THE BEST TIME TO DRINK YOUR PROTEIN SHAKE

EMPIREMIND

EMPIREMIND

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Figured we could have a discussion about this.


What do you guys think??


When do you guys drink your shakes???




pyrobatt BloodManor
 
Whenever I can’t meet my daily protein requirement with whole food. Or if I’m in a hurry and need something to hold me over till my next meal
 
Personally I focus alot on nutrient timing. I always either eat protein or drink a shake about an hour before training, I drink hydro whey during the workout, and eat a meal after.

Shakes to me are basically just a tool, though they are not as optimal as whole food, they are convienient, and with some healthy fats make a great meal replacement.
 
TrainerTone said:
Whenever I can’t meet my daily protein requirement with whole food. Or if I’m in a hurry and need something to hold me over till my next meal
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Do you think that having your shakes preworkout like mentioned in the article holds more merit than postworkout?
 
I don't really drink protein anymore, unless on cycle.

Off cycle, I will have one scoop a day, maybe, post workout in overnight oats. If I am squatting or deadlifting, sometimes I will add a half scoop to some non fat Greek yogurt. I like something light in my stomach when I deadlift and squat, so a bar or Greek yogurt with some powder sites better than whole food.

On cycle, same thing, but I will also drink 1.5 scoops right after my training. My protein intake is higher on cycle, so I will utilize a little more powder.
 
AntM1564 said:
I don't really drink protein anymore, unless on cycle.

Off cycle, I will have one scoop a day, maybe, post workout in overnight oats. If I am squatting or deadlifting, sometimes I will add a half scoop to some non fat Greek yogurt. I like something light in my stomach when I deadlift and squat, so a bar or Greek yogurt with some powder sites better than whole food.

On cycle, same thing, but I will also drink 1.5 scoops right after my training. My protein intake is higher on cycle, so I will utilize a little more powder.
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That makes sense. I find I went through a time where I didn't use any powder either, I never have a problem eating protein, and I'd rather food than a shake. I can easily hit 3-400g in meat fish eggs and yogurt without even trying, as long as I'm eating sun up to sun down. But currently I'm fasting through the am, doing cardio midday, then eating for a few hours up until my workout. Because I have less time to consume everything, shakes help. Plus I also like the flavor. Kills my sweet cravings.
 
EMPIREMIND said:
Personally I focus alot on nutrient timing. I always either eat protein or drink a shake about an hour before training, I drink hydro whey during the workout, and eat a meal after.

Shakes to me are basically just a tool, though they are not as optimal as whole food, they are convienient, and with some healthy fats make a great meal replacement.
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Maybe its just me but whey during a workout sounds gross?
 
jrock645 said:
Maybe its just me but whey during a workout sounds gross?
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yeah whey during a workout especially in the summer is not something that would interest me in the least....that's why I love amino products, they are lighter and have a more enjoyable flavor when sweating
 
some say its all about the overall protein amount you get in a day, so timing of the shake shouldn't matter.....I disagree with that logic though

you want to maximize protein synthesis multiple times during the day....so a shake can be used between meals that are spaced out kind of far....for example with my work schedule, I have lunch at 12pm...I work until 415 and hit the gym after, so i'll have a preworkout shake because I'm probably not eating until like 6 or 630....on the other hand if your eating 5oz's of chicken for a meal, adding a protein shake with that meal really doesn't benefit you as much
 
I have a shake 2 hours after breakfast in between lunch. And then one post workout which is before my evening meal. And then one just before bed. Carbs depends on cycles. Protein is around 50g a shake. No idea if its right. Just try get protein in every couple hours or so.
 
After s e x preferably. Nothing like knocking back a double scoop after kicking some back doors in
 
When are Carbs and Protein VERY Important Post-workout?

Carbs:
- During leg Training + HIIT Cardio or doing a 2-3 hour intense workout session
Protein:
-Resistance Training in a fasted state (no meal consumed at least 3-4 hours prior)

When are Carbs and Protein of lesser importance Post-workout?

Carbs:
- 1-2 hour training session after a pre-workout meal (Small or mixed 2-3 hours prior to session)
Protein:
- Training after a meal composed of 20-40g Protein at least 1-2 hours prior to a workout in a fed state.

Overall Cliffs:

- Nutrient Timing can be beneficial but window of opportunity is not as big as believed
- Provided protein rich meal 3-4 hours prior to training, there is no stress about immediate post-workout protein supplement or meal
- Consume .4-.5g/kg of LBM in a pre/post workout exercise window spaced 4-6 hours depending on meal size.
- Post workout carb intake does not meaningful increase aabolicsm unless doing a 2 a day workout session involving same muscle groups. Glycogen is not a limting factor if you can consume enough Carbohydrates daily in the 24 hour period.

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Given most people will train with a pre-workout meal it will still be digesting into the post-workout period. there would be 0 need to have a protein shake instantly right after training unless it was a fasted workout where you would need to stop catabolism.

Most people who train have a shake right after and then a meal 60 minutes later which does not have much merit at all. This is actually detrimental to MPS (Muscle Protein Synthesis) as its better to space your meals out and protein feedings at least 4-6 hours apart. The need for a shake and then a whole food meal where your spiking MPS twice in 60 minutes is not necessary. At the end of the day meeting protein and spacing your feedings to at least 4-5x a day equally apart has been shown to be best for Muscle Protein Synthesis and how to allocate your protein intake.

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So the answer is simple.
Do you eat enough protein to reach 1g/lb (as a minimum)? If you do you don't need to SUPPLEMENT protein shakes or protein powder
Protein powder is simply that. A tool to help you supplement your protein intake when you cannot reach it via whole foods. While it is convenient and a cheaper alternative to some whole food sources it is not 100% necessary. Since it is heavily processed and voided of micronutrients whole foods will always reign supreme.
 
AntM1564 said:
I don't really drink protein anymore, unless on cycle.

Off cycle, I will have one scoop a day, maybe, post workout in overnight oats. If I am squatting or deadlifting, sometimes I will add a half scoop to some non fat Greek yogurt. I like something light in my stomach when I deadlift and squat, so a bar or Greek yogurt with some powder sites better than whole food.

On cycle, same thing, but I will also drink 1.5 scoops right after my training. My protein intake is higher on cycle, so I will utilize a little more powder.
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I should have mentioned these are not the "best" times, just times when I use powders. I don't think there is a best/optimal time.
 
Young Gotti said:
yeah whey during a workout especially in the summer is not something that would interest me in the least....that's why I love amino products, they are lighter and have a more enjoyable flavor when sweating
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Just to be clear I'm not mixing some chocolate protein with my shake. Whey hydrolosate and casein hydrolosate (Pepto pro) are far superior to aminos ( they are predigested, mix thin and provide a full aimno acid content. They don't have any taste when you mix with other flavored ingredients. My recovery with them intra workout vs with just aminos has been night and day so I personally continue to use them. I train roughly 2 hour sessions and I almost never get sore anymore.
 
EMPIREMIND said:
Just to be clear I'm not mixing a some chocolate protein with my shake. Whey hydrolosate and casein hydrolosate (Pepto pro) are far superior to aminos ( they are predigested, mix thin and provide a full aimno acid content. They don't have any taste when you mix with other flavored ingredients. My recovery with them intra workout vs with just aminos has been night and day so I personally continue to use them. I train roughly 2 hour sessions and I almost never get sore anymore.
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This, It does not mix or have the consistency of protein powder. Think of AEN Intrabolic or IntraMax. Both use WPH. WPH is thicker than your typical BCAA powder, but not by much.
 
EMPIREMIND said:
Just to be clear I'm not mixing some chocolate protein with my shake. Whey hydrolosate and casein hydrolosate (Pepto pro) are far superior to aminos ( they are predigested, mix thin and provide a full aimno acid content. They don't have any taste when you mix with other flavored ingredients. My recovery with them intra workout vs with just aminos has been night and day so I personally continue to use them. I train roughly 2 hour sessions and I almost never get sore anymore.
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I've used whey hydro intra and never noticed a difference VS a bcaa or bcaa/eaa drink

And I don't think many ppl consider caesin hydro because of price
 
Young Gotti said:
I've used whey hydro intra and never noticed a difference VS a bcaa or bcaa/eaa drink

And I don't think many ppl consider caesin hydro because of price
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Everysone is different I guess. Yea the Peptopro is like 30a lb. I always just get the hydro whey when it goes on sale
 
lots of argument on need of "intra" for average recreational athletes (not twice a day training etc...). as long as energy/macros are accounted for (ie you add the intra to your my fitness pal tracker) i think even guys like schoenfeld, aragaon etc have said "why not" even if not technically needed. heard an interview with an ifbb pro recently, who was very frugal - said "i just dump some whey isolate in gatorade and call it a day. can't argue with that, lol.
 
DaeshDontSurf said:
lots of argument on need of "intra" for average recreational athletes (not twice a day training etc...). as long as energy/macros are accounted for (ie you add the intra to your my fitness pal tracker) i think even guys like schoenfeld, aragaon etc have said "why not" even if not technically needed. heard an interview with an ifbb pro recently, who was very frugal - said "i just dump some whey isolate in gatorade and call it a day. can't argue with that, lol.
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This is really what it comes down to imo.

Guys should only even begin to worry about infra if they’re honed in and nailing their macros everyday. Otherwise you’re off the mark and missing the forest for the trees.

Intra/post is not going to make or break anyone who’s not going for nationals or WR’s imo.
 
DaeshDontSurf said:
lots of argument on need of "intra" for average recreational athletes (not twice a day training etc...). as long as energy/macros are accounted for (ie you add the intra to your my fitness pal tracker) i think even guys like schoenfeld, aragaon etc have said "why not" even if not technically needed. heard an interview with an ifbb pro recently, who was very frugal - said "i just dump some whey isolate in gatorade and call it a day. can't argue with that, lol.
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These IFBB Pro's also take a lot of other "Supplements" which may require extra protein or various forms of carbs. Not something a normal lifer may need. Throw insulin, peptides, and anabolics into the picture, then modifying your nutrition and what you would take pre/intra/post is MUCH Different.
 
DaeshDontSurf said:
lots of argument on need of "intra" for average recreational athletes (not twice a day training etc...). as long as energy/macros are accounted for (ie you add the intra to your my fitness pal tracker) i think even guys like schoenfeld, aragaon etc have said "why not" even if not technically needed. heard an interview with an ifbb pro recently, who was very frugal - said "i just dump some whey isolate in gatorade and call it a day. can't argue with that, lol.
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I may try that come September, I mainly use isolate as my protein powder of choice so it shouldn't be too thick and gross like some whey products can be
 
No one will mention that whey or iso protein produce a spike in insulin?? Thats why I think you should only stick with whey in times of the day when you are more sensitive to insulin and that would be either breakfast, post resistance training or after long period of time without consuming food. I wouldn't drink protein powder between meals or every 2 to 3 hours unless you have no other choice. You dont want to be spiking your insulin all day long. I want to hear your opinion on this.
 
Naoufal said:
No one will mention that whey or iso protein produce a spike in insulin?? Thats why I think you should only stick with whey in times of the day when you are more sensitive to insulin and that would be either breakfast, post resistance training or after long period of time without consuming food. I wouldn't drink protein powder between meals or every 2 to 3 hours unless you have no other choice. You dont want to be spiking your insulin all day long. I want to hear your opinion on this.
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You do realize any protein source you eat spikes insulin.........
Any fat or carb source you eat spikes insulin.....
That is why the whole GI Scale is bunk. Its based off eating carbs by themselves. So therefore anything you consume will spike insulin to a degree, even drinking BCAA's will spike insulin.
 
The Solution said:
You do realize any protein source you eat spikes insulin.........
Any fat or carb source you eat spikes insulin.....
That is why the whole GI Scale is bunk. Its based off eating carbs by themselves. So therefore anything you consume will spike insulin to a degree, even drinking BCAA's will spike insulin.
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But the faster the protein is digested the higher the spike will be. Thats why I think we should time whey protein.
 
The Solution said:
You do realize any protein source you eat spikes insulin.........
Any fat or carb source you eat spikes insulin.....
That is why the whole GI Scale is bunk. Its based off eating carbs by themselves. So therefore anything you consume will spike insulin to a degree, even drinking BCAA's will spike insulin.
Click to expand...

But the faster the protein is digested the higher the spike will be. Thats why I think we should time whey protein.
 
Naoufal said:
But the faster the protein is digested the higher the spike will be. Thats why I think we should time whey protein.
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If you are so worried test your BG Levels. I have done it for the last few years and have noticed little to no difference with whey meals or whole food meals. Some of my meals with whey shakes had my BG Lower then regular meals with whole food. So your statement is not 100% true.
Bottom Line: Eat mostly whole foods. Supplement protein when you can't reach protein goals. Rinse/Repeat
 
Naoufal said:
But the faster the protein is digested the higher the spike will be. Thats why I think we should time whey protein.
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my opinion only - who cares about insulin spikes? are we diabetic? do we have insulin resistence? isn't insulin anabolic/anti-catabolic? what must the body go through, energy wise, to make fat out of carbs (or protein, even more costly)? if all glycogen stores in muscle and liver are full - where does "gda" put everything? how does fat get stored at maint (recomp has been proven by schoenfeld and henselmenns ((very slow but happens))? definitely not in deficit? there is also research on insulin clearance times and health - you want it to hit and then vanish - a lot of "gda" (like cinnamon) dont lessen the amount secreted, they just make it trickle out, but that extends the time its in circulation. i dont know, not a fan of gda.
 
I dig 3 40g plus protein feedings a day. Hitting 50 is even better. I’m natty so, any more protein would be useless. But sometimes I IF, and will put more protein into dinner and lunch. It’s all about spiking that protein synthesis massively then letting yourself hit baseline so th next one would be just as effective.

A
I drink a shake when ever I want, when convenient, when not, just as long as there is fair spacing between it and my next/previous protein feeding.
 
Young Gotti said:
I may try that come September, I mainly use isolate as my protein powder of choice so it shouldn't be too thick and gross like some whey products can be
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Whey iso and Gatorade is essentially the same thing as a high molecular carb and eaa and hydrolosates. Thing is the digestion rate and this can be difficult during training. Personally ive tried all dextrose and I cannot do it, I have been able to get away with around 25g tops dextrose and aminos. I also tried whey iso, I can't do that at all. But if you can stomach it it's much more affordable.
 
The Solution said:
Bottom Line: Eat mostly whole foods. Supplement protein when you can't reach protein goals. Rinse/Repeat
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This is absolutely the bottom line. Nutrient timing in my opinion is icing on the cake, but if you have everything else covered and the cake is baked, who doesn't like extra icing?? Right Chef Bob???
 
EMPIREMIND said:
Whey iso and Gatorade is essentially the same thing as a high molecular carb and eaa and hydrolosates. Thing is the digestion rate and this can be difficult during training. Personally ive tried all dextrose and I cannot do it, I have been able to get away with around 25g tops dextrose and aminos. I also tried whey iso, I can't do that at all. But if you can stomach it it's much more affordable.
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I've tossed it around...I'm actually thinking of something like half scoop whey iso, so roughly 12.5gs, then half scoop of my amino product and about 20g's of HBCD....we'll see how it works, but even with isolate being so much thinner than a lot of whey's with concentrate, it still might be iffy if it's hot, I don't need a "shake" intraworkout
 
EMPIREMIND said:
This is absolutely the bottom line. Nutrient timing in my opinion is icing on the cake, but if you have everything else covered and the cake is baked, who doesn't like extra icing?? Right Chef Bob???
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Agree, but most of us are not going to step on stage or are not elite athletes, or on drugs (insulin) all of which would benefit from timing.
 
I think the article was simply looking at the model of having a post workout shake, and rethought that model... having the shake preworkout would give your body the nutrients before you trained and they would be available throughout the workout. In essence could easily be a preworkout meal. But for those guys who rush to hit a shake in the "ANABOLIC window" this timing may make more sense.

My personal use of intra shakes and hydro whey is very specific to my protocol and regimen. I am incorporating Peri workout nutrition with intermittent fasting. Keto based diet on off days one day 24hour fasting a week. For me it has been awesome for recomping, but that is for my body type. I only have a short window of time to get in my nutrients for the day and I train for 2hours. That's 2 hours of eating time gone, so I use intra workouts... Just wanted to clarify.
 
EMPIREMIND said:
In essence could easily be a preworkout meal. But for those guys who rush to hit a shake in the "ANABOLIC window" this timing may make more sense.
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It's not difficult to try to get protein from whole food or whey within 1-2 hours of a resistance training session, nor is it difficult to roughly spread your daily protein intake over 3-6 meals per day and to have the final meal within some proximity to bedtime. My advice, would be to try to meet those rough guidelines when it's convenient, and to not stress the timing when it's inconvenient and just hit your daily target. Timing is extremely low on the totem pole of importance and certainly much less important than meeting your daily target protein intake.

If your eating prior to a session, the need for a shake during or after is minimal, since your pre-workout meal will still be digesting, and protein is best spread evenly 4-6 hours apart. Most people won't train for 2+ hours or be training to be an endurance athlete, where protein and carbs would of greater importance due to the demand of caloric expenditure.


which goes exactly back to my first post:
When are Carbs and Protein VERY Important Post-workout?

Carbs:
- During leg Training + HIIT Cardio or doing a 2-3 hour intense workout session
Protein:
-Resistance Training in a fasted state (no meal consumed at least 3-4 hours prior)

When are Carbs and Protein of lesser importance Post-workout?

Carbs:
- 1-2 hour training session after a pre-workout meal (Small or mixed 2-3 hours prior to session)
Protein:
- Training after a meal composed of 20-40g Protein at least 1-2 hours prior to a workout in a fed state.

Overall Cliffs:

- Nutrient Timing can be beneficial but window of opportunity is not as big as believed
- Provided protein rich meal 3-4 hours prior to training, there is no stress about immediate post-workout protein supplement or meal
- Consume .4-.5g/kg of LBM in a pre/post workout exercise window spaced 4-6 hours depending on meal size.
- Post workout carb intake does not meaningful increase aabolicsm unless doing a 2 a day workout session involving same muscle groups. Glycogen is not a limting factor if you can consume enough Carbohydrates daily in the 24 hour period.
 
The Solution said:
It's not difficult to try to get protein from whole food or whey within 1-2 hours of a resistance training session, nor is it difficult to roughly spread your daily protein intake over 3-6 meals per day and to have the final meal within some proximity to bedtime. My advice, would be to try to meet those rough guidelines when it's convenient, and to not stress the timing when it's inconvenient and just hit your daily target. Timing is extremely low on the totem pole of importance and certainly much less important than meeting your daily target protein intake.

If your eating prior to a session, the need for a shake during or after is minimal, since your pre-workout meal will still be digesting, and protein is best spread evenly 4-6 hours apart. Most people won't train for 2+ hours or be training to be an endurance athlete, where protein and carbs would of greater importance due to the demand of caloric expenditure.


which goes exactly back to my first post:
When are Carbs and Protein VERY Important Post-workout?

Carbs:
- During leg Training + HIIT Cardio or doing a 2-3 hour intense workout session
Protein:
-Resistance Training in a fasted state (no meal consumed at least 3-4 hours prior)

When are Carbs and Protein of lesser importance Post-workout?

Carbs:
- 1-2 hour training session after a pre-workout meal (Small or mixed 2-3 hours prior to session)
Protein:
- Training after a meal composed of 20-40g Protein at least 1-2 hours prior to a workout in a fed state.

Overall Cliffs:

- Nutrient Timing can be beneficial but window of opportunity is not as big as believed
- Provided protein rich meal 3-4 hours prior to training, there is no stress about immediate post-workout protein supplement or meal
- Consume .4-.5g/kg of LBM in a pre/post workout exercise window spaced 4-6 hours depending on meal size.
- Post workout carb intake does not meaningful increase aabolicsm unless doing a 2 a day workout session involving same muscle groups. Glycogen is not a limting factor if you can consume enough Carbohydrates daily in the 24 hour period.
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Agreed brother!
 
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