Looking for an after workout protein/recovery drink

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DiscusJessie

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I haven't used any form of nutrition supplement in the past and am looking for some advice. I'd like to add some sort of protein, recovery-type product after my lifting workouts. The main reason for this is preserve my strength and help repair my muscles. I do the work, but it feels like I lose out on some of it because I'm not properly refueling. It's not like I'm looking to build huge muscles for a competition or anything; I just want to keep what I've already done.

I usually lift in the evening. When I do cardio it's in the afternoon. Would I just need to take the protein in the evenings after my lifting or should I take any after a cardio session? I might do something like jogging or the eliptical for 45 mins-an hour.

Thanks for your advice. I'm new to the supplements and there's so many of them out there it's difficult to know where to start. I'd also appreciate links to suggested readings.
 
Your question has been asked before in another thread - so I'll give you my same answer:

ON Whey Isolate. I have a big tub of the Vanilla Creme Bodybuilding.com - Optimum 100% Whey Protein - With Faster-Acting HYDROWHEY! On sale now!

Drink it immediately after your workout but make sure you add a banana or frozen fruit as an insulin spike to get it to your muscles even faster. Other than that I also add water and ice.

You could certainly drink one after cardio too.

They have a 16 pack too so you can try different flavors but in my oppinion the vanilla is the best. Hope this helps!
 
surge is good stuff...tastey, well balanced nutrition specifically for post workout.
but it can be expensive.

if its out of your budget, use straight whey and some dextrose (a.k.a. corn sugar) it HAS to be dextrose, or malto-dextrine. No other sugar will work.
you can easily/cheaply get dextrose at any home brew supply store, usually less than $1 per pound.

typcially you want a 2:1 carbs to protein ratio post workout, though you can go with less. but you have to weigh the dextrose. 2 scoops of dextros to 1 scoop of whey is NOT 2:1 carbs to protein. dextrose is dense and is pure carbs. whey is not dense and has a little fat and carbs in it.
 
actionpotential said:
Check out Surge by Biotest - really good recovery drink. I take one during exercise and one right when im done. Biotest.net
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I just looked Surge up like you mentioned because I am certainly open to trying something new. I'm skeptical though it's much higher in calories and sugar is like 45 grams compared to ON Whey Isolate. Even if I add a banana to my shake it still doesn't come close to the calories or sugar.

Should the sugar be that high for post workout? If so- what would be the difference between Surge and a glass of chocolate milk?
 
Im fine with the number of calories becuase im in a bulking phase at the moment and i need all the calories i can get (i fart and burn 100 calories i swear). Im pretty sure the ratio of pro to carbs is pretty right on, i have had really good results with the stuff but due to its cost I am now trying malkor's suggestion and saving a ton, as I was spending roughly 60 bucks every two weeks on Surge. I dont have access to the surge label right now but Im pretty sure its much lower in fat than chocolate milk would be...and fat serves no purpose at all post exercise.
 
actionpotential said:
Im fine with the number of calories becuase im in a bulking phase at the moment and i need all the calories i can get (i fart and burn 100 calories i swear). Im pretty sure the ratio of pro to carbs is pretty right on, i have had really good results with the stuff but due to its cost I am now trying malkor's suggestion and saving a ton, as I was spending roughly 60 bucks every two weeks on Surge. I dont have access to the surge label right now but Im pretty sure its much lower in fat than chocolate milk would be...and fat serves no purpose at all post exercise.
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HAHAH you just made my morning with your reply!
 
Waitwhat? said:
I just looked Surge up like you mentioned because I am certainly open to trying something new. I'm skeptical though it's much higher in calories and sugar is like 45 grams compared to ON Whey Isolate. Even if I add a banana to my shake it still doesn't come close to the calories or sugar.

Should the sugar be that high for post workout? If so- what would be the difference between Surge and a glass of chocolate milk?
Click to expand...

You are mincing protein shakes and post workout shakes. they are not the same.

Post workout...yes you want simple carbs to spike insulin, and protein, with no fat. that's what surge is...sugar, and protein.

if the right sugar is in the chocolate milk, it can indeed be a PWO shake. google it, you'll get a ton of hits from the wannabebig.com forums regarding chocolate milk as PWO nutrition.
you want the right sugar though. high fructose corn syrup is bad. glucose or dextrose is good.

the most commonly recommended PWO shake is a 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein.
So, if you have 40g of protein you need 80g of carbs, which is why Surge seems high in sugar to you...its actually formed based on a fair amount of good scientific research.

Dr. John Berardi, Ph.D. has additional info on making your own PWO shake and carb:protein ratios for cutting, bulking and maintaining.
 
malkore said:
You are mincing protein shakes and post workout shakes. they are not the same.

Post workout...yes you want simple carbs to spike insulin, and protein, with no fat. that's what surge is...sugar, and protein.

if the right sugar is in the chocolate milk, it can indeed be a PWO shake. google it, you'll get a ton of hits from the wannabebig.com forums regarding chocolate milk as PWO nutrition.
you want the right sugar though. high fructose corn syrup is bad. glucose or dextrose is good.

the most commonly recommended PWO shake is a 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein.
So, if you have 40g of protein you need 80g of carbs, which is why Surge seems high in sugar to you...its actually formed based on a fair amount of good scientific research.

Dr. John Berardi, Ph.D. has additional info on making your own PWO shake and carb:protein ratios for cutting, bulking and maintaining.
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I didn't realize that thank you for the details. I finally found a protein shake that I truly like and it's 24 grams of protein and 1 gram of sugar. I add a banana but that's still not enough. Is there anything that I can add to this shake that will give me the spike that I need?
 
I feel that pre made/brand name Post Workout Shakes are too expensive and none fit everybody perfectly. Buy the individual items you need and make your own. Buy Whey, Dextrose, and Maltodextrine. Manipulate the amounts that you put in each. Right now I found a good combo that works for me.

1 Scoop Whey (30g protein, 2g fat, 5g carbs)
2 TBS Malto (24g carbs)
2 TBS Dextrose (24g carbs)

Approx 350 Calories

It’s almost a 2 to 1 carb to protein ratio, when I personally go higher with the carbs, I gain fat. That doesn’t mean I can’t change it later. The good part about doing it this way is you can manipulate it any way you want. My workout partner, who has much less fat than i, mixes the same drink, but doubles the simple carbs.

Hope this helps
 
leckbass said:
I feel that pre made/brand name Post Workout Shakes are too expensive and none fit everybody perfectly. Buy the individual items you need and make your own. Buy Whey, Dextrose, and Maltodextrine. Manipulate the amounts that you put in each. Right now I found a good combo that works for me.

1 Scoop Whey (30g protein, 2g fat, 5g carbs)
2 TBS Malto (24g carbs)
2 TBS Dextrose (24g carbs)

Approx 350 Calories

It’s almost a 2 to 1 carb to protein ratio, when I personally go higher with the carbs, I gain fat. That doesn’t mean I can’t change it later. The good part about doing it this way is you can manipulate it any way you want. My workout partner, who has much less fat than i, mixes the same drink, but doubles the simple carbs.

Hope this helps
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Ah, so I can actually keep the protein drink that I like because of the flavor: Optimum Nutrition French Vanilla Creme (24g protein, 1g fat, 4g carbs) and add the malto and dextrose which would make it a 2:1 ratio. Am I correct in stating this?
 
Ah, so I can actually keep the protein drink that I like because of the flavor: Optimum Nutrition French Vanilla Creme (24g protein, 1g fat, 4g carbs) and add the malto and dextrose which would make it a 2:1 ratio. Am I correct in stating this?
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Absolutely correct!
 
This is my "Are you sure" post...

My dextrose just came in (huge bag of it) 188 calories and 50 grams of carbs/sugar per scoop.

As soon as I got back from the gym (post workout) I mixed it in the blender with 1 scoop of ON Whey Isolate protein 24g added a little water and like 8 ice cubes.

It was like drinking candy. And much easier to digest than straight protein.

Are you sure this is how it's done?
 
Yup, the Dextrose is sweet compared to Maltodextrine.

That ratio (2 to 1) workes for me very well. I've always been a big guy who puts on weight easily. Some of the typically thinner guys i know at the gym use a 4 to 1 ratio.

i am sure that your numbers is a good place to start, you need to be your own judge. Give it four weeks, see if it works for you. How do you feel, Are you gaining muscle, are you gainig too much fat? You may need to manipulate your caloric numbers in other places too.
 
Yep, dextrose at a 2:1 ratio is gonna be almost gaggingly sweet. that's why many use maltodextrin or a mix, as malto is 10 times less sweet than table sugar.
2:1 is a good ratio, but its not the end all be all.
As little as 20g of dextrose can give you a good insulin spike, which probably means .9:1 ratio carbs to protein, which is great for people on a carb restrictive cut.
 
Thanks guys. I was hoping that you both would comment.

I'm going to give it a month to see if there are any gains from this. If I start to see bloating again (which is why I cut out all sugar to begin with) then I'll have stop.

Thanks again.
 
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