I didn’t want to post in the zombie thread but that’s what got me thinking about this. it’s kind of odd that two big (and very different) groups seem to be into protein drinks: bodybuilders and weight loss surgery patients.
I’m the latter, and although I’ve been at goal for years I still drink one of these every day because I like it and it’s an easy way to get protein for breakfast before my stomach is in the mood for solid food.
recently, a coworker who lifts was telling me whey was bad because of the fat. WTH? it says zero fat on the label. he also say soy protein was not only superior but less money.
what do people think of all the TYPES of protein out there? I have seen RICE protein supplements in stores but maybe if you can’t tolerate whey for some reason…I was surprised there was protein in rice.
First of all, why would you care what your cow-orker thought since he makes statements like whey protein is high in fat. The big deal about whey is that it absorbed quickly, which is what you want if you are working to put on muscle mass because there is a window of about an hour after working out that increased protein intake is absorbed to create muscle.
I care about the cow orker in the sense that I am open to learning new things. so I was asking if there is anything to this.
I know there are other proteins besides whey out there - someone mentioned hemp in the zombie thread - and I’d like to see if anyone has more to say about any of them.
the “window” doesn’t interest me, btw, since I am not trying to build muscle.
now that I think of it, I drink almond milk instead of cow milk. I suppose there could be protein supplements from nuts, why not.
The differences between various protein supplements (and you can find a variety of strongly held belief systems out there with any quick google) are based on their amount of essential amino acids, which ones might stimulate muscle growth more, and their rate of absorption.
Do any of those factors matter for you in your use?
Hemp is less concentrated as a protein source and fewer of the branched chained amino acids, but also has other good stuff like good fats and fiber. Pea protein is often combined with rice protein to give a more complete essential amino acid mix. For your purposes likely any of them would do fine.
Not necessarily, as long as you are otherwise well-nourished; here is an excerpt from a post DSeid made in the other thread:
In other words, your body uses protein for up to 24 hours or more if there is adequate intake over that period (note that even in a fasted state it continues for up to 4 hours, and after very heavy exercise it may be 3 hours before your muscles start to recover). Also, protein levels are closely related to protein absorption; taking only whey protein will cause a quick increase in protein levels (which is good) but it won’t last long, so you also want protein that is more slowly absorbed (and a regular intake over the day), which is why I suggested milk in the other thread (assuming you can drink it; two cups contain 16 grams of protein (the carbs are also important to muscle recovery, don’t just take straight protein), this is what I take after a workout (shortly after breakfast, some say taking protein before working out is even more important), followed by a normal meal a few hours later).
While I can’t speak much to the nutritional differences between various protein powders, I can attest that the textures can vary quite a bit. For instance, I take whey protein the same way you do, in a morning shake, but I also like to blend it into soups and sauces to alter the protein/carb ratio. I’ve tried soy protein powder as well, but found the texture gritty and unpleasant. It works well enough in a thick, icy shake, but won’t dissolve in liquid like the whey powder.
I use unflavoured soy as it is much cheaper and seems to help with both my exercise recovery and (surprisingly to me) smooth out some of my hormonal stuff. I usually put it through yoghurt instead of making a shake or make up a protein slice with it or boost baked goods by substituting it for up to 1/4 of the flour. It is sort of white noise flavour wise, it muffles other flavours rather than adding anything in particular. There are different grades, some can feel a little gritty but not all. Leaving it for a minute or so often removes that sensation.
I had no idea what I was buying when I decided to try protein powder, I just skeptically bought one on special and found it really made a difference (I was weight training whilst calorie restricting) and it happened to be soy. It is much more affordable, I just had a bulk purchase delivered, it worked out at under $13 AUD a kg including courier.
Skim milk powder is much cheaper of course and supposedly pretty effective as well, finding what suits your body/wallet is a pretty personal thing, not something for coworkers to decide for you.
When I was healing from an operation I was instructed to take protein supplements. I asked my doc which was the best, but he had no comment.
I was checking out at the grocery store shortly thereafter and saw a body building magazine and leafed through it. It said that whey was the gold standard, followed closely by egg and then by soy.
but maybe if you can’t tolerate whey for some reason…I was surprised there was protein in rice.