Can someone explain to me exactly what protein shakes do?

Question

i went to the mall tonight and bought a 4 pack of protein shakes the clerks at the store said to drink it after you work out but I don't know lol I'm kinda scared I never drank protein shakes before and I don't want to go messing my body up I'm skinny but with musle I started working out during the summer time and my body is starting to get bigger and that's why I bought this stuff because I wanna look bigger faster I work out everyday at school and at home should I drink this stuff or no some of my friends say you should only drink protein drinks if your body isn't getting enough protien but I think my body I'm not sure should I try it out anyway or go see my doctor first?

candlewax · Accepted Answer

Ha. Most of those supplemental places make extra money when selling protein anything. It's all been marketing hype. So when I hear "well the guy at GNC said this..." it's like, really? You're going to believe something that those people tell you? Where are their qualifications and degrees on the subject? They're there to make a profit, not help you. Anyone who even has a degree in stuff like this would tell you that all that supplement hype is bs.

The average American diet gets more than enough protein. To take those is just excessive and a waste of money. Compared to buying actual food with protein, they're way more expensive. Like mentioned before, the convenience factor is the main thing about protein supplement anything.

You already said you're seeing signs of improvement. The whole "faster" issue is you being impatient and with that attitude, you're bound to hurt yourself in the long run. Over doing it and poisoning your body in order to look "bigger" is just asking for trouble. Is it really worth it when everything starts to go haywire because you put junk like this in your body? You're doing fine with your current routine. As long as you split up upper and lower body (considering you said you're working out twice a day), and work out every OTHER day (your body needs 48 hours rest period in order to recoup), you should be fine.

As far as the routine goes, either go every other day when working out (ie muscle resistance), or if you want to go daily, work out upper one day, and then lower the next. Doing twice a day, every day is just asking for injuries and damage to your muscles. They NEED time to recover in order to get optimal performance out of them. Your body does everything fine on its own as long as you take care of it properly.

italykam · Accepted Answer

It really helps to build muscle, so it is ideal to drink a protein shake or eat a protein-filled bar right after you are done working out. You don't need to see a doctor, protein is in many foods, it is just a higher dosage of it and it is good for you, as long as you don't live off of the stuff.

toolt00l · Accepted Answer

Half of these responses are so stupid and misleading.

Is protein bad for your body? No.

Is it just another scam for companies to make money? No, its just like any other product you can buy.

When you work out your muscles tear, and rebuild to form more muscle. Drinking protein simply helps that process. Yes you can get the same affect by eating a healthy diet full of protein, but why not consume a little more?

It is a common myth that after a certain level of protein consumption, the rest goes to waste. This is not true. The body stores protein and uses it when it needs too.

Long story short, you can build muscle either way. Most people like to drink protein shakes after a work out because it adds to their diet and builds mass quicker. There are other ingredients in protein mixes that will help improve your mass if you drink consistently. But once again, its not absolutely needed.

BeerME · Accepted Answer

For the most part they don't really "do" anything. At least they don't do anything special. Most of them are just drinks with extra protein (some do have additional additives like creatine, but you'll have to do the research on those yourself). Your friends do have a point in that your body will only process so much protein at a time so after a certain point adding more doesn't do you any good, but it's not going to hurt you. I would really only suggest protein shakes as a dietary supplement if you aren't getting enough protein in your current diet or as a meal replacement if you're trying burn fat and build muscle (though in both cases it would probably be more effective to just adjust your diet). It is a good idea to get protein and complex carbs following a big workout, but a turkey sandwich would probably do the trick just as well.

Habakkuk · Answer

they won't do a whole lot unless you use them consistently and work out hard, they definitely won't screw your body up. If you really wanna 'bulk up' creatine is more effective. It's also a substance found in the meat of animals but in very small quantities, and it is basically converted to ATP (aka energy for your cells)

raptor · Answer

Well, as you may well know, to actually build muscle you need a caloric surplus. A good amount of those calories should come from protein. These shakes make it a bit easier to obtain the protein and calories that you need. Also note, you need the protein and calories to maintain your muscle as well

WoIIie · Answer

Protein shakes are NOT a magical elixir that makes your muscles bigger.

Protein shakes are a MEAL REPLACEMENT that provide an entire meal's worth of protein.

The protein in those shakes is NO MORE beneficial than eating a can of tuna, or a chicken breast.

The only real benefit of protein shakes is convenience. If you can't get protein from a natural source right away, then they might be useful to you.

ItalianBro · Answer

Take protein shakes within 45 minutes of weight lifting the protein will be absorbed into the muscle tissue making them bigger and stronger.

You can get a lot of protein from eating throughout the day but drinking a protein shake right after a workout will help you immensely with progress.

Don't drink protein shakes if your not working out. It will just make you get fat. You also shouldn't be working out everyday. You need to let the muscles recover so it builds muscle.

martyfellow · Answer

They provide extra protein that your body can use to build muscle mass.  Most people think thewse aren't needed if you have a healthy diet, unless you're an Olympic weightlifter or something like that.

beer3 · Answer

Protein helps build muscle after a workout, they also helps reduce muscle pain the following day. I recomend them I use them they are great.

Can someone explain to me exactly what protein shakes do?

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