating protein without strength training is not going to build muscle, otherwise all the fatties would be ripped from their cheeseburgers and barbeque.

The weightlifters need enough protein to support their muscle building, but those that just want massive biceps, pecs, etc. don't have to keep their calories down so they eat a lot of fat with their protein.
The Olympic weightlifters have big bellies which can help them in their lifts.
The bodybuilders need size of course, but they want cuts and rippedness along with a slim waist.
They are the ones looking for protein w/o any excess calories or fat.

 

[Sid]

The weightlifters need enough protein...

I was just reassuring Darkand that he wasn't going to become a musclehead overnight by having a bit of protein after a 13 mi run.

Lot's of people seem to have this misconception that having some protein and lifting a few weights will make you bulky/beefy.

 

[Longboard]

Yeah I knew that Sid, I was just trying to differentiate between weightlifter's and bodybuilder's caloric considerations.
I've always thought that both groups weren't necessarily health oriented.
When I discovered pump & run last month I thought that the combination worked pretty good in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle. You have to weigh light in order to lift a lighter load and be competitive at running, yet you still have to maintain a stronger upper body than the typical distance runner does. May help to reduce loss of upper body bone density as one ages, but who knows.
I do wonder how well the Kenyan elites would do in a pump & run event though!