Protein shake right after training.

[JohnnyB]

So which of you are getting a protein shake immediately after the end of your training session?

Some people swear by a 30min window that you must give high quality proteins to your muscles after workout in order to develop decent muscle mass.

Which protein are you in favor of?

Soy, whey or egg?

I am currently using Soy because of its high overall characteristics that emphasize on body recovery along with muscle mass build up without the need for supplements like when using whey protein which is slightly better for muscle mass.

[Kuma]

I prefer whey powder in whole milk, so this way I'm getting a good dose of casein in too. Personally I avoid soy as there are studies that show it might be bad for men in particular.

[JusticeZero]

What i've seen said of soy is that it is bad for consumption, period, at least when too much of it is plugged into your diet. Tofu sometimes is OK. Soy protein burgers with soy cheese for lunch after soymilk and cereal breakfast, then a tofurkey dinner, and maybe a booster of a soy protein snack bar is going to cause some serious issues, fast.

[JohnnyB]

I guess it all depends on the quality of soy.

If we are talking about non mutated pure organic samples then they can't be harmful in any way. There are many people I know that include high quality soy proteins in their regular nutrition and they never had any problems.

Whey is the new 'trend' and a bit pricier than soy where the difference is very little compared to the nutritional value reported by nutritional analysis. Again I would emphasize on quality myself. I plan to change to whey concentrate when I finish my soy supplies and see for myself.

Anyone considered using both? Since they are different types of protein (organic vs animal) you may get the best of both worlds.

[Evil Dave]

FOOD

Food is always the best choice over supplements, no matter what they are made from. A proper snack 30-45 minutes after a workout and a complete meal withing 2 hours is what's recommended. I know time is short sometimes, but do not let a supplement replace food. I see it all to often in gyms along with MA clubs/schools the individual slowly starts to replace real food with supplement bars, drinks, shakes, etc. Then they wonder why they are not reaching their goals.

I always have a couple of bars in my bag for those times when I need it, but not for every workout. In our society we already get more protein then we need, although not always the best sources... Remember, excess protein is turned into fat stores.

[bushido_man96]

There isn't really much credence to the 30 min window. I don't know that there is any study that shows how or why that would work, but they are mainly bunk. The power guys I've spoken with on various sites just say to get it in after the workout. If you do so within 3 hours, you are still ok. The time frame isn't going to make that much of a difference.

[Evil Dave]

As to replenishing macro and micro nutrients, everybody's got an opinion. The time frames for eating are mainly to maintain a steady blood sugar level. This is what's important to continue on with your daily activities and start the muscle recovery process.

[JusticeZero]

If we are talking about non mutated pure organic samples then they can't be harmful in any way.

I hear this sort've thing a lot, and it is built on a complete fallacy. Botulin toxin, likely the most lethal poison known, is a natural, organic product. Arsenic is completely natural and pure. People imagine that if it is "natural", it is healthy, but this is not necessarily the case.

One of the problems with soy, as has been described to me, is that it is very rich in isoflavones. Which are great! ...in moderation... but which you can overdose on. (It is also possible to overdose toxically on several other vitamins; I have known people who have suffered permanent damage from overuse of vitamin supplements.) Eating some tofu isn't going to be an issue. Eating a lot of soy in every meal, like a lot of soyitarians do, is. And there are a lot of soyitarians out there, even if that isn't what they would call themself.

Additionally, "non-mutated" is a lost cause. Intentional genetic tampering with food in various forms dates back to before 4,000 BC. Today, we have people using genetic technology they don't completely understand to maximize yields of food seed. A hundred years ago, we had people using mutagenic chemicals and radiation they didn't completely understand to maximize yields of food. Six thousand years ago, you had mountaintop gardens trying to find mutant strains of food (though they didn't understand how it worked) to be bred for seed to maximize yields of food seed. And six million years ago, you had various plants and animals that were completely clueless about how genetics worked mutating on their own and breeding based on how effective they were.

There is zero evidence that organic food is healthier for the people eating it. None. There is plenty of evidence that it is people for the people living close to the farms, so it is still a good thing to have, but you can't quarantine yourself from the world by buying fancier food. It just doesn't work.

[Kuma]

Great post JZ. Everything I was going to say and more.

Though I don't follow an organic diet myself, the wife and I do try to do a lot of our shopping at local farmer's markets as in our opinion it saves us money and tastes even better. That's about the extent of it though.

[Doogie]

I prefer Whey just because I'm more partial to the taste. I found I didn't care for soy...but could just be the particular brand I had.

As far as differences, in my opinion, it really doesn't matter a whole lot. Whey does have more bioavailability...but I highly doubt that the masses are even getting the proper amounts in the proper way in their system at the right time anyway. I think you would have to have your diet etc refined down to the point of what professional bodybuilders do in order to gain that extra edge. Also, in order to get the best results, you need a simple carb with the protien just after the workout as well. Your muscles are depleted of glycogen which needs to be replaced, and you need the insulin spike to trigger the muscle build. Simplest and cheapest is to just drink a glass of chocolate milk after and then make sure you are eating a proper diet. If you want mix in a scoop of protien powder just to make sure then go for it. Your body can only utilize so much protein at a set rate anyway to rebuild muscle and the rest just gets converted for use as fuel much like carbohydrates and fat.