Let’s have the straight dope in protein drinks. I have one right after every weight-lifting session, but after my run today I started thinking about taking one after cardio as well. I turned to the intarweb, which, as expected, turned up conflicting accounts.
Some say you should have one right after weight-lifting but not on cardio days.
Some say you should have one right before weight-lifting but not on cardio days.
Some say you should have one before and one after weight-lifting but not on cardio days.
Some say you should have one on cardio days just like weight-lifting days.
Some say you should wait an hour after the workout to have one.
Some say it’s better to have a small meal.
Some say it’s better to have a big meal.
Some say you should have one in the morning with breakfast, regardless of what you’re doing that day.
Some say the human body can’t assimilate more than 10 grams or 20 grams or 30 grams or 40 grams of protein in one sitting anyway.
Some say they’re a pseudoscientific hoax perpetrated by the makers of protein drinks.
And, of course, while a lot of people claim to have spoken to Professor S. Niggurath of Miskatonic University who’s spent 25 years studying the matter, not a one can ever point to a single study.
So, does anyone have the straight dope, accompanied by a credible cite? Are protein drinks a harsh hoax foisted upon a sheeplike public, or an efficacious aid provided they’re used correctly, or beneficial no matter when you take them? While we’re on the subject, what about the various fat-burning formulas out there? Those make my hoax bell ring rather loudly, but I’m willing to be shown differently.