Protein Powders

[sisiwarwick]

My DS who is 14 is following a YouTuber called Hamza. He is a big advocate for protein powders. My DS is desperate to have abs and build muscle. We eat a lot of meat so he's not short of protein, but DS says he needs it. UK sites are anti it. AIBU to say no?

Could you compromise on some high protein yogurts or bars he could have for breakfast/snacks?

Waste of money.
Buy more eggs and load up on them.
Also fish and nuts.
My wife tried protein shakes when she lost weight, said it was bollocks and she would rather eat more protein than drink calories.
Although I see your ds wants to bulk, but protein shakes will just make him gassy.

Also very expensive and the taste isn't great. He's better off trying grenade shakes (almost 3 quid) my wife loved those. If he wants abs and muscles then strength training with the maximum weights allowed for his age would help.
Given his age though I would er on the side of caution and wait until he's 16 and for now just concentrate on a good diet and do sit ups with a run. Maybe someone more knowledgeable will be along soon.

I get some teen specific protein powders for DS. He does 20-30 hrs of sport a week and was struggling to keep
weight on. These were suggested by his sports nutritionist and he seems to like them.

youthsportnutrition.com/collections/protein?utm_campaign=gs-2018-09-27&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign&gclid=CjwKCAiAkrWdBhBkEiwAZ9cdcMz3JwNYZBmUoAFLiXEu7PRuaa1BDyJB2Mkj7qOhUsGP6kf7_uDVOhoCaAEQAvD_BwE

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with protein powder. It is good for when you’re doing weights/training and struggling to hit your protein goals for the day. If he wants some it needs to be a reputable brand and get flavoured ones otherwise they are disgusting.

What's wrong with protein powder? I have it in my porridge every day to help make sure I get enough protein for weight training.

Nothing wrong with protein powder. I have it in porridge and smoothies to help with weight training also.

There's nothing wrong with protein powder if you are training. If you aren't, its just extra calories and you could put on unwanted fat.

"UK sites are against it" !!! What a load of twaddle.

A protein shake is going to be useless to him unless he's working out doing weights in the gym at least 4 times a week. Tell him to prove he can do the hard part first. He really doesn't need the additional help to start with.

Maybe op can provide links.

My protein have some good flavours choc mint being my favourite

Have a look on my protein it's cheap and protein powder is safe

Protein shakes are absolutely fine. I often have a protein shake instead of breakfast. I do a lot of exercise and it also keeps me off the toast.

Protein shakes are fine for teens but won't replace exercise. Does he go to a gym or exercise at home ?

If you work out they can be great for recovery. At 14 he shouldn’t be lifting too heavy though.

Maybe he could eat raw liver if he wants to get jacked? ;)

I also have a protein shake for breakfast. Quick and easy and I can mix it up with different flavours and adding different ingredients.

Bulk.com have a great variety of powders and often do discounts.

Nothing wrong with protein powder - I would need to eat 6 whole eggs to get the same amount of protein as one scoop!

Visible abs are mainly down to body fat % though.

A lot of my friends use them religiously. I have never been sure. My hesitation lies in the fact that I do not like what is in them besides protein. If I have not discovered the holy grail of protein shakes then please point me in the right direction but I do not want a single non-clean ingredient in mine.

Haven't they been debunked?

I am really into nutrition and most nutritionists that I am reading about advocate boosting protein intake with supplementary amounts if you’re active. I have a protein shake after every gym session. I’ve never seen any UK websites be against protein powder, unless it’s very specifically to say people shouldn’t be having three protein shakes a day and calling that ‘food’. Adding a bit to cereal, a yoghurt, milk etc is great!

Nutritionist uses protein powder

We both have protein powder everyday. No problem with it

Thank you all for your responses. Much appreciated and a lot of food for thought (excuse the pun). Wishing you all a Happy New Year.

Hamza is more than likely affiliated with a company that supplies them.

If he's prone to acne, watch out for the shakes that are whey based, the high amounts of lactose makes it worse. When I took my teen to the dermatologist for Roaccutane as his acne was getting terrible, the first question was 'do you have a lot of protein shakes?'. (He did. )