If you are even just a little bit interested in the fitness lifestyle, then most likely you acknowledge the role Protein plays. It’s the gym bunny staple food. For instance, it is becoming common knowledge that for every kilogram of your body weight, if you’re strength training, you need 1.6-2.0 grams of protein. I weigh 66 kilos, which puts my protein needs at around 132g of protein daily.
Chicken breast has about 25g of protein, an egg has about 7g, a bowl of oatmeal from one cup of uncooked oats has 13g of protein. From this, I think you get the picture. You will need to eat quite a bit to get your protein requirements. Take note however that protein needs are dependent on your goals too. If you’re doing endurance training, you need 1.2-1.4g per kg of your body weight every day. Strength training requires 1.6-1.8g. Whereas bulking requires 2g of protein per kg of your body weight.
You can gauge your personal protein needs and see how to meet the needs.
Ideally, we should be getting all the protein we need from whole foods. However, this is hard to achieve if you have other things to do like work or school. Eating 5 meals a day is the ideal, and you need to squeeze in the 100g+ in these meals. Protein supplements, as controversial as they are, provide a solution for the urban gym rat to get protein.
And by the way, even women who are strength training need a good dose of protein. Fear not ladies, you will NOT get a masculine physique. It is not that easy to get Mr Universe muscles as a woman. You just don’t have enough testosterone for that. Another thing is, it takes thousands of hours in the gym lifting massive weights for a man to naturally get to that point, with testosterone and all. Protein shakes aren’t magical dust for muscles to begin with. They are simply a dietary supplement, just like drinking a whole lot of milk or eating a whole lot of eggs.
Most people take whey protein, but there is also egg protein and soy protein. Whey contains all nine essential amino acids for muscle recovery, so it’s the protein of choice for me.
There are other supplements other than just protein powders. Some are packed with carbs and other things to fuel your workouts. Just be careful not to replace supplements with whole foods, because, there are some things in whole foods that you won’t find in a tub.
I asked a couple of fitness enthusiasts about what supplements they take for both pre and post-workout, and this is what they had to say:
“My favourite PreWorkout is Nitrous Oxide based and its really good.. Packed with energy, thats the one I used when I first started bulking. Downside is its expensive, just under 700 bucks. I have also gone through several fat burners. For post-workout, I have two shakes I alternate” -Katli.
Another fitness enthusiastic had this to say:
” At times we don’t get enough Micronutrients and Macronutrients from the food we eat so we use supplements to “add on” so our bodies develop at a needed rate. Personally I use Whey protein, BCAA and multivitamins. The Whey protein for a higher protein intake, since protein is essential for muscle growth and fast regeneration of damaged muscle tissue. The BCAA for accelerated protein synthesis. The multivitamins for strong bones and joints, along with the absorption of vast Micronutrients needed for growth and development of my body. These supplements also help with weight loss since they increase my metabolism to burn calories at a higher pace. It is also essential knowing which supplements go well with your blood type, this is important for the effectiveness of supplements.” – Brian
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
1. Do not get tempted to get quick results by overdosing on protein powders. Most are pretty high in calories, so will result in weight gain if you take more than the recommended amount.
2. Stay hydrated when you are on protein shakes (stay hydrated even if you aren’t though). Your body needs water to metabolize all that protein and you will end up dehydrated if you don’t drink enough water.
3. You might have preexisting conditions with your liver or kidneys that might be aggravated by the higher than average protein intake, so check with your doctor to see if it’s safe for you.
When you buy supplements like protein powder, be careful to check the ingredients to make sure you aren’t allergic to something in the powder. I am not a medical expert, seek the advice of your doctor to find out if a particular supplement is safe for you, taking into consideration your medical history.
