How much should I be eating? Should I be drinking a protein shake after my workout? If so which one should I be taking? 

 

One of the most popular questions I get about nutrition is: How much protein should I be eating? 

 

Which is usually followed up by: Should I be drinking a protein shake after my workout? 

 

There are a lot of myths surrounding protein and I wanted to give you the truth when it comes to protein and your fitness goals.

 

WHAT IS PROTEIN AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT? 

 

Protein is made up of amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks to building and repairing muscle. 

 

There are 4 calories per Gram of protein. 

 

There are a variety of proteins from whey, soy, and plant based.

 

Protein is essential for fat loss, building, and repairing your muscles. 

 

HOW MUCH PROTEIN SHOULD I BE EATING?

 

The general guideline is .8g-1g per pound of bodyweight. 

 

But if you are an athlete or have an intense training regiment 1.5g-2g of protein is more optimal. 

 

How much you should be eating, is also a loaded question, and here's why. 

 

At the end of the day, your body needs a certain amount of calories to burn fat and sometimes your body can be an exception to the rules because your body may need less calories, and that means less macro nutrients you can consume. 

 

SHOULD I BE DRINKING A PROTEIN IMMEDIATELY AFTER MY WORKOUT TO NOT LOSE MUSCLE?

 

This is one of the first things you will here, especially if you are just starting out on your fitness goals.

 

"Drink a protein shake immediately after your workout or you'll miss the window of opportunity to get optimum absorption and recovery from your protein." 

 

This has people running to ensure they get their protein shakes in to ensure they don't miss out on that window. 

 

Well, here's some good news for you...

 

...THIS IS NOT TRUE!

 

I know, I know this might be some shocking news to you, and may even be hard to grasp. 

 

 

In fact a year ago if you were to tell me this, I would think you were absolutely CRAZY! 

 

But today, most are very surprised to find that as a bodybuilder myself, I don't drink protein shakes anymore. 

 

I have found that all I need is a good BCAA (branch chain amino acid) supplement to preserve, build, and repair my muscles. 

 

What you should consider is that your body is ALWAYS repairing, which is why it's important to give it enough to do its job. 

 

Which means that the daily intake you get from food, is usually enough to meet your body's needs to repair and grow. 

 

I do recommend drinking a good BCAA supplement during or in the middle of your workout though. 

 

I like having clients do that because is it has the same benefits as drinking a protein shake without the extra calories. 

 

But that's not to say you can't use a good protein supplement or that it's bad to.

 

It really comes down to what you feel works best for you.

 

Here is a picture that break down the types of whey proteins out there, usually just a good whey isolate is going to be perfect when you are just starting out:

 

 

But, my number one recommendation to anyone is that the MAJORITY of all your protein, carbs, and fats should come from WHOLE FOODS.

 

Meaning the lean meats or vegetarian protein sources. 

 

Then if you find you are still struggling to meet your protein intake, then you should add your protein powders. 

 

I find too many people relying on supplements before foods, and just consider you will spend way more money on supplements, trying to get results, than if you were to just focus on getting in the right nutrients through foods.

 

If you are just starting out, don't get too stressed about your protein, and focus more on your food and you will find that you will still build, repair, and get the adequate amounts of protein your body needs. 

 

So to wrap this up, protein is essential to your nutrition and in getting results with your fitness goals. 

 

How much protein you should be intaking really depends on your goals and your body's needs. 

 

And NO you don't need to make sure you drink a shake immediately after your workout, I promise your gains will still come. 

 

Matt Johnson, NASM CPT, PES and Owner Of The Elite Training Facility

 

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