Whey protein powder / shakes

[MrsJBaptiste]

How many of you use whey protein powder? OH and I have always been fit and exercised but we've really ramped it up recently and have started having whey protein before / after a gym session.

Have you noticed any different to your health, body, muscle aches & pains? OH would like to bulk up but I've already noticed my arms are considerably more muscly and don't want to get too big!

I'm a vegetarian who runs/plays sport/weight lifts. I've really started to pay attention to my protein intake over the last six months (MFP). It was sometimes really low (10-15g a day). Consequently, I use whey powder (and protein bars).

I can lift heavy weights (for my own body weight). I can run well. I have lots of endurance and stamina. I am always satisfies after food and rarely 'starving'. My body fat % has dropped loads.

How much of that would have happened without protein supplements, I don't know.

But you aren't going to suddenly get big from drinking whey shakes. You still have to do the work!

I guess I should ask - why are you supplementing protein (unless you have a dietary deficiency), especially if you don't want bigger muscles?

Another quick question - are you doing isolation exercises with your arms?

Like you, OH and I realised that when we added it up, we were sometimes eating very little protein. We’re not vegetarians but don’t eat meat every day. I thought that as we do a lot of exercise (I also lift weights and do arm / leg exercises in isolation) and I’m low carbing, I needed to take in extra protein!

One of the guys who work at my gym was regaling the benefits of protein powder with regard to repairing muscle after a workout which definitely sounded beneficial. Not that you can tell from my posts but we did actually look into it before starting to use the shakes!

I'd say that if you don't want to have bulky arms, stop doing isolation exercise for them You can get properly toned arms doing compound shoulder and chest exercises (which is what I do). Might be worth thinking of changing your routine?

Thank you! It's so obvious but compound exercises are exactly what I should be doing. I've had a google and I definitely do a mixture of both but will cut out the arm isolation for a while and concentrate on the other weights. I've only recently been brave enough to start doing deadlifts and I love them!

More protein from eggs, milk, fish etc?

Whey is just an easily digested complete protein, there is nothing magical about it. If bought from the right online sources it can be a fairly cheap form of protein but most of the stuff you'll find in the high street is over priced. You'd be better getting your protein from good quality whole foods (fish, eggs, chicken, dairy, meat, nuts, etc etc). That way you are also getting additional vitamins and minerals as well as a slower, steadier supply of protein to your body.

You'll hear all sorts of pseudo-scientific bollox in the gym around nutrition. Much of it has no foundation and the stuff that does offers little meaningful benefit to the average person. Just eat a varied, balanced diet of mainly whole foods and you'll get all you need without lining the pockets of the snake oil supplement industry.

Whey is just an easily digested complete protein, there is nothing magical about it
Complete proteins are quite magical

I have some myprotein chocolate powder after my long run at the weekend. It may be entirely coincidental and/or partly down to just getting fitter. But I used to ache terribly the two days after my long run. Since I started taking them I barely ache at all.

I can't generally face food after a run either so it doubles as my breakfast.

I drink Complan straight after a race or really hard run as also can't face food.

I find amino acids better for me personally. It's the broken down amino chains found in protein. They help repair muscles and made a serious difference to muscle aches for me but a lot less calorific.
So if you've got a balanced diet and are getting enough real food they're very helpful for recovery.
It's easy to bulk a little too much with lots of protein shakes and put fat on as well as muscle.