Got some downtime, figured I would welcome you all back to school, those of you who are still in school.
For most of you out there getting lunch can be a struggle. I implore all of you to be the one in charge of making the lunch happen. By this I mean don't let someone else throw together your meal and don't let the easy and tempting food destroy your meal. I got a couple of scenarios:
Scenario 1:
Running around from class to class is very time consuming and can completely block out a proper time to sit down and eat a meal.
This scenario can easily by combating by always having a large bag of trail mix or granola bars, or nuts in your backpack. Always having a liquid on hand (water, gatorade, juice) helps too. Another thought is to eat meals beforehand that are a little larger and can hold you over a little nicer. Whatever you do, try not to skip meals. Make sure to eat something. Sometimes this takes planning ahead.
Scenario 2:
My friends want to eat out somewhere and I have no clue what's good for me to eat at a reasonable price.
This one is tough. Sometimes the restaurant of everyone else's choice is not exactly the healthiest option. If you can't throw in your own suggestions for a better choice, there shouldn't be too much of a problem going to get your own sub sandwich or noodle bowl to go from another shop and eating it with your buddies wherever that may be. Food courts are great for this reason. Now, if you are stuck at a restaurant, no outside food allowed in, understand that every now and then it is OK to "splurge" and get something that is more or less "bad" for you. There is usually some other options on every menu that are of the healthier options, but it can take a lot of willpower to not choose the cheaper fattier option. Some common menu items that are usually cheaper than the rest: simple sandwiches (turkey, ham, tuna), salads (side, garden, fruit), chicken (tacos, grilled), and pasta (red sauces, pesto, loaded with veggies).
Scenario 3:
I'm making my lunch to go for tomorrow, and I have no idea what to put in it.
This one can be real easy. Just think about it! First of all, think about where you'll be eating it and how much time you'll have to do so. From there you know how much to pack and how extravagant the food can be (microwave, oven, drinks available). Now, build your lunch around the entree item. Is it a sandwich? microwaveable soup? Leftovers? Go from there and think of something that is tasty for the side. Speaking of sides, always aim for one fruit and one vegetable to add in there. The cool part about this is you can sneak into the lunch and grab the apple when you are getting hungry before meal time. Ideas for this part include: baby carrots, sliced bell pepper, orange, apple, banana, grapes, celery sticks with peanut butter, edamame, sugar snap peas. Finally, choose a drink that can only add something beneficial to your meal. If you can't think of anything, choose the water option. I like to drink gatorade, juice, and sometimes a smoothie. Soda can dehydrate, but I understand the caffeine purposes. Maybe try tea if you really need the caffeine.
So there you have it. I hope these tips have given you some insight so that you all can start of the semester on a good note. Got any questions or want some further knowledge? Don't hesitate to email me or comment on this post!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Quick Thoughts on Multivitamins
When I bring up that I studied food science to my family and friends, I usually get asked tons of questions about diets. One question that pops up a lot is whether or not to use a multivitamin.
Using a multivitamin can be very beneficial. The way it works is the vitamin manufacturer takes a whole bunch of compounds of different vitamins and minerals and smashes them together into one pill. When the pill goes down, the body will break apart the pill form into the useful vitamin and mineral forms. And there you go, vitamin power.
The thing about vitamins is if we are eating a balanced meal as most perfectly outlined by MyPyramid, then we do not need to add these vitamins to our diet because we are already getting our vitamins and minerals from more natural sources. The percentages on the back of food labels and whatnot are designed to reach 100% or more when consuming a "perfect diet." The problem with this is it's pretty tough to eat the perfect diet!
In the end, it doesn't hurt to take a multivitamin. Most of the unusable stuff you will pee out anyway. Here's my pro tip for you all: do not take multivitamins first thing in the morning or on an empty stomach. Multivitamins work and get absorbed much better when taken with food. While the food is being broken down, so is the multivitamin, so the body can use the food as almost a vehicle for being used in the body. I take my multivitamin usually in the afternoon, right after lunch. If I forget, then I take it with dinner.
So go ahead and try a multivitamin, they aren't threatening. You still want to get most of your vitamins and minerals from natural sources, but like stated before, this isn't the easiest thing to do. I know there are probably tons more of specific questions out there, so ask away!
Using a multivitamin can be very beneficial. The way it works is the vitamin manufacturer takes a whole bunch of compounds of different vitamins and minerals and smashes them together into one pill. When the pill goes down, the body will break apart the pill form into the useful vitamin and mineral forms. And there you go, vitamin power.
The thing about vitamins is if we are eating a balanced meal as most perfectly outlined by MyPyramid, then we do not need to add these vitamins to our diet because we are already getting our vitamins and minerals from more natural sources. The percentages on the back of food labels and whatnot are designed to reach 100% or more when consuming a "perfect diet." The problem with this is it's pretty tough to eat the perfect diet!
In the end, it doesn't hurt to take a multivitamin. Most of the unusable stuff you will pee out anyway. Here's my pro tip for you all: do not take multivitamins first thing in the morning or on an empty stomach. Multivitamins work and get absorbed much better when taken with food. While the food is being broken down, so is the multivitamin, so the body can use the food as almost a vehicle for being used in the body. I take my multivitamin usually in the afternoon, right after lunch. If I forget, then I take it with dinner.
So go ahead and try a multivitamin, they aren't threatening. You still want to get most of your vitamins and minerals from natural sources, but like stated before, this isn't the easiest thing to do. I know there are probably tons more of specific questions out there, so ask away!
Monday, August 15, 2011
Alcohol for Athletes
Sorry about the long times between posts, I don't plan to be like this for a while, but I am on vacation. I'm still hoping to get 2-3 posts per week.
Because it's Summer vacation let's talk relaxing and having fun! Let's talk alcohol!
Alcohol is a very prevalent part of the athlete's social network. When most athletes are in their prime, it is also at a time when alcohol not only becomes legal, but when athletes are experimenting with different alcohols in different amounts. There are a few tips to understand in order to not damage all the hard work but still enjoy a nice beer.
First, because we are athletes, we will have a lower tolerance towards alcohol, this is mainly because of how dehydrated we can be and how empty our stomach is (usually due to high metabolism). It's important to know your limits and at what time things start going overboard. I'm not saying you can't go overboard, but being in control of your situation is crucial. In order to recognize when this limit is, take a look at alcoholic content in your drinks. Servings are as follows:
You guys and gals in chairs? We will be sitting down when we drink most likely. This causes the body to be able to drink more just because you aren't moving. The scary part about this is you won't realize how much you've drank, and it will hit you like a brick wall. To answer this, make sure to move around a bit, get out of your chair, dance, etc.
My next tip is to re-hydrate. For athletes, this is the biggest problem (usually occurring the next day) regarding performance. A good tip to follow is to drink about one water bottle/pint glass of water per serving of alcohol. I know a lot of you are thinking that this would kill the vibe and the buzz, but this will stop hangovers and will keep you hydrated. Alternating the water and booze is the most efficient way of doing this, but if that's not in the game plan, drink as much water as possible before going to bed or moving on to other activities. Before practices later, drink some Gatorade too.
My final tip is to never drink on an empty stomach. This will get you uncomfortable intoxicated sooner than normal and can also get you very sick. A lot of you have probably already heard this tip. If you are to throw up at any point in the night, drink as much water or Gatorade as possible, and drink as much Gatorade over the next 24 hours as you can. This goes for anytime you yak.
So enjoy yourself! Go out and have fun, understand your limits, and enjoy the best of both worlds! It's completely possible to perform at a high level and also have a thriving social life/night life.
Because it's Summer vacation let's talk relaxing and having fun! Let's talk alcohol!
Alcohol is a very prevalent part of the athlete's social network. When most athletes are in their prime, it is also at a time when alcohol not only becomes legal, but when athletes are experimenting with different alcohols in different amounts. There are a few tips to understand in order to not damage all the hard work but still enjoy a nice beer.
First, because we are athletes, we will have a lower tolerance towards alcohol, this is mainly because of how dehydrated we can be and how empty our stomach is (usually due to high metabolism). It's important to know your limits and at what time things start going overboard. I'm not saying you can't go overboard, but being in control of your situation is crucial. In order to recognize when this limit is, take a look at alcoholic content in your drinks. Servings are as follows:
- Beer - 12 oz, or one bottle
- Wine - 5 oz, or a little less than the size of one yogurt
- Liquor (~35%) - 1.5 oz, or one standard shot glass
You guys and gals in chairs? We will be sitting down when we drink most likely. This causes the body to be able to drink more just because you aren't moving. The scary part about this is you won't realize how much you've drank, and it will hit you like a brick wall. To answer this, make sure to move around a bit, get out of your chair, dance, etc.
My next tip is to re-hydrate. For athletes, this is the biggest problem (usually occurring the next day) regarding performance. A good tip to follow is to drink about one water bottle/pint glass of water per serving of alcohol. I know a lot of you are thinking that this would kill the vibe and the buzz, but this will stop hangovers and will keep you hydrated. Alternating the water and booze is the most efficient way of doing this, but if that's not in the game plan, drink as much water as possible before going to bed or moving on to other activities. Before practices later, drink some Gatorade too.
My final tip is to never drink on an empty stomach. This will get you uncomfortable intoxicated sooner than normal and can also get you very sick. A lot of you have probably already heard this tip. If you are to throw up at any point in the night, drink as much water or Gatorade as possible, and drink as much Gatorade over the next 24 hours as you can. This goes for anytime you yak.
So enjoy yourself! Go out and have fun, understand your limits, and enjoy the best of both worlds! It's completely possible to perform at a high level and also have a thriving social life/night life.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Everything in Moderation
Hey everybody! I'm baaaaack.....
After my long trip through Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota, I have thought about a couple things, so I guess I'll let you in on my thoughts.
When I have talked to anyone considering nutrition (athlete or not) certain foods get brought up. Normally it's comments like "But I love Taco Bell, how am I supposed to give that up?" or "I really don't like these super healthy foods...salad? That tastes nasty." Usually these kinds of comments come alone or without me asking a question about it! Most people get hooked into believing in two categories: good food and bad food. Good food is like, I don't know, fruits and veggies and stuff; you know, rabbit food. And bad food is of course every fast food and all those sugary sodas and fatty desserts. Well I've come here to tell you all that you can have the best of both worlds as long as foods are enjoyed in moderation.
"Everything in moderation." I bet a lot of you have heard this before, but let me explain the purpose. Our diet needs to be varied and contain a whole bunch of different foods. When we don't moderate or control portions of foods, we end up eating too much of a couple benefits and miss out on a ton of good tasting food, extra vitamins and minerals, sustained energy, and decreased stomach problems. For example, the person that loves Pizza Hut pizza and stops by 2 to 3 times per week has made pizza a very large part of the diet. Now, depending on what he or she is ordering every time, this person is getting the same flavors, same nutrients, same fats, same feelings, and on and on and on...I want this person to have their pizza! It's their favorite food! What I want this person to do, though, is control when and how much pizza is eaten. Bring the pizza home and enjoy it slowly, not 4 or 5 slices at once. Have 1 or 2 slices with a side salad of your choice, and drink lots of water or maybe some skim milk. Now there's a full meal! Plus the salad will cleanse the palate and make each bite of pizza after get even more taste.
What about the other way? All these nutritionists telling you to eat those superfoods, and drink these teas and juices, and don't forget yogurt! It can be supremely frustrating, especially because lots of the super healthy foods unfortunately don't taste good to everyone. When it comes to trying out these healthy foods and incorporating them into the diet, start slow! Nobody should tell you or attack you for trying new foods, and no one likes people that scoff at your diet just because you eat this or don't eat that. Recently, I have been trying to eat more raw vegetables. It's tough. All I can think of to eat is a salad (which will need dressing) or adding a bit of lettuce and tomato to a sandwich. At first I was like "Ugh, this is tough and annoying," but now I'm looking at it as a success because at least I am already eating more raw veggies! I plan to try out more foods soon too as today is grocery shopping day.
So what am I getting at? Moderation in the diet can lead to a couple of things:
After my long trip through Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota, I have thought about a couple things, so I guess I'll let you in on my thoughts.
When I have talked to anyone considering nutrition (athlete or not) certain foods get brought up. Normally it's comments like "But I love Taco Bell, how am I supposed to give that up?" or "I really don't like these super healthy foods...salad? That tastes nasty." Usually these kinds of comments come alone or without me asking a question about it! Most people get hooked into believing in two categories: good food and bad food. Good food is like, I don't know, fruits and veggies and stuff; you know, rabbit food. And bad food is of course every fast food and all those sugary sodas and fatty desserts. Well I've come here to tell you all that you can have the best of both worlds as long as foods are enjoyed in moderation.
"Everything in moderation." I bet a lot of you have heard this before, but let me explain the purpose. Our diet needs to be varied and contain a whole bunch of different foods. When we don't moderate or control portions of foods, we end up eating too much of a couple benefits and miss out on a ton of good tasting food, extra vitamins and minerals, sustained energy, and decreased stomach problems. For example, the person that loves Pizza Hut pizza and stops by 2 to 3 times per week has made pizza a very large part of the diet. Now, depending on what he or she is ordering every time, this person is getting the same flavors, same nutrients, same fats, same feelings, and on and on and on...I want this person to have their pizza! It's their favorite food! What I want this person to do, though, is control when and how much pizza is eaten. Bring the pizza home and enjoy it slowly, not 4 or 5 slices at once. Have 1 or 2 slices with a side salad of your choice, and drink lots of water or maybe some skim milk. Now there's a full meal! Plus the salad will cleanse the palate and make each bite of pizza after get even more taste.
What about the other way? All these nutritionists telling you to eat those superfoods, and drink these teas and juices, and don't forget yogurt! It can be supremely frustrating, especially because lots of the super healthy foods unfortunately don't taste good to everyone. When it comes to trying out these healthy foods and incorporating them into the diet, start slow! Nobody should tell you or attack you for trying new foods, and no one likes people that scoff at your diet just because you eat this or don't eat that. Recently, I have been trying to eat more raw vegetables. It's tough. All I can think of to eat is a salad (which will need dressing) or adding a bit of lettuce and tomato to a sandwich. At first I was like "Ugh, this is tough and annoying," but now I'm looking at it as a success because at least I am already eating more raw veggies! I plan to try out more foods soon too as today is grocery shopping day.
So what am I getting at? Moderation in the diet can lead to a couple of things:
- Eating the foods you love
- Eating foods that benefit you
- Satisfied stomach instead of painfully stuffed
- Eating foods that are inexpensive
- Learning what foods you like and when
Of course there are more, but you all are probably sick of reading already. So next time you go to McDonald's, try out the Dollar Menu, but keep it small and simple! Or maybe try that new salad they have or the fruit smoothie. And the next grocery trip? Get smaller sized snacks one at a time and see how it goes: mixed nuts, baby carrots, celery stalks, different yogurts.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
I'm going to be gone for a bit
Hey guys, I will be taking a small break because I am driving back home from Marquette, MI. I've packed up my stuff and I am moving on! One step closer to my trip to Italy. I will try to get on my blog briefly through this next week.
Before I go, here's a quick tip. We lost a lot of the vitamins and minerals in vegetables because we cook them. Try adding raw vegetables to your diet like a salad, carrot and celery sticks, or lettuce and tomato slices on your sandwich.
Before I go, here's a quick tip. We lost a lot of the vitamins and minerals in vegetables because we cook them. Try adding raw vegetables to your diet like a salad, carrot and celery sticks, or lettuce and tomato slices on your sandwich.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
The Importance of Timing
After yesterday's talk about whey protein and an earlier talk about breakfast, I think it's important to explain when and where we should eat meals. It's a long post, so get comfy.
As athletes, it is recommended to eat more, smaller meals throughout the day. This way we have a more constant level of energy instead of looping back and forth from super energetic to about to pass out. So then when do we eat 5-6 meals every day? Hold on baby birds, I'll feed you...
First there's breakfast. I recommend this meal be one of the first things you do every day. This isn't always comfortable or doable. I did not eat breakfast before practice my entire 4 year college stint. This was because I did not have time to digest my food all the way down to a comfortable level before getting on the court. For this meal, I recommend giving yourself 30-40 min before activity to digest.
The next important time to eat is after any sort of practice. This includes lifting and competition. In order to properly recover and build muscle, dietitians are recommending to eat within 30 min after exercising in a ratio of 3:1 carbs:protein. As I've stated in other posts, this ratio is to first replenish the fuel for our body and then rebuild our muscles. Ideas for this recovery meal include: Gatorade, whey protein mixes, milk, granola bars, a lean sandwich, or cereal. Remember, eat small portions. We aren't trying to "get full," we are trying to refuel. This takes practice and willpower.
Lunch is necessary. It's also my favorite meal of the day. It should be timed to be around the middle of the day. I'm not going to get specific into what foods should go into a lunch. You guys know what you do and don't eat and what you should and shouldn't eat. My tip is, look ahead through your day and see when you probably will get hungry. Don't get stuck having to eat real quick and get a greasy fast food meal. Pack a lunch or give yourself enough time to hunt down the healthier option.
I think of dinner as a preparatory meal. This meal is usually after the day is done and there are no more practices to worry about (I know this isn't always the case so plan accordingly). I like to fill my plate with half veggies and then another half carbohydrate source with a little protein mixed in. Examples include: Linguine with a chicken breast on top in red sauce with a salad on the side, or rice, cooked salmon, and asparagus. The reasoning behind your choices here is to give your body something nice and well made to fuel the beginning of the day tomorrow (or to fuel you for the game that night). A lot of time athletes skip breakfast, eat a small lunch and then double up on a gigantic dinner. This is unhealthy in that it forces your body into an uncomfortable metabolism. Plus, it only hurts your recovery time more by not spreading meals out.
Snacks before bed are actually encouraged. Especially if you are like me and can't eat before practice. This gives you a great time to fill up on something that will be there in the morning. Ideas here include healthy fat foods like peanuts, trail mix, or popcorn.
Where you eat your food is a minor note, but try not to eat in front of the television as this leads to overeating. Also, don't distract yourself from eating. I understand being in a rush, but give food its respect and time of day too.
Now, I think I should tell you that we all have different Calorie needs everyday. It can depend upon our sport, our age, our size, our disability, etc. For this reason, start to understand your body. Keep mental notes on how foods make you feel 30 min later. If Taco Bell makes you feel crappy for 2 hours after eating it, I wouldn't recommend it before exercise or games. I would choose a different option or a smaller portion. Also, I think that our population of athletes with disabilities have very different levels of metabolism. You must consider this in timing your foods, e.g. some of you with lower metabolisms (digest food slowly) need to add more time after meals before you start exercising hardcore.
So please don't wait to eat after exercise (30 min!), and please try to fuel up on awesome food throughout the day. As this article states, “Establish eating habits and patterns first. The quality of the food can be changed later."
As athletes, it is recommended to eat more, smaller meals throughout the day. This way we have a more constant level of energy instead of looping back and forth from super energetic to about to pass out. So then when do we eat 5-6 meals every day? Hold on baby birds, I'll feed you...
First there's breakfast. I recommend this meal be one of the first things you do every day. This isn't always comfortable or doable. I did not eat breakfast before practice my entire 4 year college stint. This was because I did not have time to digest my food all the way down to a comfortable level before getting on the court. For this meal, I recommend giving yourself 30-40 min before activity to digest.
The next important time to eat is after any sort of practice. This includes lifting and competition. In order to properly recover and build muscle, dietitians are recommending to eat within 30 min after exercising in a ratio of 3:1 carbs:protein. As I've stated in other posts, this ratio is to first replenish the fuel for our body and then rebuild our muscles. Ideas for this recovery meal include: Gatorade, whey protein mixes, milk, granola bars, a lean sandwich, or cereal. Remember, eat small portions. We aren't trying to "get full," we are trying to refuel. This takes practice and willpower.
Lunch is necessary. It's also my favorite meal of the day. It should be timed to be around the middle of the day. I'm not going to get specific into what foods should go into a lunch. You guys know what you do and don't eat and what you should and shouldn't eat. My tip is, look ahead through your day and see when you probably will get hungry. Don't get stuck having to eat real quick and get a greasy fast food meal. Pack a lunch or give yourself enough time to hunt down the healthier option.
I think of dinner as a preparatory meal. This meal is usually after the day is done and there are no more practices to worry about (I know this isn't always the case so plan accordingly). I like to fill my plate with half veggies and then another half carbohydrate source with a little protein mixed in. Examples include: Linguine with a chicken breast on top in red sauce with a salad on the side, or rice, cooked salmon, and asparagus. The reasoning behind your choices here is to give your body something nice and well made to fuel the beginning of the day tomorrow (or to fuel you for the game that night). A lot of time athletes skip breakfast, eat a small lunch and then double up on a gigantic dinner. This is unhealthy in that it forces your body into an uncomfortable metabolism. Plus, it only hurts your recovery time more by not spreading meals out.
Snacks before bed are actually encouraged. Especially if you are like me and can't eat before practice. This gives you a great time to fill up on something that will be there in the morning. Ideas here include healthy fat foods like peanuts, trail mix, or popcorn.
Where you eat your food is a minor note, but try not to eat in front of the television as this leads to overeating. Also, don't distract yourself from eating. I understand being in a rush, but give food its respect and time of day too.
Now, I think I should tell you that we all have different Calorie needs everyday. It can depend upon our sport, our age, our size, our disability, etc. For this reason, start to understand your body. Keep mental notes on how foods make you feel 30 min later. If Taco Bell makes you feel crappy for 2 hours after eating it, I wouldn't recommend it before exercise or games. I would choose a different option or a smaller portion. Also, I think that our population of athletes with disabilities have very different levels of metabolism. You must consider this in timing your foods, e.g. some of you with lower metabolisms (digest food slowly) need to add more time after meals before you start exercising hardcore.
So please don't wait to eat after exercise (30 min!), and please try to fuel up on awesome food throughout the day. As this article states, “Establish eating habits and patterns first. The quality of the food can be changed later."
Monday, August 1, 2011
Whey it out
So at a overwhelming vote win of 2 to 1, you guys have voted to learn more about whey protein. Next time let's get some more people voting :)
So whey protein. It's cool stuff. Essentially it's the lactoglobulins (milk proteins), so all milk naturally has whey protein (as long as its from an animal source). A lot of people use a dry whey supplement when they want to "bulk up." It's nice because the stuff is packed with protein and other good stuff. What whey protein is mostly good for is:
Whey gives an immune system boost because of the globulins in the proteins. Globulins basically are protein structures but are shown to be used by our immune system and made in our immune system. They are present in our mother's milk but also in a cow's milk. Moral of the story, these proteins can help boost your immune system response to sickness, allergies, and foreign items. Cool!
Now for what a lot of you are curious about; the muscles. This is what whey protein is great for. The BCAAs, and specifically leucine, are awesome amino acids to fuel muscles and activate protein synthesis. They can be fuel because our muscles love to pick these guys up and because they can be transformed into fuel like glucose through a couple metabolic steps. Their real role is to stimulate protein synthesis at these spots. In simpler terms, these proteins start up the metabolic steps to produce more proteins that speed up muscle recovery and adaptation to stress.
So now that you guys know what's going on with whey, there are some tips you should know about using it. First, when you are buying whey, make sure that you find a high quality source with a great amino acid profile (has a lot of leucine, isoleucine, and valine) and no additives. A lot of us have USADA to worry about but if not, you still don't want to pump your body with "extras" as this can lead to unhealthy results. Always read up online on products and find people who have used the product before. Next, what you add it to can be anything technically. I love adding it to milk and blending it to make sure I'm not drinking a whole bunch of globs of the stuff. I smooth it out. Some use water, which would be somewhat interesting to taste...but others add it to smoothies. It's up to you. The final thing to remember is that to digest this much protein at times, we need to add a little more hydration to the process, so after drinking up some whey, drink some water after too.
I have used the EAS brand whey protein over the last few years, and I must say that it is really great for muscle recovery. I would add one full scoop to about 10 fl. oz (little less than a soda can) of milk. This way I was "doubling up" the protein by adding milk to milk. Blending it was essential and made it taste like a milkshake. Yum. I could significantly tell that my muscles were more ready the next day for practice or lifting. I could not tell much of a difference in muscle growth though. I was only using the product for about 2 days/week after lifting, 3 at most. Chocolate was my favorite flavor, but vanilla is great for smoothies.
Do I recommend whey protein? Sure! Especially if you are having trouble with recovery. It can tend to make people gassy (because of the milk) but it's a great method to try. Let me know if you guys have any more questions about this! It's one of my favorite topics.
So whey protein. It's cool stuff. Essentially it's the lactoglobulins (milk proteins), so all milk naturally has whey protein (as long as its from an animal source). A lot of people use a dry whey supplement when they want to "bulk up." It's nice because the stuff is packed with protein and other good stuff. What whey protein is mostly good for is:
- Easily digestible protein (unless lactose intolerant)
- Immune function boost
- Quick muscle recovery
- Muscle growth
Whey gives an immune system boost because of the globulins in the proteins. Globulins basically are protein structures but are shown to be used by our immune system and made in our immune system. They are present in our mother's milk but also in a cow's milk. Moral of the story, these proteins can help boost your immune system response to sickness, allergies, and foreign items. Cool!
Now for what a lot of you are curious about; the muscles. This is what whey protein is great for. The BCAAs, and specifically leucine, are awesome amino acids to fuel muscles and activate protein synthesis. They can be fuel because our muscles love to pick these guys up and because they can be transformed into fuel like glucose through a couple metabolic steps. Their real role is to stimulate protein synthesis at these spots. In simpler terms, these proteins start up the metabolic steps to produce more proteins that speed up muscle recovery and adaptation to stress.
So now that you guys know what's going on with whey, there are some tips you should know about using it. First, when you are buying whey, make sure that you find a high quality source with a great amino acid profile (has a lot of leucine, isoleucine, and valine) and no additives. A lot of us have USADA to worry about but if not, you still don't want to pump your body with "extras" as this can lead to unhealthy results. Always read up online on products and find people who have used the product before. Next, what you add it to can be anything technically. I love adding it to milk and blending it to make sure I'm not drinking a whole bunch of globs of the stuff. I smooth it out. Some use water, which would be somewhat interesting to taste...but others add it to smoothies. It's up to you. The final thing to remember is that to digest this much protein at times, we need to add a little more hydration to the process, so after drinking up some whey, drink some water after too.
I have used the EAS brand whey protein over the last few years, and I must say that it is really great for muscle recovery. I would add one full scoop to about 10 fl. oz (little less than a soda can) of milk. This way I was "doubling up" the protein by adding milk to milk. Blending it was essential and made it taste like a milkshake. Yum. I could significantly tell that my muscles were more ready the next day for practice or lifting. I could not tell much of a difference in muscle growth though. I was only using the product for about 2 days/week after lifting, 3 at most. Chocolate was my favorite flavor, but vanilla is great for smoothies.
Do I recommend whey protein? Sure! Especially if you are having trouble with recovery. It can tend to make people gassy (because of the milk) but it's a great method to try. Let me know if you guys have any more questions about this! It's one of my favorite topics.
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