Protein powders?

One of my goals this spring is to hit the gym and start lifting weights on top of my usual cardio routine.

When it comes to weightlifting, I am very wary and suspicious of supplements. I want to avoid them. However, I hear that protein powder does help somewhat. Is it all hype? I also hear that protein powders are really hard on the kidneys.

If not, what's a good protein powder out there on the market that doesn't taste like it has been strained through my gym socks.

I really like Myoplex. It is more expensive then most but to me the taste is the best. My favorite is Chocolate. I add a little peanut butter to it.

^ I love their Cookies-n-cream!!

Consumer Reports recently tested several protein powders. They found heavy metals (lead, arsenic, mercury, etc.) in most. Here's a link to the article:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...protein-drinks/what-our-tests-found/index.htm

Sounds like the biggest problem (in addition to cost) is a lack of oversight in the manufacturing process. I believe protein powders are considered supplements, not food, so they're not regulated by the FDA.

DSB said:

Consumer Reports recently tested several protein powders. They found heavy metals (lead, arsenic, mercury, etc.) in most. Here's a link to the article:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...protein-drinks/what-our-tests-found/index.htm

Sounds like the biggest problem (in addition to cost) is a lack of oversight in the manufacturing process. I believe protein powders are considered supplements, not food, so they're not regulated by the FDA.

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Good gosh. I might as well just buy several packs of smoked salmon and chow down. Might be better for me.

I can't really comment on protein powder's effectiveness at building muscle or its impact on kidneys, but I can tell you it has worked well for me as an appetite suppressant and post - workout recovery drink. I would advise you to go to GNC or a similar store because they sell powders in small packets. You can sample different flavors this way. Just don't let them hit you up for a Gold Card unless you really want it. They can be quite pushy on the Gold Card thing.

I like the GNC Wheybolic Extreme 60 in chocolate, vanilla, or cookies and cream. I usually do one scoop in water or milk twice per day (it is 20g protein per scoop). IMO chocolate is the only flavor that works in water. You can mix different flavors as well. I have had Myoplex and it tastes good too. I got it at Sam's Club pretty cheap, but my slow rate of consumption meant I was drinking it for months. It got old.

Wow! Just read that Consumer Report article. Scary stuff! Might have to re-think this stuff.

Nothing can take the place of the nutrients you get from food. Items like fish and chicken will be the best way to go for proteins. Supplements are great because they are simple to make and use. I drink a protein shake as soon as my workout is over, usually on the drive home. Myoplex is good, i like there choclate flavors. I really love Syntha 6 Cookies and Cream, and i have Optimum Nutritions Chocolate but haven't tried it yet.

I suggest Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey. I believe it's the best selling protein powder on the market and has been for some time now. They have so many flavors to chose from but I still rock the Chocolate (Double). I've used it consistently now for a couple years with no side effects to speak of. Remember you have a 30 minute window to get the protein on board. I mix mine in a blender with a whole banana and a heaping tablespoon of peanut butter. I don't get all crazy with the supplements either but I do take Jacked 3D which is a pre-workout powder. Most pre-workouts are loaded with high magnesium levels which may give you the loose bowel syndrome (slip ****s). However Jacked 3D does not. Good luck, make sure you ease into it and alway stretch first.

What are your goals? I think that's the most important thing to define and then go from there. If it's just 5-10 lbs of muscle most people can accomplish that just by changing their diet to include additional lean meats.

DolimiteB said:

What are your goals? I think that's the most important thing to define and then go from there. If it's just 5-10 lbs of muscle most people can accomplish that just by changing their diet to include additional lean meats.

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I don't really have any big goals. Just to get toned up.

Honestly, I don't want to get that big. I'm 5'2" and I weigh 130 lbs. Too much muscle would just look rather freakish on me and I would not be able to fit into my church vestments.

I'd probably say 10 lbs of muscle should be good.

The problem is I don't really eat a lot of meat. Just a lot of fish.

Usually after a work out I have a tall glass of almond milk with a piece of fruit.

The fish should be providing you with plenty of protein. I used to drink EAS whey protein after lifting, but got tired of the hassle. Now I just mix up a fruit smoothie consisting of banana, strawberries, blueberries, and yogurt. Other than that, I eats lots of salmon.

A diet high in fish should provide plenty of protein. If you want to gain muscle mass try to up your protein intake through your diet. Chicken is a great source.

The only supplement you might want to consider is creatine, but some people don't like it 'cause it can cause you to feel bloated.

You can munch protein bars but I have yet to find one that doesn't taste like compacted dirt.

Find a trainer or a decent workout program designed for beginners. While the US Men's Health magazine has really declined imho in the area of workouts, the UK edition is very good - Barnes and Noble's magazine section has a digest (well, it's actually a little larger than that) put out by MH UK that has some good stuff in it, you might want to check it out. It should be somewhere near the US and UK editions of the monthly magazine. The other fitness mags are geared to bodybuilders and from the sound of your post I don't think that's the direction you're looking to head in.

Salty O'Rourke said:

A diet high in fish should provide plenty of protein. If you want to gain muscle mass try to up your protein intake through your diet. Chicken is a great source.

The only supplement you might want to consider is creatine, but some people don't like it 'cause it can cause you to feel bloated.

You can munch protein bars but I have yet to find one that doesn't taste like compacted dirt.

Find a trainer or a decent workout program designed for beginners. While the US Men's Health magazine has really declined imho in the area of workouts, the UK edition is very good - Barnes and Noble's magazine section has a digest (well, it's actually a little larger than that) put out by MH UK that has some good stuff in it, you might want to check it out. It should be somewhere near the US and UK editions of the monthly magazine. The other fitness mags are geared to bodybuilders and from the sound of your post I don't think that's the direction you're looking to head in.

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I'll keep that in mind. I'll check out the chicken after Lent ends. For now, I'll probably stick to fish. And I'll look at the mags.

I'm just very wary about the protein powders. Kidney infections run in my family (thankfully I've never had them) and the last thing I would want to do would be to put something in my body that could damage them.

The average person has no need for any supplements - just eat a good diet and you'll be fine. Those powders and shakes are meant for serious athletes in training, but like with fancy golf clubs the average guy has been convinced he can get the same results as the pros by using the same tools.

Protein powders are pretty essential for bulking up and/or as a part of weight loss regimen. They are best used following a workout to promote rapid absorption and recovery of damaged muscle tissue. Otherwise diet adjustment is necessary, and even then protein absorption from natural sources (i.e. meat) is nowhere near as fast as already digested/hydrolyzed whey. I recommend the Cytosport 100% whey, a brand which has no issues with heavy metal contaminants while being very economical (~$6/lbs. at Costco).

Kidney issues will only result from excessive protein consumption and lack of proper hydration. This could result in urea crystallization (due to increased protein catabolism). Otherwise nothing else will occur (kidney infections? no).

read the good word of guys who know how to put on weight. Muscle weight.

http://www.70sbig.com/blog/2010/05/hey-man-whats-your-stack/

You should buy the same protein powder that Eugen Sandow, Charles Atlas, and Jack LaLanne used....oh wait, they didn't use any.

Save your money and concentrate on proper diet.

check out supplementwarehouse.com


they have great prices on products, and have an easy-to-do 'enter it yourself' price match / beat feature on their site. (you can literally get two or three tubs shipped to your door for about half -approx $45 saving- what you'd spend at a place like GNC. . . and if you're going to be at it for a while, you'll be getting multiple tubs over time; price adds up quick.)

oh. . .

muscle milk works amazing / tastes great (it mixes superb; i've tried a lot of others, and they don't mix well at all. . . think about drinking a crappy tasting milkshake with random bits of chalk in it and you'lll have an idea what I'm talking about), as does BSN's syntha-6.

I use Bob's Red Mill Whey Protein. I mix it in milk. If I want chocolate, I add Ovaltine. Nice thing about Bob's is that you can find it in the grocery store. I use it as a post-workout recovery drink and as an appetite suppressant.

http://www.bobsredmill.com/whey_protein-concentrate.html

Thanks for the website. I love the taste of BSN products and with that site there actually reasonable.

djmike523 said:

check out supplementwarehouse.com


they have great prices on products, and have an easy-to-do 'enter it yourself' price match / beat feature on their site. (you can literally get two or three tubs shipped to your door for about half -approx $45 saving- what you'd spend at a place like GNC. . . and if you're going to be at it for a while, you'll be getting multiple tubs over time; price adds up quick.)

oh. . .

muscle milk works amazing / tastes great (it mixes superb; i've tried a lot of others, and they don't mix well at all. . . think about drinking a crappy tasting milkshake with random bits of chalk in it and you'lll have an idea what I'm talking about), as does BSN's syntha-6.

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