How to take protein correctly?

It would seem that the topic of sports nutrition and its proper use has already been fully covered, but I continue to meet people in training who have not yet figured out how to properly take protein. Let's look at the answers to such pressing questions, from the point of view of any gym goer: how much protein should be consumed per day, how many times a day and when.

The very first question regarding proper protein intake is: how much protein should you consume per day? Let me clarify that here protein refers to a sports supplement, and not protein in the usual sense. There are many opinions on this matter, and they tend to be average. The thing is that the daily protein intake of a particular person is influenced by quite a few factors: the serving size of protein consumed with regular food, the number of meals per day, the number and intensity of training, the goal (weight loss or muscle gain).

I covered the answer to this question in more detail in the article “Protein: how much protein do you need per day?” Read the article and determine how much protein you need to consume daily. After this, make up your diet for the day and calculate how much protein you get from food and how much protein, based on the received daily requirement, needs to be added to provide the required amount of protein per day.

Should you take protein every day?

You need to take protein every day, not just on the day of training. If you drink it only on the day of training, its effectiveness will be significantly reduced. This will happen because on rest days the physiological processes of recovery of the body after physical activity take place, and accordingly, the need for protein, as an additional source of protein, will only increase. Therefore, it is necessary to also take the required amount of protein on the rest day, and not stretch one kilogram over three months.

When do you need a homemade protein shake?

Protein shakes that you make yourself are in demand and popular in the sports community. As mentioned above, their regular use provokes rapid muscle growth and effective recovery after training without gaining excess weight. Natural protein drinks are also widely used for weight loss. They are recommended:

bodybuilders;
bodybuilders;
weightlifters;
powerlifters;
strength athletes;
people engaged in heavy physical labor, etc.

Sports nutrition costs a lot of money. It will be replaced by homemade protein shakes, milk and non-dairy. Any recipe with milk can be made dairy-free by using coconut, almond or soy milk. You can also replace milk with juice, liquid porridge with water, or electrolytes. We will look at how to prepare sports cocktails at home below and be sure to choose the best recipe for a protein drink for training, which does not have to be consumed right away - it will last in the refrigerator for several days without losing its original qualities and will contribute to rapid weight loss.

How many times a day should you take protein?

First of all, you should know how many grams of protein from protein you should consume per day. Dividing these grams by 30, you will get the approximate number of times you consume protein: if you need to add 60 grams of protein to build muscle mass and taking into account your daily diet, then you divide these 60 grams into two meals. Why divide by 30 grams? The fact is that there is an opinion that our gastrointestinal tract cannot absorb more than 30 grams of protein at one time. Even if some experts say the opposite, I would not advise you to take more than 30 grams of protein at one time, so as not to overload the body.

Is it possible to increase the volume of water?

It is not necessary to stick to a gram of 300 milliliters; you can easily bring the cocktail to a volume of 0.5 liters. This allows the user to adjust the thickness of the cocktail, obtaining the most digestible option. In this case, it is necessary to proportionally increase the dose of protein in this mixture. It is important for the athlete to know that:

· Water at room temperature is preferable - this will speed up the mixing process;

· You can focus on your desires by choosing the thickness of the mixture;

· You can add honey, cocoa or various syrups to the mixture.

At Fitness Place, athletes are offered a variety of protein options: berry, chocolate, vanilla, and so on. That is, you can buy a variety of solutions so that one taste does not become boring. The affordable cost of sports nutrition and its high quality are what sets the Fitness Place platform apart from its competitors.

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When to take protein?

If, according to your calculations, you need to take 60 grams of protein per day, and you split it into two doses, then you need to take 30 grams in the first half of the day (preferably in the morning) and in the second. On a training day, be sure to take a portion of protein after your workout. It is best to take protein separately from meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), thereby making the protein shake a separate additional snack during the day.

The timing of your protein intake also depends on what type of protein you are taking. For example, Thewhey, containing an optimal combination of three types of whey protein, is quickly absorbed and provides the necessary amino acids to the muscles in a short time. This is most relevant after training or in the morning, when the body has recovered and used up its supply of amino acids overnight. Thus, the optimal time to take Thewhey is in the morning and after training.

Casein-based proteins, for example, Bedtime Extreme, or micellar casein, are characterized by slow absorption, which means the amino acids will fuel your muscles for a long time. Therefore, the optimal time to take these types of proteins is in the evening. Multicomponent types of proteins, which include Total Protein, have universal properties, combining the positive qualities of both whey and casein proteins. Therefore, they can be consumed at any time of the day: in the morning, after training or in the evening before bed.

Selecting a cocktail liquid

Once the optimal temperature of the liquid has been selected, it’s time to understand what is the best way to dilute the powder to get the optimal effect. As practice shows, athletes most often have a choice between two options: water and milk. Which one is better in which situation?

First, let's look at using regular drinking water to create cocktails. Its main advantage is that the resulting protein shake is absorbed in the body much faster than when using other options, since it itself does not carry any nutritional function and does not require energy expenditure for processing. Such cocktails are most suitable for weight loss training.

At the same time, milk-based protein mixtures are slower and, at the same time, more nutritious, since the milk itself contains a large amount of carbohydrates. If the main goal of training is to gain mass, then it is difficult to find a more successful option.

What to mix protein with?

To make a protein shake, you will need a shaker, protein and a liquid in which you will dilute the protein. Personally, I use a shaker. Thanks to the wire ball, the protein is diluted in a matter of seconds in water, milk or juice. On average, I use 250-350 ml of liquid per 30 grams of protein. Depending on the consistency, you can pour less or more: the amount of liquid does not significantly affect the effectiveness of protein intake. The type of liquid to dilute the protein in depends on your taste preferences. If you are striving to build muscle, then it is, of course, better to dilute the protein in milk. When working on terrain, choose skim milk or water. Protein with water is less tasty, although this is a subjective indicator.

There is an opinion that protein must be stirred and drunk before use. Yes, indeed, if you mix it with milk, then leaving it for a long time, especially in the summer, you risk drinking sour milk with protein, which will be fraught with troubles for your stomach. Therefore, I dilute the protein immediately before use: if I am away from home, I pour a portion of the protein into an empty shaker and take extra water with me, or buy milk at the place of use.

Shelf life of the finished cocktail

The shelf life of prepared protein is 1-2 at room temperature. In summer, in hot weather, even less. The finished drink can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 hours.

As you can see, the time frame is short. This is due to the biological activity of the protein, in which bacteria multiply rapidly. In addition, many proteins contain other substances, for example, vitamins or enzymes, whose active period in a liquid medium is even shorter.

Therefore, the most suitable method of administration is to drink the cocktail immediately after preparation.

For cases when you need to carry the supplement with you for a long time, sports nutrition manufacturers have come up with a liquid form. This is a protein drink in a ready-made form, which is in a bottle (one serving - one bottle).

When sealed, the shelf life of liquid protein is 1 month. Once opened, the shelf life is the same as for powdered cocktails.

Homemade Protein Shake Recipes Using Protein Powder

Most athletes, bodybuilders and bodybuilders use ready-made protein powder as the main ingredient to prepare homemade protein shakes. Strawberry drink is considered a popular drink in the sports community; it can be made from whey protein. The recipe for 2 scoops will be as follows:

milk – 1 cup;
frozen strawberries - 1 cup;
low-fat yogurt – 0.5 cups;
peanut butter – 2 tsp;
6 ice cubes.

We will prepare it using a blender, mixing all the ingredients in it, and at the end we will get a high-protein cocktail with a calorie content of 186 Kcal, perfect for quickly replenishing energy reserves.

For those who need constant control of excess weight, the following recipe for a homemade protein shake, which we will prepare from whey protein at the rate of 2 scoops, would be ideal. You will need:

1% milk – 1 cup;
oatmeal soaked in water - ¾ cup;
low-fat yogurt – 2 tbsp;
peanut butter – 2 tsp;
6 ice cubes.

This drink is very easy to make, just mix all the ingredients with a blender. Its calorie content is 220 kcal. Training with him will not seem difficult.

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How to stir the additive

Properly mix protein in a shaker . This is the most convenient option for obtaining a homogeneous mixture. A shaker is a measuring cup with a convenient lid and a closing spout through which you can pour the additive or simply drink it. After all the ingredients are placed in it, close the lid tightly and, using progressive smooth movements, shake the glass up and down until thoroughly mixed.

You can also stir a protein shake without a shaker. To do this, use a container with high sides and a mixer or a regular fork. The most important thing is that after consumption, you must thoroughly wash all the utensils used, preventing the remains of the cocktail from souring.

However, it is not enough to know how to stir protein; you also need to take into account the rules for storing it .

How to breed protein

Having purchased a protein mixture, many athletes are faced with the question - how to dilute protein correctly? Indeed, if the additive is diluted incorrectly, the cocktail will not only be unpleasant to drink, but may also cause digestive problems. Usually, on the packaging there are special instructions from manufacturers - how to dilute the protein of a particular brand , when it is best to take it and in what portion dosage. However, the instructions are not always in Russian, and the measured values may be incomprehensible to residents of a particular country.

In fact, it’s easy to mix the mixture; you just need to have a clean container and a mixer or shaker on hand, which is sold in any sports nutrition store. A measuring spoon, with which a portion of powder is calculated, is usually found in the food packaging, but in extreme cases, you can take an ordinary tablespoon and o.

Kinds

The modern sports nutrition market is represented by many different types of protein. Thus, whey powder, which contains 70% “fast” protein, is very popular. It, in turn, comes in three types - hydrolyzate, concentrate and isolate. The first type is characterized by a high speed of digestibility and high quality. The second type has a low price, but the composition leaves much to be desired (it contains a certain percentage of lactose, proteins and carbohydrates). The third type (isolate) has a high protein content (from 90%) and, accordingly, a higher price.

Other popular types of supplements include casein, soy and egg protein, which are “slow” proteins. Their peculiarity is their long digestibility by the body, which allows them to nourish the muscles with amino acids and a number of other useful components for a long period of time.

Making Protein Ice Cream

However, a bodybuilder is not fed up with cocktails alone. In your home kitchen you can prepare many different types of dishes, so you definitely won’t get tired of proper nutrition. One of the most popular options is to create complete protein ice cream, which in its taste characteristics is not inferior to more familiar options.

The most common version of the recipe uses three main components: 30 grams of protein powder, 100 grams of low-fat cottage cheese and one medium-sized banana. All these food products contain a large amount of useful substances, which allows you to provide the body with everything necessary for full development. There is absolutely nothing complicated in the cooking process; all you need is a blender and a good freezer to achieve the desired result in preparing this product.

Healthy food can be delicious. You just need to show a little imagination and you will be able to prepare many different dishes.

The Fitness Place marketplace offers a variety of sports nutrition options, each of which will be of interest to a specific group of athletes. We provide everything you need to make your sports activities more effective.

What material are professional shakers made of?

The presented devices are made from various materials. Their cost to the buyer depends on this. The use of glass is only suitable for Boston Shaker models. In this case, one glass is glass, the second is metal.

Premium devices for professional bartenders are made of stainless steel. Such models have a long service life and are distinguished by a high price.

There are also plastic shakers on the market. They attract consumers with an affordable price, but are only suitable for use at home. They are bought for protein shakes. Such devices are unreliable when used repeatedly.

Recipe No. 4 - for those who do not have enough weight to gain muscle mass

For example, for strength athletes, we recommend a high-calorie protein shake, let’s make it according to the following recipe:

milk – 300 ml;
powdered milk – 3 tsp;
ice cream – 100 g;
1 egg.

Combine the ingredients, mix and beat with a blender. Your workout with this drink will be effective, but without loss of energy.