Protein for beginners: when the shake makes sense
9.11.2017
Translation: machine translated
If you do sport ambitiously, you drink protein shakes. If you're still wondering about the flavoured powder, I hope I can give you something to take with you. Because if you take sport more seriously than "Zumba once a week", then you might be grateful for protein. Therefore: A guide for beginners.
"No thanks, I don't want to look like the Hulk," says the young woman in the fitness centre as the trainer offers her a protein shake as a welcome gift. She could choose between chocolate, strawberry or vanilla, drink it with milk or water. But the young woman doesn't want to. Her fear of the muscle mass that will sprout overnight is too great. Tomorrow, she fears, she will look like a bodybuilder. Very bad.
That's nonsense, of course. You might have rolled your eyes at my somewhat cynical writing alone, but the young woman who doesn't want to become the Hulk is the running joke among fellow fitness trainers.
So why do tough guys and tough girls sip some weird protein shakes during training? Let's find out
But first, a little disclaimer. In this little guide, I'm going to stay superficial. That's deliberate. Because of course there are rules of thumb about how much protein does what and why, but please check with your trainer before you pour kilos of powder into a glass of water or milk.
A small example: if Junior Editor Alina Biedermann - a fan of calisthenics, i.e. training with your own weight - took the same amount of protein as me as a strongman and powerlifter with competition success, she would rise like a loaf of bread in the oven. So please don't believe the exact guides on the internet. Talk to your trainer about it.
The basics in a nutshell
- Protein is sometimes also called protein. It is simply the German word for it
- Protein shakes are the easiest way to get large amounts of protein quickly in everyday life
- Protein shakes don't have many calories
- A protein shake contains around 30 grams of protein powder
- Protein powder can be mixed with water, milk and many other foods
- Protein shakes do not replace a meal
- Protein shakes are a dietary supplement
- Whey protein is the common protein
- If you don't have a direct need for casein - the other type of protein - don't use it. It's safe, but has other effects
- If you don't exercise regularly, protein shakes are unnecessary
- Protein shakes are good if you go to the gym several times a week and work out
- Protein alone will not make your muscles grow
When do you need protein?
Protein is essential for human survival because it is one of the basic resources for building body cells. When you exert yourself, for example during training, your body realises that your muscles are being used. Sore muscles are an example of this. To ensure that this never happens again, the body regenerates the cells and builds more to withstand the strain in the future.
However, if you work out frequently, i.e. several times a week, then your body needs more material to regenerate. You'll quickly reach the point where you can't get enough protein from your normal diet, unless you eat whole chicken nations. There are protein shakes so that you don't have to stuff yourself with kilos of meat. They contain concentrated protein, usually obtained from whey, and provide the body with material for regeneration.
In short: protein shakes are training aids. They won't turn you into a bodybuilder overnight and they won't replace your training. But they are there to support your body. If you don't train, you won't notice any effect, because then you don't need any additional protein.
"It's pure chemistry!"
If you are critical of powders and tablets, then this is certainly not a bad idea. Especially in the age of the internet, where every week some idiot offers a new miracle pill or powder that will solve all your ailments, make you 78% prettier and make all the fat pads disappear. I therefore think it's sensible to take a look at the origin and composition of whey protein.
Whey protein means whey protein. So it is not vegan. Are you vegan? Then go for soya protein. Whey protein is, as the name suggests, obtained from whey and is therefore a dairy product. Whey is the residual liquid that is produced during cheese production.
The production of whey protein is similar to the production of milk powder. The protein is filtered out and then the water is removed from the liquid. The result is a powder. Then a little flavour is added and that's it. In reality, the whole thing is much more complicated and processes such as ultrafiltration or nanofiltration are used, but this only affects whether you produce isolate or non-isolate.
Apropos: Rivella is also whey-based. Ziger, ricotta and lots of other stuff in Migros or the Coop are too.
Schoggi and vanilla always work
As we all know, tastes differ. But since I've been drinking protein shakes since the early days of my weightlifting career, I can speak from years of experience. Chocolate and vanilla always work. The protein powder industry has got the flavours right. The only exception so far was a Swiss organic vegan protein that I once received as a sample. Boozing cardboard would have been tastier.
I have become cautious with fruit flavours. I occasionally buy a kilogram of blueberry flavouring from the manufacturer MyProtein. It tastes okay and you can easily make a delicious protein yoghurt with it - just mix natural yoghurt and protein powder. But I've had strawberry flavouring that I'm convinced the engineer behind the flavour has never seen or eaten a strawberry. I don't really understand why you would want to eat flavourless protein. I therefore recommend that you buy sample packs. MyProtein has all the flavours in small packets for little money, which make pretty much exactly one shake.
Fruit flavours also have their right to exist, but are rather risky. If you drink your shakes with water, you might like raspberry better than chocolate. It just depends on the experiment.
Isolate... huh? And: the confusion of the internet
The packs with strong guys and fit girls on them all have great-sounding names. I'll make something up: Extreme Power Ultimate Whey Isolate. This is the marketing world of protein and apart from the words "Whey" and "Isolate", you can ignore everything in the name.
Sports nutrition
CHF34.70 CHF34.70/1kg
MyProtein impact whey protein
Strawberry, Cream, 1 pcs., 1000 g
Sports nutrition
CHF102.50 CHF43.62/1kg
IronMaxx 100% Whey Protein
Dark Ecuador Chocolate, 1 pcs., 2350 g
I more or less always recommend drinking isolate. You simply get more for your money because the amount of protein in an isolate is higher than in a regular protein. The comparison shows that 100 grams of Whey Protein, without isolate, contains 82 grams of protein from the manufacturer MyProtein. The isolate, on the other hand, contains 90 grams of protein per 100 grams of powder.
As with pretty much everything in the fitness scene, opinions differ on this statement. When it comes to isolate, the general consensus is "If you mix it with milk, you'll ruin the effect of the isolate". It's not about the amount of protein you consume, but about the fact that isolate is usually absorbed into your system faster than non-isolate. However, if you like milk in your isolate shake, the protein will still enter your system, but at a slower rate. For most more ambitious casual athletes, however, this is totally fine.
No matter what you read on the internet, you'll find at least one article claiming the exact opposite within a few minutes. So I don't want to claim that I'm right, but I just want to let you know that a lot is said on the internet. So, I'll say it again: talk to your trainer before you reach for a shake on a regular basis.
And no, it's not possible for a woman to become a hulk overnight thanks to a workout and a shake. And no, it's not possible for a man to become a muscle man after a workout and a shake. Because building muscle is a process that you can't shortcut or speed up with a drink. Muscle building happens over months and years of hard training. I trained for two years before I entered my first competition. It takes structured and intelligent training, nutrition and supplements. Not one training session a week and a shake.
So that's it. Enjoy your training and I hope you like your shake.
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
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