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Protein powder vs real food

Lee85

New member
My daily protein intake is about 230-250g and about 50% of that is from protein powders. Lately it's been Syntha 6 Edge and Rule 1 WPI for post wo. This works for me due to my type of work and lifestyle. Just wondering how much difference there is between the effectiveness of whole foods and powdered sources? Just don't want all my hard work in the gym going to waste.
 
In my opinion and from what I've been told. A lean piece of meat or other high protein whole food is better than protein powder.
 
Protein powders are to supplement your protein intake and to help you achieve any shortfall in protein intake and should not really be used for 50% of your macros, I manage to get in ~220 every day without any need for supplementation.
 
My body mass and protein intake are right in the same ballpark these days (sometimes used to go higher protein). I try to get most of it from food, but since I don't eat meat or fish, I do rely on at least one whey shake per day.

The only exception is when I'm on travel/vacation, and then I depend heavily on whey (or a whey/casein mix) to make sure I get my protein. I'll probably go through 5-7 pounds of whey powder when I'm in France for a couple of weeks in August. It is not satisfying, but it's better than nothing.
 
Lee85 said:
My daily protein intake is about 230-250g and about 50% of that is from protein powders. Lately it's been Syntha 6 Edge and Rule 1 WPI for post wo. This works for me due to my type of work and lifestyle. Just wondering how much difference there is between the effectiveness of whole foods and powdered sources? Just don't want all my hard work in the gym going to waste.
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Lee85 said:
92kg / 203lb
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Are you cutting or bulking?
 
If that's working for you, that's fine, I do the same most of the time and that's working really well for me, this way I know I won't miss my protein intake
 
LEATHERFACE said:
If that's working for you, that's fine, I do the same most of the time and that's working really well for me, this way I know I won't miss my protein intake
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I think it's working but this is all I've ever done so I don't have anything to compare it to. Has anyone done both methods? And if so, was there a difference in your gains?
 
Some say when bulking to keep protein at 1 g per lb of body weight but to increase it when cutting so was just asking, personally I tend to keep protein t 1.5 g per lbm of lean body mass regardless.
 
My opinion (which is worth just what you paid for it) is that as long as you get at least half of your protein from "Real Food" you should be OK
 
Lee85 said:
I think it's working but this is all I've ever done so I don't have anything to compare it to. Has anyone done both methods? And if so, was there a difference in your gains?
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I got the same results, for me this is better to have protein powder as a snack during the day because i have better things to do/worry about than eating a piece of chicken or whatever
 
LEATHERFACE said:
I got the same results, for me this is better to have protein powder as a snack during the day because i have better things to do/worry about than eating a piece of chicken or whatever
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Add some whole foods to your protein shakes. Bananas, blueberries and oats. Natural peanut butter is good too. :)
 
Protein Powder *is* "Real Food" - It's basically (depending on type) de-fatted/de-sugared Milk, or parts there of. Plenty of buff dudes way before there was even Egg powder, which, IIRC, is all Arnold's era had. (Heard a story that Patrick Arnold was one of the originators of consuming Whey - no idea how true that is). If you can hit your kcal and macro goals using Beef, Fish, Chicken, Turkey, Pork, Eggs, Milk - you'd get exactly the same response as using Protein Powder IMO. Powder is just more convenient and varied for taste purposes. Don't fall for the "magic" of Protein Powder. I'll also say I believe it's a better value - go price what 200g/Day of whole food protein would cost.

93Kg could probably do fine with 150g ;)
 
Truthfully I don't think there's a ton of difference in the protein effect. The powder will digest a lot faster than a whole food protein source. There are benefits of both and both are essential to have in my diet. You will get different nutrients that come with say a chicken breast vs a protein powder.
 
Nothing beats whole foods..
Don't get me wrong I love whey powder..
I take in 210g of protein/day, I weigh 130lbs..
During show prep I'm not allowed any whey powders...
There's nothing wrong with having a post workout shake, but whole foods is the way to go..
N yet I do know pro's that do rely on whey powder for their protein intake..
Why not try just whole foods for a month n c what kind of gains u get as opposed to one month of whole foods..
Good luck!
 
Protein Pancakes .............. Protein Powder or Real Food ??????????????

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If it is a matter of convenience and it works, stick with what you are doing. Like the avove poster said, switch out some of your powder with whole foods. Generally speaking, I tend to have a scoop of whey pre and a scoop of whey post and I take in north of 250 grams a day. I find I feel less bloated when not taking in a lot of powder.
 
^^ looks good Rocket3015!
I'm having cellucore protein powder in my oatmeal this morning just cause I can now,ha ha..
 
Magdalena said:
Nothing beats whole foods..
Don't get me wrong I love whey powder..
I take in 210g of protein/day, I weigh 130lbs..
During show prep I'm not allowed any whey powders...
There's nothing wrong with having a post workout shake, but whole foods is the way to go..
N yet I do know pro's that do rely on whey powder for their protein intake..
Why not try just whole foods for a month n c what kind of gains u get as opposed to one month of whole foods..
Good luck!
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but nobody told him to get all the protein from powder, for me I just say having a mix of the two everyday is the same as only whole foods, and I'm talking about body composition ect...
 
I stick with one scoop or less per day. It is easy to get 200 grams of protein from whole foods alone. Whole foods are much more satisfying
 
Lee85 said:
Lately it's been Syntha 6 Edge and Rule 1 WPI for post wo. This works for me due to my type of work and lifestyle. Just wondering how much difference there is between the effectiveness of whole foods and powdered sources? Just don't want all my hard work in the gym going to waste.
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Real food is ALWAYS the best choice and ensures you're actually getting the protein you think you are. Last I heard syntha 6 was a poor quality protein source and lab tests showed they were lying regarding protein content
 
dave39 said:
Real food is ALWAYS the best choice and ensures you're actually getting the protein you think you are. Last I heard syntha 6 was a poor quality protein source and lab tests showed they were lying regarding protein content
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Do you have a link to those results? I've never seen BSN listed as amino spiking.
 
dave39 said:
Certificate of Authenticity?

I believe it was a conversation around Labdoor results and a university study Invalid Link Removed
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So the study states that BCAA content is not where it should be for those brands. However, the standard way to test BCAA is by HPLC. They did not use HPLC, they used a different method, an enzyme assay. For all we know, the enzyme assay could be throwing the results off.
 
AntM1564 said:
So the study states that BCAA content is not where it should be for those brands. However, the standard way to test BCAA is by HPLC. They did not use HPLC, they used a different method, an enzyme assay. For all we know, the enzyme assay could be throwing the results off.
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Yeah for sure, that's why I said "last I heard". I can't be certain that the conversation or these studies actually hold any weight. It's mostly food for thought in the never ending list of protein scandals haha
 
mickc1965 said:
Some say when bulking to keep protein at 1 g per lb of body weight but to increase it when cutting so was just asking, personally I tend to keep protein t 1.5 g per lbm of lean body mass regardless.
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your diet is correct and but the bulking should be 1.5-2 per lb - otherwise, bulking just becomes extremely difficult. some even go to 3-5 per lb but thats a whole another level !
 
The_Old_Guy said:
Protein Powder *is* "Real Food" - It's basically (depending on type) de-fatted/de-sugared Milk, or parts there of. Plenty of buff dudes way before there was even Egg powder, which, IIRC, is all Arnold's era had. (Heard a story that Patrick Arnold was one of the originators of consuming Whey - no idea how true that is). If you can hit your kcal and macro goals using Beef, Fish, Chicken, Turkey, Pork, Eggs, Milk - you'd get exactly the same response as using Protein Powder IMO. Powder is just more convenient and varied for taste purposes. Don't fall for the "magic" of Protein Powder. I'll also say I believe it's a better value - go price what 200g/Day of whole food protein would cost.

93Kg could probably do fine with 150g ;)
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correct, as long as you have good quality powder there is no difference
 
Whey protein is food. There isn't any reason you shouldn't consume that much to reach your target, unless it's causing your digestion any discomfort or distress.
You can always lower your protein count as people have mentioned however nobody here knows why you've come to that amount, maybe it's helped you more favourably body composition wise rather than increasing fats or carbs so stick with what works best for you.
 
I've been doing this almost 30 years some of best years of putting on muscle was when I was consuming between 2-4 shakes per day. Whatever fits your lifestyle and how you listen to your body will even everything out.


People are not going to agree with this , but it's not always realistic to consume all your macros as regular food for sone people, everybody is different.
 
j4ever41 said:
correct, as long as you have good quality powder there is no difference
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Well...there is somewhat of a difference.

1. Whey protein is largely devoid of micronutrients. Most meats have significantly more. Take chicken for example...
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2."Good Quality" is hard to verify with protein powders. Who knows what's really in these supps we buy? I'm not trying to be an alarmist or anything; I consume my fair share of protein powders, but there have been too many spiking/label-claim fiascos for me to rely on powders as my main source of protein. Add to that, we don't often know the source of the powder. I love PES Select, but I don't know where they source their raws. I do, however, know where my beef comes from. Again, not saying anyone here is relying on powders as their main protein source, or that trusted brands are spiking or using cheap sources, but there is a difference.

I don't think it's a big deal either way. Just making a small point for the sake of discussion. I personally think a mix of "real" foods and protein powders is ideal.
 
Lynks8 said:
Well...there is somewhat of a difference.

1. Whey protein is largely devoid of micronutrients. Most meats have significantly more. Take chicken for example...


2."Good Quality" is hard to verify with protein powders. Who knows what's really in these supps we buy? I'm not trying to be an alarmist or anything; I consume my fair share of protein powders, but there have been too many spiking/label-claim fiascos for me to rely on powders as my main source of protein. Add to that, we don't often know the source of the powder. I love PES Select, but I don't know where they source their raws. I do, however, know where my beef comes from. Again, not saying anyone here is relying on powders as their main protein source, or that trusted brands are spiking or using cheap sources, but there is a difference.

I don't think it's a big deal either way. Just making a small point for the sake of discussion. I personally think a mix of "real" foods and protein powders is ideal.
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In terms of of the micronutrient debate, i completely agree. However the biggest issue i see from having a dairy or whey dominant protein based diet is the lack of potassium. There are other vitamins and minerals your lacking but they can be worked in from other sources but for me potassium is what stops me consuming too much whey vs chicken/kangaroo etc.
You can always up your potato consumption of course but potato and whey is a bit of a wierd combo haha.
 
Danus said:
In terms of of the micronutrient debate, i completely agree. However the biggest issue i see from having a dairy or whey dominant protein based diet is the lack of potassium. There are other vitamins and minerals your lacking but they can be worked in from other sources but for me potassium is what stops me consuming too much whey vs chicken/kangaroo etc.
You can always up your potato consumption of course but potato and whey is a bit of a wierd combo haha.
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Kangaroo? You from down under m8? I have never had the pleasure of trying 'roo...wish it was easier to come by in the states. Looks like a great, lean alternative to chicken/beef.

Potato and whey might not be a good combo, but banana and whey is. Check my recipe Invalid Link Removedif you like deliciousness...
 
Lynks8 said:
Kangaroo? You from down under m8? I have never had the pleasure of trying 'roo...wish it was easier to come by in the states. Looks like a great, lean alternative to chicken/beef.

Potato and whey might not be a good combo, but banana and whey is. Check my recipe Invalid Link Removedif you like deliciousness...
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Yeah it's readily available for me in aus, good red meat source with basically the same macro profile as chicken, takes alot of experimenting with it to figure out how best to cook it but once you've got it down it tastes great.

Bananas aren't really that great for potassium per gram of weight compared to other sources like meats, spinach, potato etc.
 
Danus said:
Bananas aren't really that great for potassium per gram of weight compared to other sources like meats, spinach, potato etc.
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lol, fair enough...just saying it is a potassium source that can readily mix well with whey. I get most of my K from avocados, spinach, and salmon.
 
Lynks8 said:
Well...there is somewhat of a difference.

1. Whey protein is largely devoid of micronutrients. Most meats have significantly more. Take chicken for example...
Invalid Link Removed

2."Good Quality" is hard to verify with protein powders. Who knows what's really in these supps we buy? I'm not trying to be an alarmist or anything; I consume my fair share of protein powders, but there have been too many spiking/label-claim fiascos for me to rely on powders as my main source of protein. Add to that, we don't often know the source of the powder. I love PES Select, but I don't know where they source their raws. I do, however, know where my beef comes from. Again, not saying anyone here is relying on powders as their main protein source, or that trusted brands are spiking or using cheap sources, but there is a difference.

I don't think it's a big deal either way. Just making a small point for the sake of discussion. I personally think a mix of "real" foods and protein powders is ideal.
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yes I agree with the micronutrients, im speaking of just protein consumption from powder vs whole foods, I also agree with finding good quality product is important as you do not want some spiked crap, I have known to many people thru the years that have experimented with it for several months ( switching from whole to majority of powders ) with no loss in composition or lbm, for me personally I like to eat, lol, I have a hell of an appetite so I have only done this for a couple of days or so, mainly because I was off work and just being lazy at times.
 
I use about 6 scoops a day
 
protein powders are very convenient and depends on what brand/how much liquid you use a nice tasting treat,

however you just can't beat a nice rare steak and fresh veggies.
 
DEVANS89 said:
protein powders are very convenient and depends on what brand/how much liquid you use a nice tasting treat,

however you just can't beat a nice rare steak and fresh veggies.
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Agree !
 
Danus said:
In terms of of the micronutrient debate, i completely agree. However the biggest issue i see from having a dairy or whey dominant protein based diet is the lack of potassium. There are other vitamins and minerals your lacking but they can be worked in from other sources but for me potassium is what stops me consuming too much whey vs chicken/kangaroo etc.
You can always up your potato consumption of course but potato and whey is a bit of a wierd combo haha.
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Nah! Sweet potatoes with a lil choc protein sludge drizzle is delish!

Or sometimes I mash some sweet potatoes into my proats for some natural sweetness....mmmmm.....
 
LEATHERFACE said:
I hope you cook most of your food steamed to retain the minerals/vitamins
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The majority of vitamins/minerals in meat are preserved when cooking. IIRC, the only one that even gets close to halved is thiamin, and that's with throwing out all the juices the meat cooked in.
 
Lynks8 said:
The majority of vitamins/minerals in meat are preserved when cooking. IIRC, the only one that even gets close to halved is thiamin, and that's with throwing out all the juices the meat cooked in.
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i'm talking about the guy above me with the sweet potatoes
 
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