Protein powders?

A

AJ

Joined
Oct 4, 1998
Messages
1,221
Due to some recent surgery I need to use protein shakes to ensure an adequate protein intake. I have a couple of questions related to the various brands and types of protein powders.
  1. What type of protein is best? Whey?
  2. What brand of protein powder is recommended? EAS? Designer? Optimum? Others?
  3. Is there a reputable online source for ordering protein powder?

Many thanks!

AJ
 
Sorry to hear about your condition :(. Good health is something we too frequently take for granted.

I've been using Flax Seed, and what I like best is you can buy it in a less processed form. I've tried Soy powder from the local Asian supermarket because I figured there would be minimal processing, but it has a caulk-like texture, and it doesn't mix well in drinks. I've also tried protein mix from Nutrilife, but I really can't justify the cost.

Flax seed should be available at your local health food market, and I've even seen it being sold at Ralph's.
 
Personally i've tried Designer Whey which didn't taste nice at all.

From what i've tasted i like muscle tech products the best. Myoplex from eas ain't that bad either. Muscle tech however has chocolate bars that taste quite nice too. I think they're called Mesotech. Mesotech comes in the powder form and the choc bars. Loads of flavours too mint, cookies and cream and some other stuff i can't recall.

With myoplex especially you can modify the shake with all sorts of stuff. For the choc flavour just put it in the blender and a couple of ice cubes and a banana. That's quite good. Or for vanilla you can pop in a few pieces of frozen oranges or frozen strawberries.

Myoplex also has a special pack where you've got different packets in it with different flavours so you won't be bore with just one thing.

Here's a website with some reviews on the different shakes.

Bodybuilding

As for where to buy i'm sorry i don't really know since i'm not in the US but here in the UK GNC seems to stock most of the items and offer a 20% discount on everything (including sale items) for members.
 
The biggest things with protein powders is absorbtion rates and BV(biological Value= How much of the protein can actually be used by the body).

Egg and Whey have the highest BV values. Whey has the fastest absorbtion rate. Lots of folks like to make a huge thing out of absorbtion rates, and while it is important, it's not the end all, be all.

The most common thing in the sports nutrition industry is to use a blend of fast/slow absorbing proteins. The slow absorbing proteins help make sure that you maintain a postive NO balance till your next feeding.

Your opitions include MPR's(meal replacement powders/packet) like Met-Rx, Myoplex, etc.... These are nice, as evereything is worked out for you in a nice little packet, no fuss, no muss.

The biggest drawbacks are, a) cost- on average, good ones run $1.50-3.00 per use. b) customization- You can fiddle a bit, but your kinda stuck with certain things.


Your other option is bulk straight protein powders, this is the option I take. I use them because you can better control the Fat/Pro/Carb ratios, other various things. They also run a bit cheaper.

as far as good brands, as long as you stick with a known brand, you should be OK. EAS, Designer(I like them), Champion, Ergo Pharm, Met rx, etc... all make good stuff.

A dirty little secret is that many of these brands buy their base stuff from the same suppliers. You're really only buying for taste and value for dollar.

I personally buy my stuff from GNC during their "Gold Card" days or use Vitamin Shop.
 
Milk has a very high protein content. If you can stomach several glasses a day it is the cheapest option. Drink it instead of coffe or soda and you are set.

BTW, your body can only absorb 25 grams of protein at a time. So if the sport shake says "50 grams per serving" (often using two scoops) They are ripping you off. What you can do is one scoop now and another 30-60 minutes later.

Also, protein drinks taste bad. It's what they do. What I do is buy the cheapest kind (protein is protein), preferably unflavored, and mix it with milk and chocolate milk mix. Then it taste like chocolate milk! Use can use strawberry mix too. Works good with strawberry flavored shakes.
 
I took and recently started again with the Isopure protein supplement. It is the most cost-effective of the protein sources I've found. $0.03 per gram of protein, can be found online in a variety of flavors for $19.99 to $29.99 from store to store for a 2 lb container. When I started again I bought a 5 lb bucket for $49.99 online. 50 grams per 2 scoop "serving," but as mentioned above I take it twice a day with a single scoop. I am not a bodybuilder or even a weightlifter, but while running 15 miles a week I saw no loss in muscle mass, and upped my pullups from 8 to 17 over the course of two months. The only kind I've tried is Isopure Chocolate Low Carb, and I've experienced no problems with it. Also has a wide variety of vitamins, and is a whey protein isolate.
 
Many thanks for all of the info! Very helpful as I research this "new" (to me) situation.

AJ
 
I use GNC Pro Performance whey protein and its a pretty good source of protein. I use it as a weight lifting supplement, but I'm sure it'll work for you too. Its quality protein and it tastes pretty good. Its availible at GNC stores.
 
AJ said:
Many thanks for all of the info! Very helpful as I research this "new" (to me) situation.

AJ
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If you have time, check out:
Address:http://www.brinkzone.com/onlinearticles.html .

Will Brink is a good fellow and doesn't whore himself out as much as other fitness/nutrition writers. He also provides references that can be found on Medline and in other legitimate sources, etc....

P.S. Trust me, all proteins are are not created equal. Granted, the difference between egg and whey might not be that big, but the difference between whey and soy, etc... is quite large.
 
Don't take too much of protein, waste and possible kidney problems. You should also look at taking some amino acid supplements instead of protein.

TLM

PS. I have been told to stay off soy protein, not exactly sure why.
 
Someone please correct me if I am in error, but I believe men should avoid soy products because of the estrogen hormones present in them.
 
i think soy is fine even though it mimics estrogen.
men do produce estrogen as well although it may not be at the same level as women.

soy has some health benefits for men like a reduction in the risk of getting prostate cancer etc.

however, as with anything else it needs to be consumed in sensible quantities. too much of a good thing is bad.
 
TLM said:
Don't take too much of protein, waste and possible kidney problems.
Click to expand...

This is just wrong, it's based on studies done on people with pre-exsisting kidney problems(they can't handle the excess urea production/excretion very well). There are numerous studies done in heathy people that show no such problems.
 
Bob - Will Brink's site is VERY informative! Great stuff. Thanks for the head's up!

Thanks to all for the responses. Very helpful for me to gather the info... lots of things to think about.

AJ
 
BB:
This is just wrong, it's based on studies done on people with pre-exsisting kidney problems(they can't handle the excess urea production/excretion very well). There are numerous studies done in heathy people that show no such problems.
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Not quite, at one time I had several friends (just under 20) doing very well in competitive sports at high national level, about half of them had kidney problems due to too much protein as ordered by their coaches.

Too much is too much.

TLM
 
"High national levels"- Perhaps they were on other substances that would cause such problems? Again, there are reams of studies that show that high protein intake does not cause problems in healthy people.
 
Four potential problems with protein powder...
1. It's relatively expensive. I just buy the cheapest stuff in bulk.
2. Excess proteein WILL get flushed out with your piss. And it will damage your kidneys along the way. Not a myth, and not a joke - I got a lecture about it from a med branch LTC. And the Army is always right, at least when they pay for your food. ;)
3. Eating protein with a normal diet and not working out will make you fat very quickly. I sometimes work out 3 or 4 hours a day, and on those occasions I use some to boost recovery. Normal 1-2 hours workot don't warrant the powder, IMHO. Of course, I'm eating 4000 or more calories.
4. Eating nothing but protein will kill you. Your body breaks down fat and muscle for energy, and rebuilds the muscle with amino acids from the digested protein. This cycle weakens the heart and will cause heart failure.

Sorry to hear aboout your condition... but talk to a nutritionist, not amateurs!
 
Will P. said:
Four potential problems with protein powder...
1. It's relatively expensive. I just buy the cheapest stuff in bulk.
2. Excess proteein WILL get flushed out with your piss. And it will damage your kidneys along the way. Not a myth, and not a joke - I got a lecture about it from a med branch LTC. And the Army is always right, at least when they pay for your food. ;)
3. Eating protein with a normal diet and not working out will make you fat very quickly. I sometimes work out 3 or 4 hours a day, and on those occasions I use some to boost recovery. Normal 1-2 hours workot don't warrant the powder, IMHO. Of course, I'm eating 4000 or more calories.
4. Eating nothing but protein will kill you. Your body breaks down fat and muscle for energy, and rebuilds the muscle with amino acids from the digested protein. This cycle weakens the heart and will cause heart failure.


but talk to a nutritionist, not amateurs!
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1) Yes, this I will agree with.

2) Yes, protein that is not utilized will be excreted, etc.... but so will any other nutrients that are utilized. Traumatic events like surgery, accidents, etc.... usually produce a catabolic reaction from a persons body, so it is wise to up your protein requirments to help stave off muscle break-down.

The kidney damage myth is based on studies done on people with pre-exsisting kidney problems. Try to find one study that was done healthy people with normal renal function- you won't.

This myth just doesn't hold water in the real world. If it did, everyone from athletes to Atkins dieters would be in the hospitals.

3) Eating anything past your normal caloric requirements will cause you to get fat. Fats, carbs, pro, anything. As far as athletes and protein requirements, it's been proven numerous times that they do better on a higher protein than average diet. If a person can do that naturally, hey more power to them. For most, the supplemental protein powders make sense.

4) I've not seen anyone live on just protein for more than a few months, but I doubt it will kill you. As long as you get enough calories, you'd be fine. Your body naturally perfers carbs as a energy source, after that it will go after fats and proteins. While your body's in ketosis, it isn't fun, but certainly not deadly as some will have you believe.
 
bob bowie said:
3) Eating anything past your normal caloric requirements will cause you to get fat. Fats, carbs, pro, anything. As far as athletes and protein requirements, it's been proven numerous times that they do better on a higher protein than average diet. If a person can do that naturally, hey more power to them. For most, the supplemental protein powders make sense.

4) I've not seen anyone live on just protein for more than a few months, but I doubt it will kill you. As long as you get enough calories, you'd be fine. Your body naturally perfers carbs as a energy source, after that it will go after fats and proteins. While your body's in ketosis, it isn't fun, but certainly not deadly as some will have you believe.
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I'll take your word on 2).

3). Heh... a normal day's menu in Will World - Breakfast: country fried steak with gravy(1 portion). Lunch: BBQ chicken (1 portion). Dinner: dinner is a buffet, and most of the time no ones yelling at me so... 16 oz steak chunks (4 helpings). High protein... yep.

Point 4... you need some source of protein other than powder, otherwise you calorie intake simply isn't enough to save your heart. When liquid protein supplements were first developed, some people died of this problem and were the focus of a study into it. This is why the Atkins diet advises unregulated calories?

Personally, I'm think that exercise is far more important than dieting, but what do I know about physical fitness? ;)
 
3)See, your meals are already high in protein, so it's not that big a deal:).

4) Yes, I will agree that a person needs actual real food in their diet, but supplementing isn't all that bad, for the most part it helps. Atkins and others usually don't bother to count calories because, for the most part, it's quite hard to overeat when you're just eating protein(and fats). It can happen, but most people don't have the want, nor the will to eat large amounts of fats/proteins.
 
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