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Whether your goal is to increase muscle size and gain strenght
or to lose weight and stay lean protien is the most importat
supplement that you can take. Protein is the building block
of muscle, and without enough of it, your body won't build
muscle. Protien supplements are completely safe with not side
effects unless you are take over 900 grams of protein a day.
Many protein shakes are available as protein powder in bulk
containers, ready to go protein shakes in single serving containers
which don't require additional liquids or containers, or even
available in protein powder single serve packages! We
recommend supplementing your diet with at least 2 to 3 protein
shakes a day, making sure that one of the protein
drinks are taken immediately after a workout to help replenish
diminished resources.
| So the obvious thing to be thinking now
is, "why do I need protein shakes, can't I just get
enough of it from regular foods?" The answer to that
question is yes! But the problem here is, since we all
know that for best results we should try to eat at least
1.5 gram of protein per kg of body weight, it gets VERY
hard to eat so much regular food every day. Not many people
have time to make chicken breasts all day long, which
is where protein shakes come in. They take just a minute
or 2 to prepare, just scoop out the powder, put it in
a cup, pour in a liquid of some kind (anything from water,
to milk, to fruit juice), and mix it with a spoon for
about 20 seconds, and drink. Each scoop usually has about
17.5 grams of protein and is WAY more convenient then
eating a regular food. |
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Of course, you should try to get most of your daily protein
from regular foods, however, there are a few times of the
day where protein shakes would be better then eating a regular
food. One of these times is first thing in the morning. Your
body has not eaten for the last 8 or so hours while you were
sleeping, so a whey protein shake (which is the fastest digesting
protein there is) would be the perfect thing to give your
body. The same goes for directly after your workout. This
is probably the most important time to have a shake. Since
you just worked out, your muscles need to rebuild and repair
themselves, and this is the most important time to give your
body protein, so a shake right now would be a great idea.
Protein shakes can vary. Some protein shakes and protein drinks
are higher in carbohydrates, and some protein drinks are very
low in carbohydrates, making it ideal for low glycemic and
low carbohydrate dieting. Protein shakes are available in
several great tasting flavors to keep your palate from boredom
while at the same time, making sure your body gets it adequate
protein intake and nutrients. Most protein shakes and proteins
drinks taste best chilled or over ice. Protein powders are
even a great idea to add to smoothies, as along with the antioxidants
provided by the fruit, you are also getting a boost of energy
and nutrients from the protein mix!
So How Much Protein Should I Take
The RDA for protein for sedentary adults is 0.36
grams per pound of body weight, or about 42 grams of protein
for someone who weighs 130 pounds. Health experts say that
at maximum, athletes may require 0.55 to 0.73 grams per pound.
So a 130-pound athlete who works out strenuously would probably
need about 94 grams at most. When you consider that the average
woman eats 64 grams of protein daily, and the average man
92, and that athletes generally eat more calories and thus
more protein than average, it's clear there's not a big protein
gap to be filled. On the other hand, Professional Bodybuilder
will say the requirements for building solid lean muscles
are 1 1/2 - 2 grams per pound.
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