When to drink whey protein shake?
Hey all, I've been trying to get fit/more healthy and it seems that I'm doing something right given that I'm losing weight but gaining muscle at the same time..
I need some help with when to drink a protein shake though.. My schedule looks like this:
Sunday - Full body weights / 2 miles on the treadmill
Monday - 2 miles on the treadmill
Tuesday - Full body weights / 2 miles on the treadmill
Wednsday - 2 miles on the treadmill
Thursday - Full body weights / 2 miles on the treadmill
Friday - 2 miles on the treadmill
Saturday - rest
Now, on lift days, I drink a whey protein shake right after weights, wait 30 minutes, then hop on the treadmill. Is that the most efficient way to incorporate the supplement into my routine? Or should I just run on the treadmill right after lifting then drink the shake?
13 Comments • Newest first
@Nickotyne It's your call mate. Just know that whey isn't any sort of miracle supplement. Whey is good if you're lacking in other sources of protein or simply need more.
People at gyms have a tendency to do a lot of things, regardless of their effectiveness or "correctness". If you put too much faith in others, you'll likely end up thinking quarter squats are the way to go or the curl rack is a good place to squat.
If I were in your shoes I would take it on your weight training days after you do your cardio.
[quote=xoqtprincessxo]Don't worry so much about protein timing. Whether you drink it in the middle of your work out or half an hour after your workout or an hour after your workout is largely irrelevant. Also keep in mind that if you can hit your protein needs without the whey, there's not much point in taking it.[/quote]
I've heard this as well but have also been swayed by the tendency that people have at gyms to prioritize a shake immediately after a workout. I'm not solely following that crowd though, a few friends have recommended I do this too. I guess my main concern was to prevent muscle LOSS because of my cardio and so I blindly bought some whey in hopes that it might prevent muscle loss and hell, maybe even contribute to some nice gains. But your advice is much appreciated, along with other posts in this thread. I think I'll just focus more on the good ol' chicken breast and kick the habit of relying on whey before it even forms.
Thanks so much all, I really appreciate it.
Don't overwork your body.
[quote=Kid24]Seems like you should be taking more carbs than protein shakes since u are doing so much cardio. Honestly I started using protein shakes last year for a couple 3 months and when I got my blood work results I had high creatine and my kidney function wasn't 100% so doctors told me to lay off all the protein shakes. Did another blood sample couple months later and my kidney functioned improved a bit. So after that I just started working out without supplements. I would be eating a lot of carbs like rice, potatoes wheat bread etc and intake protein by meat, nuts, greek yogurt etc.[/quote]
That's scary. I almost passed out in a dealership while buying my car because I took creatine before I went and I wasn't properly hydrated.
But did your protein supp have creatine in it or something? I don't understand why you'd need to stop taking protein.
[quote=FatalBlad3r]immediately after you finish lifting weights[/quote]
this
You're doing great. Eating whole foods is better than taking protein shakes, to each their own. Your doing a lot of cardio so... just make sure to eat a lot of food. Eating too little and it will be counterproductive no matter how much exercise you do. No energy=awful workout.
[quote=RitoPls]I would worry more about not knowing when to use 'but' than trying to get in shape if I were you.[/quote]
Well I was alluding to the common knowledge that while one does a ton of cardio, he is bound to lose muscle. I used "but" in order to negate this common notion and let people know that regardless of my time on the treadmill, I'm still gaining muscle - albeit "newbie muscle" as one pointed out before you. Thanks tho!
Seems like you should be taking more carbs than protein shakes since u are doing so much cardio. Honestly I started using protein shakes last year for a couple 3 months and when I got my blood work results I had high creatine and my kidney function wasn't 100% so doctors told me to lay off all the protein shakes. Did another blood sample couple months later and my kidney functioned improved a bit. So after that I just started working out without supplements. I would be eating a lot of carbs like rice, potatoes wheat bread etc and intake protein by meat, nuts, greek yogurt etc.
I would worry more about not knowing when to use 'but' than trying to get in shape if I were you.
That is a lot of cardio.
wow im surprised you are gaining muscle given how much cardio you are doing. probably newbie gains
Don't worry so much about protein timing. Whether you drink it in the middle of your work out or half an hour after your workout or an hour after your workout is largely irrelevant. Also keep in mind that if you can hit your protein needs without the whey, there's not much point in taking it.