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Protein shake confusion !!
Ok folks I’m a pole instructor/studio owner and pole around 4/5 days per week maybe more depending, I’m trying to eat clean and become more defined and lean. I have a lot of friends who are fellow polers, areial artists and regular gym users and they always seem to drink protein shakes. After a bit if advice and doing my research ( although I could only find conflicting stuff) I decided to buy fusion for pole fitness shake ( apparently designed for pole dancers so I thought hey why not) iv only been on it a week don’t feel any different but since then iv been getting A LOT of confusing advise from people. Some have said its good I’m on them and will help my muscles recover, be more flexible, prevent injury and help me loose weight. Others said I need to watch I don’t gain weight because if I eat some protein throughout the day in my meals and take the shakes ill bulk up?? Others say this is not true. Some friends said if I eat carbs and the shakes ill gain weight??! And one fitness instructor gave me a telling off for touching it at all saying the sakes are bad for my body and they all should be banned and they can make you infertile!!! What the hell? I’m utterly confused as to wether I should be drinking these or not. So far I’m drinking two per day one, one hour before class and 1 hour after class. I try to stick to good carbs, like nuts, seeds, while grains, fruit veg, sweet potato ect and I have protein meals such as chicken and rice dish, cottage cheese, feta cheese low fat milk and natural yoghurt. I don’t eat a lot of meat and maybe only eat chicken twice a week, but I do drink a lot of milk, as in a big glass or two every day. Is this too much protein then? Do I even need shakes? I’m so utterly confused with this. HELP!!
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20 Replies
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I'm not expert on this but I do use protein shakes. From what I understanding, whey isolate protein is used best by the body, so anything that has it will work (the isolate part is the important bit). If you'd like to use the protein shake to aid in muscle recovery, it is suggested to drink it within a half hour after the workout. I don't think it's necessary to have it before the workout. That's pretty much how I deal with the protein shake. If I work out, I drink one, and that's it.
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The only protein shake I'll drink is Core Power. It doesn't taste like chalky disgustingness and doesn't give you terrible bad breath like pretty much every other protein shake I've ever tried. It's made from milk but it's lactose free. It gives you a ton of calcium and a good amount of protein. The Core Power Light is 150 calories and the regular is 230, I think.
I drink them sometimes as a snack, sort of. I eat small meals throughout the day so usually in the afternoon or after a morning workout, I'll drink one. It's not a miracle cure or anything, I don't think. Protein is the building block of muscles, so theoretically it will help with gaining muscle mass. I use it mainly as a nutritional supplement, to increase the amount of protein in my diet. Drinking them isn't going to hurt you unless you drink them all the time. I've heard people say they clog your kidneys and that's simply untrue.
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I have just went back on my protein shakes. I have 1 directly after working out (as soon as I stop panting that is) and have to slam it while its cold. That goes for any kind I have ever tried. For me it helps with muscle fatigue and soreness. 🙂
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The pole ones I drink actually taste really nice so I don’t mind the taste at all, it’s 100 cals a recommended scoop ( high protein / diet) version I chose. Just so worried ill actually get bigger! I’m told that’s nonsense and that girls don’t bulk up but then I hear other things that suggest otherwise, I’m not fat, far from it but I’m hardly skinny either, last thing I need is to look bigger. As said before I want to loose fat and look more toned. Ideally avoiding kidney faliure along the way
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Protein within 30 minutes after working out. For heavy bodybuilders they aim for about 1 g of protein for each lb of weight per day. The branch chain amino acids that are in protein drinks are what our bodies need to repair tissue damage (basically what we do when we lift…we create tiny tears in teh tissue). Isolate is the easiest to digest but casein is slower to digest (usually taken before bed to aid in repair). Look for powders that 1: you can stomach and 2: have a decent amino acid profile. If a powder does not give the breakdown or is more filler than protein, pass it up. There are other proteins (soy, pea, hemp, egg white) but they do not have as good of a profile as good old whey.
Carbs before working out
Protein after
Talk to Lilbit…she used to be a bodybuilder.
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What are good brands? I get frustrated looking at labels and seeing crap ingredients (fillers, etc) so I never know what to buy. :/
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I like jay robb the best…comes from grass fed cows…organic, microfiltered and preserves all the immunoglobulins for your immune system:)
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I buy Body Fortress Super Advanced Whey Isolate at Walmart. It is $22 for a 2 lb container and tastes really good. I am not fond of their regular whey protein….taste is not as good and has more calories. Kroger tends to carry it also. A few years back protein prices spiked and have stayed kind of high. I found this stuff, the BCAA profile is really good and it does not break my wallet (between me and my husband we kill a tub a month, sometimes less than).
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Super-Advanced-Vanilla-Creme-Whey-Isolate/14654077
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Hey this is what I’m drinking just now http://www.fusionforpolefitness.co.uk can any of you ladies tell if its any good? I’m still confused as to wether ill gain weight from drinking these 🙁
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Sorry it’s http://www.fusionforpole.com
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The only way you will gain weight is 1: if your caloric intake is higher than your expenditure or 2: you start gaining muscle mass. I have actually put on weight since I started poing however I wear a smaller size (except in shirts and bras, there I have increased due to my lats).
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Yep I’m heavier too due to my pole muscles, but the same dress size or smaller. What I mean Is will my muscles get even bigger with the shakes ( I don’t think I could cope with bigger thighs, they are nice and toned and just now and I’m happy with that) I’m just looking for definition and obviously to be more productive, look far leaner ect.
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Yeah, chemgoddess is correct. It's all about calories. Most protein powders and shakes are not calorically dense. So if you eat a sensible diet, you will most likely not gain weight. If you gain muscle mass, you can gain weight but you'll look leaner. Usually women don't get huge muscles unless you're trying to bodybuild and take testosterone and anabolic steroids. Our testosterone levels are miniscule compared to that of a man's. The best thing to do is lift weights and then stretch. It makes your muscles longer and appear leaner. So no, unless you're power lifting and eating massive amount of protein (which is sounds like you're not), you're not going to be huge.
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How big your muscles get is mostly based on genetics. Now you can push the envelope by adding test and making other tweeks to your biological code but unless you are injecting stuff to do this I would not be so concerned about you getting huuuuuge. Now if you start squatting 250 lbs you might see some changes. Look around Oxygen magazine at the women who lift heavy. Look at the majority of pole "stars"….with the exception of a few most are just lean with definition. Hell, Look at Pantera who lifts and trains heavy….and I mean HEAVY.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/197779_10150953761788673_773845961_n.jpg
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Now compare her build to someone like Karol. Karol keeps protein drinks with her and drinks a ton of water yet she is super slim. Genetics…
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/420892_10150568721948445_767791763_n.jpg
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You need protein and calories to grow and women don’t really have enough testosterone or the genetics to get massive.
You’ll often hear men saying they’re on a bulk. This is the phase were they’re eating loads of protein and CALORIES to get big. They’ll then cut calories to lean out and show the muscles they’ve been feeding.
Don’t eat more than you need to and you’ll be fine with the shakes. They’ll fill you up and stop you snacking on crap too!
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Ok it’s starting to make sense now thank you folks! I was hit with so much conflicting info my head was spinning, I prefer karols physique but I don’t know if ill get that lean although pantera is awesome I wouldn’t want to look that muscular if you know what I mean, but I’m not training like a body builder or anything so think there’s no danger of that . Ok will stick with the shakes and try to eat as healthy as I can you are right about relaxing a shake with a snack they really do fill me up at night after class and stop me snacking on crap xx
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Whey Protein ISO(late) is what I usually have as a protein shake. It has the highest amount of protein vs concentrate. It has most of the lactose and fat removed, therefore you will not gain as much weight as the regular stuff. I know some body builder guys and they've always recommend isolate over concentrate.
Breakdown : Isolate is more pure – isolate contains more protein with less fat and lactose per serving. Based on whose figures you go by, whey isolate usually contains between 90-94% protein while whey concentrate has a protein ratio of 70-85%
I was lectured on why I couldn't just drink a glass of milk and eat some meat as my protein supplement, and my body building friend told me "it's like this, if you eat chicken, red meat etc etc, your body isn't getting the targeted protein. What I'm saying is, I'm throwing skittles at you and you're trying to catch them with your mouth. You miss a bunch but will only get some. Whereas if you drink a protein shake, it's like me coming over to you with a handful of skittles and shoving them in your mouth".
I buy the good stuff, because it is "food for your muscles". I go to a GNC and drop $45 on whey protein isolate because it's all natural and literally has 0 fat.
I hope this helps!
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Just a quick comment…….there are so many online stores that you should never pay GNC's prices. I am not sure about Canada, but I can literally purchase something from bodybuilding.com and have it delivered the next day, at max 2 days. All All Star Health is another great company. Last ditch efforts are usually VitaCost and Vitamin Shoppe.
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My fella is a sport science teacher, degree and currently studying for MSc. he says….
Protein shakes:
The only Negative – smell coming from your bum (I agree :-/ )
It’s not the supplement that makes your muscle get bigger its the training
Supplement + training = muscle increase.
Supplement + no training = sloppy poo!
The type of training is what matters, if you’re doing lots of weight training ie barbell curls and bench press your muscles will get bigger. If you’re doing strength or muscular endurance movements ie pole, you’re muscles will get slightly bigger but mostly harder and denser. Meaning you’ll end up looking more like Jessica Ennis than the Incredible Hulk!
In terms of protein: a supplement reacts the same way in your body as food but with a pro shake timing is vital, as its main aim is to aid recovery, all the current peer reviewed research states you should take 20-25g with water immediately after exercise, at least within 30 min if you can’t have it immediately. The rest of your protein should come from whole foods- chicken, meat, fish, dairy. But, if you’re struggling then taking 20g of pro powder mixed with skimmed or semi skimmed milk at least 2 hours between meals will help you get in your protein needs. But don’t have it with milk directly after training as this interferes with absorption rates.
As a final note, for your type of training (pole 4/5 times per week) you should aim to consume 1.3g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (food mainly, protein shakes after training). Studies have shown that anymore than 30g in a 90min period provides no further advantages.
Protein will not make you fat, as it cannot turn to fat, only too much carbs and fat will make you fat!
Whey isolate is the best 🙂 don’t pay more than £15 per kg, it’s no better.Hope that helps!
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