Protein supplements, pointless?

[bobthejack]

I'm not going to lie I have been having shakes since I started lifting weights about 8 years ago just because everyone I worked out with and everyone else at the gym seemed to do so. Until recently that's is. I orders chocolate instead of my normal vanilla and it's just too sweet so I haven't really bothered drinking it ( used to have one or two a day ) and I haven't noticed any difference in performance or recovery if anything I am probably working out the best of my life right now and enjoying it more than ever I'm not saying that's because I'm not taking the extra protein more likely to do with the way my life is now with the kids a bit older and having a few extra hours a week and more sleep than previous few years. But to my question to everyone is the whole supplement thing a giant scam to regular gym goers and only really benefits pro athletes who are taking their body's to the extreme and need that extra help recovering or do they not even need the extra help

 

[Mraesthetic12]

Protein is protein bro haha, regardless of where you get it whether it be from chicken, ground turkey, red meat, or protein powder, your body will use it for muscle repair and growth. I only drink protein if i wasnt able to get my protein requirements for the day, if youre able to meet your protein requirements from food you dont necessarily have to buy protein powder

 

[pro45]

Are you asking whether protein supplements like protein shakes are necessary? No. As long as you are able to meet your protein macro's by days end, you can use whole foods. If whole foods leave you short of your protein numbers, then shakes can be used to supplement your whole food protein intake. It appears, by your question, that you don't know how much protein you should be taking each day.

Supplements, in general, will have no impact unless you have your diet and training in order first. If they are dialed in,then you are looking at perhaps a 2%-3% advantage. If you are a competitor, it might be 4%. Now if you are talking anabolics, then that's a completely different animal.

 

[Jiigzz]

Yes and no. The first thing to bear in mind is that you are using a subjective measure (how you feel) vs objective (what is actually happening) to determine the usefulness of the protein supplement. How well you recover is not just a function of protein, but also sleep, overall stress on your system, overall calorie intake etc.

In general people do tend to over eat protein, assuming more is better, but that only holds true up to a point. A weightlifter needs more than a sedentary person and so the need increases depending on the activity.

If you eat enough from whole foods, then the supplement isn't necessay, however if you don't, then adding in a scoop might help you reach the "optimal" threshold. Again, this just depends on what the rest of your intake looks like. If you weigh 80kg and are eating 200g+ of protein, id question that amount and suggest rethinking where the extra Calories might be betrer served.

 

[bobthejack]

Are you asking whether protein supplements like protein shakes are necessary? No. As long as you are able to meet your protein macro's by days end, you can use whole foods. If whole foods leave you short of your protein numbers, then shakes can be used to supplement your whole food protein intake. It appears, by your question, that you don't know how much protein you should be taking each day.

Supplements, in general, will have no impact unless you have your diet and training in order first. If they are dialed in,then you are looking at perhaps a 2%-3% advantage. If you are a competitor, it might be 4%. Now if you are talking anabolics, then that's a completely different animal.

That's correct I'm not 100% sure how much I should be taking I have always gone for around 1g per kg of weight which I hit pretty easily every day without a shake.

My diet is for the most part very good I have become pretty obsessed with clean high quality foods in the last year or so but have the occasional ****ty meal like most people do.
The 2% - 3% you speak of would probably be very difficult to tell I suppose.

Thanks for the response, Always trying to learn from others

 

[Duywayne]

I'm not going to lie I have been having shakes since I started lifting weights about 8 years ago just because everyone I worked out with and everyone else at the gym seemed to do so. Until recently that's is. I orders chocolate instead of my normal vanilla and it's just too sweet so I haven't really bothered drinking it ( used to have one or two a day ) and I haven't noticed any difference in performance or recovery if anything I am probably working out the best of my life right now and enjoying it more than ever I'm not saying that's because I'm not taking the extra protein more likely to do with the way my life is now with the kids a bit older and having a few extra hours a week and more sleep than previous few years. But to my question to everyone is the whole supplement thing a giant scam to regular gym goers and only really benefits pro athletes who are taking their body's to the extreme and need that extra help recovering or do they not even need the extra help

Its not just protein intake to consider, but a variety of factors that can play. Are you less stressed now? If you are less stressed you may be sleeping better, recovering better, testosterone levels may be better and cortisol levels may be better. All of these things can possibly equal to better workouts and gains. If you have a lot of check boxes checked that many of us do not, those 25-50g of protein per day may not make that much of a difference.

 

[Jiigzz]

That's correct I'm not 100% sure how much I should be taking I have always gone for around 1g per kg of weight which I hit pretty easily every day without a shake.

My diet is for the most part very good I have become pretty obsessed with clean high quality foods in the last year or so but have the occasional ****ty meal like most people do.
The 2% - 3% you speak of would probably be very difficult to tell I suppose.

Thanks for the response, Always trying to learn from others

For weightlifting adults, 1.6-2g per kg is the recommended level

 

[cheftepesh1]

If you need to get protein, you can get from Whole Foods. Protein shakes are just a way to get the amount you need for the day.

 

[bruno.camilo]

In my experience it is useless. I drink 5mg creatine with non fat milk before and after workout. Seen better results doing that than with protein shakes.

Cheers.

 

[bobthejack]

Its not just protein intake to consider, but a variety of factors that can play. Are you less stressed now? If you are less stressed you may be sleeping better, recovering better, testosterone levels may be better and cortisol levels may be better. All of these things can possibly equal to better workouts and gains. If you have a lot of check boxes checked that many of us do not, those 25-50g of protein per day may not make that much of a difference.

I think maybe that is what's happened recently, money worries have eased quite a bit, kids sleeping all night so I am too.so stress has hugely reduced from lying awake at night thinking about how going to pay bills in between feeding a baby,that's probably the key to my better workouts and a few extra g of protein has little effect.

 

[The_Old_Guy]

Pretty much already said. If you can get it with "real food", you don't need it. After all, any protein powder comes from "real food" anyway - be it Milk, Beef, Egg. or Peas. We eat way more than wee need, going by almost everyone in the scientific community save Jose Antonio Like Jiigzz said, 1.6 - 2.4g/Kg is the recommended range, and that 2.4g was from Eric Helms for competing bodybuilders in prep (ie. severe dieting going on).

While this doesn't change the basic premise, there is some good data out there of consuming different types of protein at different times - and a supplement may help there, especially when compared to buying "real food" - as protein powder is generally cheaper than stuff like eggs and cottage cheese, etc.. when comparing gram to gram (and also on where you get your protein - my limit is about $11/lb for any type).

The last consideration is just daily use. I may not "need" an extra 26g of powder, but it makes my oatmeal awesome because it's also a sweetener and flavoring system - saving me from burning through more expensive Monk Fruit and Ceylon Cinnamon faster