Protein shakes - Fad or worth it?

rainbowfairydust

NatMast wrote: »

I get mine from the protein works - and the blueberry crush flavour is one of my favourites (alongside caramel macchiato) and I always add it to my fruit smoothies in the morning!

I always make my protein shakes (not breakfast protein smoothies) with half water, half milk and doesn't impact the flavour. Can't bring myself to drink it with just water!

You are not the first person to recommend the caramel macchiato to me so will try it in future.

Indie_Kid

NatMast wrote: »

Can't bring myself to drink it with just water!

They're vile with water. Trying to see if I can get some semi skimmed or full fat milk powder (I'm sure I've seen it before) and use that instead of milk. Not too sure my parents would appreciate the amount of milk I'd use.

Just_a_Girl_2

Indie_Kid wrote: »

They're vile with water. Trying to see if I can get some semi skimmed or full fat milk powder (I'm sure I've seen it before) and use that instead of milk. Not too sure my parents would appreciate the amount of milk I'd use.

I make mine with water and add 20-30ml double cream. It's more cost effective and still very creamy

Idiophreak

I use the myprotein ones and they're just fine with water...get the quantities right and it tastes just like nesquik.

Adding milk makes them *very* creamy for my taste, a bit sickening.

That said, I'm a skimmed milk person these days and even find semi-skimmed *a bit much*...

yessie1209

Sorry is this has already been answered guys. So, will protein shakes make you bigger? I just want toned lean muscle, don't want to end up looking like a body builder!

Idiophreak

yessie1209 wrote: »

Sorry is this has already been answered guys. So, will protein shakes make you bigger? I just want toned lean muscle, don't want to end up looking like a body builder!

Depends on the exercise you do. If you do reps of concentration curls then guzzle down protein, you'll probably get increased cardio definition.

If you do a step class and then have a shake, you'll probably just recover quicker.

Feral_Moon

I was told that adding milk (or other stuff) to protein shakes is counter productive as it then takes longer to digest. They're supposed to be made with water for ease of digestion following a workout to target muscle recovery. They don't make your muscles any bigger, just help with recovery so less soreness the next day.

Idiophreak

Feral_Moon wrote: »

They don't make your muscles any bigger, just help with recovery so less soreness the next day.

Well, technically, protein enables growth and repair of muscles.

To facilitate faster recovery, you use protein very much for the "repair" side of things...if you want to build mass, you focus on "growth". Generally speaking, in order to get rapid growth you tear and rebuild your muscles repeatedly...the faster/stronger they can rebuild themselves, the better growth you'll see...so it can do both.

Feral_Moon

Idiophreak wrote: »

Well, technically, protein enables growth and repair of muscles.

To facilitate faster recovery, you use protein very much for the "repair" side of things...if you want to build mass, you focus on "growth". Generally speaking, in order to get rapid growth you tear and rebuild your muscles repeatedly...the faster/stronger they can rebuild themselves, the better growth you'll see...so it can do both.

Yes, that makes sense and is what my PT was trying to explain to me now I think about it. It's just some people think it helps build muscles without actually putting in the relevant training too.

Idiophreak

Feral_Moon wrote: »

It's just some people think it helps build muscles without actually putting in the relevant training too.

Ah, yeah. Just no.

You have to shift the weights, one way or another