Protein Shake Before or After Weights Workout?

[MissyLee]

Hello. I'm a vegetarian with a pretty protein-poor diet, so am trying to improve that by upping my legumes, nuts, eggs, etc, but I have also started drinking one BodyScience Choc protein drink on the days I do weights at the gym (3 x's a week). Is there a good time to have it - before or after my workout - or is it really irrelevant? (Oh, I'm about 61kgs, aiming to drop some fat and develop muscle) Thanks for your help.

[KyleAaron]

A vegetarian need not have a protein-poor diet, especially as a vegetarian rather than vegan. Don't forget beans, tofu and so on. I've easily got over 80g protein daily without any meat or fish, and 160g on workout days with my workout drink (half-litre milk, 3 eggs, 100g skim milk powder).

Not many studies have been done on whether workout drinks are better immediately before or after workouts. What we do know is,

- for strength and endurance training, a protein and carb mix works better than protein alone or carbs alone
- a drink before and a drink after works better than the same drinks at breakfast and dinner, ie timing makes a difference

It appears that the carbs help fuel the workout, giving you energy, and assist recovery, replacing energy lost. And the protein of course helps rebuild muscles stressed by exercise. Of course the water in milk helps, too. The fats in milk should not be scorned, especially as a woman; it appears that as men metabolise carbs very well for quick energy, women metabolise fats very well for quick energy; given women's naturally higher bodyfat and childbearing ability, this is perhaps not surprising.

So I recommend a drink like my own, if your training is designed to improve strength and endurance and add muscle mass. No need to buy the expensive protein powders.

[FemmeFatale28]

So I recommend a drink like my own, if your training is designed to improve strength and endurance and add muscle mass. No need to buy the expensive protein powders.

BUT KYLE! They are soooooo yummy lol. 5lbs = 40 bucks it lasts me about 2 months at 2x a day roughly 120servings. .33 cents a day. I'll take it!

[KyleAaron]

If you like 'em, by all means you should get 'em.

But you don't have to buy protein powders to get protein drinks.

[MissyLee]

A vegetarian need not have a protein-poor diet, especially as a vegetarian rather than vegan.

Oh but I'm such a bad vegetarian ;) I used to eat 250g Cadbury's and not much else. Since trying to get fitter I've upped my egg intake, and pulses, legumes. (And cut the chocolate - well, mostly)

I tend to drink Soy Milk rather than cow's so would feel a bit icky after drinking th eshake you suggested, but it's awesome to know I don't need to obsess about the Protein shake.

I'll be heading to a nutritionist soon, and hopefully they can point me in the right direction.

Thanks so much for your reply. :)

[g85]

Drink it after to feed the muscles. It helps them recover.