What’s the craze with protein powders?

What’s the craze with protein powders?

Protein shakes are a supplement. By definition, a supplement is “something added to complete a thing, supply a deficiency, or reinforce or extend a whole”. In terms of diet, a protein shake should be used as something to complete your protein intake and supply a deficiency, if you are struggling to meet protein demands. Or similarly, reinforce or extend your protein intake as a whole. 

I know there are all sorts of protein shakes on the market these days and they all sell different qualities. You have fat loss proteins, which are usually composed of a standard whey protein with additional thermogenic aids (usually green tea extract), and if you’re lucky, a sprinkle of L-carnitine to make out that this is the most potent fat burning formula known to man. Then, you have MASS GAINERS. These are the ultimate gain shakes, apparently. Most supplement store workers will force these down your throat as their shops are severely overstocked with the stuff, because, fortunately, people are starting to realise how rubbish most of them are. Don’t get me wrong, there are some companies doing some great things with these types of proteins (Genetic Supplements), but unfortunately, the majority of the common formulas are filled with rubbish.

I recommend sticking to a basic whey protein powder. Like everything in the fitness industry, there are all sorts of different ways in which whey protein can be filtered, and therefore, advertised to influence us into buying them. Concentrate, isolate and hydrolysate are the most common. Each provides different amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrate. Concentrate is the most basic form, and contains the greatest amounts of carbohydrate (lactose) and fat. Therefore, if you find lactose causes you stomach difficulties, or you’re lactose intolerant, stick to protein powders that are composed of isolate or hydrolysate protein. As far as sweeteners go, we could get into a huge debate on how detrimental sweeteners are to your health. But, if you want to be safe, stick with a stevia sweetened protein (natural sweetener). Honestly though, the amount of sweetener used is unlikely to cause any health problems.

Vegan proteins can also be very effective and solve the issue of lactose sensitivity that so many of us have today. If using a vegan blend, it’s likely that you’ll have to include additional BCAA’s (Leucine, in particular) to ensure you get the desired muscle protein synthesis when taking these protein powders. Personally, I recommend vegan formulas made up of, quinoa, hemp, rice or pea protein – preferably, in combination to ensure a complete amino acid profile. Genetic Supplements have formulated a quality vegan protein.

Now you know which type of protein is best suited to you, you need to know if a protein supplement is even necessary for your diet (I probably should have begun with this but I got onto the topic of different blends, so I thought I’d carry on). I recommend at least 1.6g of protein per kg of body weight per day (even if you are not exercising). The maximum you should have is 3.2g per kg of body weight (there would have to be a valid explanation to go this high, but this is the maximum). 

So, let’s think of it like this; you require 200g of protein per day. You’re already getting 200g of protein in your diet from different meat, dairy and vegetable sources (bare in mind that 200g of chicken, beef, fish or eggs is not 200g of protein). You’re also meeting your daily calorie intake as a whole (from other fats and carbohydrates) - see another one of my posts for details on how to calculate this. Then you go and shake up your “essential post-workout shake”, as well as your “pre-bed shake to ensure I don't go catabolic whilst I sleep” (the quotation marks represent my sarcasm), because Jay Cutler and Ronnie Coleman said so. As a result, you’re now eating an excess of 90g of protein, which is essentially 360 calories. Yes, you can argue that protein has a greater thermic effect than carbohydrates and fats, and is, therefore, harder to store as body fat, but if you're going to give your body those extra calories, it will store them. Believe it or not, protein can make you fat.

When prescribing diet plans, unless I’m dealing with athletes or people who require an efficient protein-based breakfast/snack, I avoid the use of protein powders. I would rather see people getting their protein from meat, vegetables, and dairy sources. From this, you’re not just getting the protein fix you require, but you’ll also benefit from the other nutrients and vitamins that whole foods contain. Therefore, there is not necessarily a limit on how many protein shakes you can have a day as such but preferably look to whole foods as your source, if possible. To give you some figures, 100g of cooked chicken, beef or fish is approximately 30g of protein (a little less with fish); one egg is roughly 7g of protein (depending on how large or small); and one pint of milk is roughly 18g of protein.

The reason protein shakes are recognised as the ultimate post-workout replenishment is merely due to the absorbent rate at which filtered proteins are absorbed. Recent studies suggest that the “anabolic window” post-workout, where you must get your protein shake in, is not necessarily as crucial as it was first thought to be. For those of you who train once a day, whether that’s cardio or resistance-based training, the use of protein shakes post-workout is not essential. If you would prefer to eat a large macronutrient mixed meal (my personal preference), by all means do so (factoring it into your calories obviously). If you train intensely, multiple times a day, and you require a relatively high amount of protein to ensure adequate recovery takes place between your workouts, go ahead and use protein shakes to help meet your protein targets (you may also require substantial amounts of carbohydrate to help replenish your glycogen stores). If you find that you’ve eaten all your meals for the day and you still haven't met your protein target, this is when you can use protein powders. Before bedtime have a simple protein shake (if it’s just protein you require), or get creative and see what protein-rich concoctions you can create. Personally, I like making a protein sludge (sludge isn't the most appealing word, but it can be very tasty) with either goat’s or sheep’s milk, or yogurt (cow’s milk doesn't sit too well with me), and get some frozen fruit or puffed rice involved. This brings me on to my next point. 

When it comes to mixing your protein shakes, whether you use a blender or a handheld shaker, you’re pretty much free to roam and mix them with whatever. However, this doesn't mean you should start creating protein rich spiders (ice cream and coca cola), although we all miss those bad girls. Use mammal’s milk (cow, goat, sheep or camel), or if lactose intolerant, almond or coconut milk. Be mindful that coconut milk can be very calorie dense; unsweetened almond milk is usually the safest bet when it comes to calories. Or, just mix it up with some good old water. Include things like berries, nuts, nut butter and other frozen/raw fruits, just watch out for the extra calories these carbohydrates and fats contain.

Hopefully, this has given you a good idea of whether or not you need to go out and spend the money on protein shakes, and what to do with them when you have them.