Protein Shakes

Hey

I've recently been drinking protein shakes after i finish a session at the gym.
However, a few hours later i feel reeeeeally bloated.

Is this normal? is it a good or bad sign? :confused:

any help or advice is appreciated

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Reply 1

El Scotto

you're ment to have it BEFORE (as in an hour or 2) you goto the gym... then you work it off.

Reply 2

Chi3f

El Scotto

you're ment to have it BEFORE (as in an hour or 2) you goto the gym... then you work it off.

no your really not. you have it afterwards

Reply 3

Robusty

before and afterwards....you need the energy before you work, then need the protein to rebuild the broken muscles fibres

Reply 4

geordie2006

Im drinking one as i read this lol. Your supposed to have it immediately after training then have a meal about 45 minutes later. You can have one a few hours before too if you want, but having it immediately afterwards is essential

Reply 5

Viscount_L

Different protein shakes have different requirements, just go by the instructions on the container.

Reply 6

geordie2006

Viscount_L

Different protein shakes have different requirements, just go by the instructions on the container.

What do you mean by requirments?

Reply 7

Chewwy

Robusty

before and afterwards....you need the energy before you work, then need the protein to rebuild the broken muscles fibres

uh, considering a protein shake, as the name might suggest, consists mainly of protein, drinking it for energy is a very pointless exercise (protein is rather more difficult to metabolise than carbohydrates, and it's a lot more expensive).

Reply 8

chonky

bloated as in your body produces gases so that you have to fart etc?

Your body will adapt to every new protein source you will give it. Although that might take some weeks until your body is adapted to it and the feeling of bloat will disappear.

On the other hand there are people who are abhorrent to lacto protein .. if that's the case for you then switch to soya protein or better try whey protein which is normally better digestible.

Forget about the intake timing like "take the protein not more than 5 minutes after the training and wait 45 mins for your next meal" since your general nutrition plan will be suboptimal anyway these timings don't matter at all.

Reply 9

Squelchy

The lack of knowledge in this thread is astounding. Mainly the guys who think protein is for energy. Why do you think people on ketogenic diets have no energy? Because protein and fat are less efficient energy sources than carbohydrates.

Protein shakes are merely a powdered form of protein. I'm assuming you have whey protein, which can be taken at any time of the day, it's simply a food substitute. However, whey is best taken with water and simple carbohydrates immediately following a workout for the quickest digestion possible.

Other times of the day, whey is best taken with milk so the casein in the milk can coagulate with the whey in your stomach and slow digestion, providing a slower and more sustained release of amino acids into your bloodsteam.

This is assuming your goal is to gain weight, obviously. If you were looking to lose it then milk (because of the lactose) and post workout simple carbs are best avoided as they will serve only to spike insulin levels.

I'd also like to address chonky's point that nutrient timing doesn't matter at all. I disagree entirely. Cortisol levels will be sky high after an intense workout, and simple carbs and a fast digesting source of protein are really very important to get to optimise glycogen synthesis and protein synthesis in the muscle tissue. There is a "window of opportunity" for 2-3 hours after your workout you really don't want to miss. Personally I take in most of my carbs immediately after a workout. I have a tin of potatoes and 2 tins of baked beans (the potatoes to provide an insulin spike and blunt cortisol levels), then an hour later I have a wok full of stir fry with a lot of wholemeal pasta. I also have whey in water immediately after the workout with the potatoes and beans, and then a whey/casein blend with the stir fry to provide a steadier source of protein to my muscles for the next few hours.

Reply 10

Chewwy

chonky

On the other hand there are people who are abhorrent to lacto protein

interesting use of abhorrent...

Reply 11

chonky

uhlala, I'm not english native.

Reply 12

Squelchy

Pretty Boy

Out of interest, which brand of whey do you use?

I'm a vegetarian so I drink 4-6 shakes a day to make sure I get enough protein. Because of this, if I drank branded protein such as ON or Nitro-Tech then it would cost me a fortune, so I have unflavoured whey (and casein) from http://www.bulkpowders.co.uk.

Reply 13

geordie2006

chonky

I disagree i think these timings do matter, and im guessing any professional bodybuilder would agree. Following training your body has an 'open window' where it needs as much calories as possible ,"More recent research has shown that combining protein with carbohydrate in the two-hours after exercise, nearly doubles the insulin response"

Reply 14

Squelchy

geordie2006

Ha ha, I got there first! :biggrin:

Reply 15

geordie2006

squelchy what are you stats

Reply 16

geordie2006

Squelchy

Ha ha, I got there first! :biggrin:

lol, i need to speed up my typing

Reply 17

Squelchy

My stats? Ummmmm, 5'10", 170lbs, about 10% bodyfat (best guess), max bench 320, max deadlift 470, max squat 460.

I suppose I'd better mention in case those lifts seem disproportionately large that I do powerlifting, not bodybuilding.

Reply 18

chonky

You can disagree, but please read my response correctly.
I said since his nutrition will be suboptimal these timings don't matter at all for him. I didn't say they don't matter generally!

It's really hard to get a good nutrition plan and it's even harder to stick to it and I'm very
sure that the OP should fix his nutrition plan before he starts to think of how to optimize
the protein digestion with insulin response and timing.