Louch
105% knowledge on 105
- Location
- Kingdom of Kinnard
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Is taking protein shakes ok before and after a long bike ride??
- Thread starter theguru
- Start date
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Mod hat ON.
Don't get personal.
Some people have information or knowledge with which others agree or disagree. Unless we are experts in sports science/nutrition/recovery etc etc, please be very careful how responses are made to posts.
This is Beginners, not CAD !
Don't get personal.
Some people have information or knowledge with which others agree or disagree. Unless we are experts in sports science/nutrition/recovery etc etc, please be very careful how responses are made to posts.
This is Beginners, not CAD !
This is interesting for me because I've actually just started taking on some supplements over the last month or so. I sought advice from a physiotherapist friend (he encouraged me) and I bought products he recommended that were significantly cheaper than what you pay at holland and Barrett et al. I'm not a nutritional professional but the benefits I believe are as below:
Before exercise (football or a ride of significant distance or intensity) I will have half the quoted dose of Amino energy supplement. Basically it's got lots of caffeine in, as well as green tea and obviously amino acids. The combination is supposed to make me train harder (the caffeine most likely - I don't like coffee anyway) helps me strip away fat (green tea - I don't have much to lose but we'd all like to be trimmer) and amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and also kick starts your metabolism.
After exercise I have half the stated dose (or the woman's dosage - I don't remotely want to bulk, just achieve leanness, efficiency and muscle tone) of a diet whey protein shake. This is supposed to help me to recover quicker, and tone the muscles, and also contains green tea and flaxseed etc for metabolic boosting.
I came into it very open minded with the thought that if it worked then great!, But it's not something that I could overdose or damage myself on.
I also thought that it would be difficult to quantify the results because as a result of starting to use the supplements I will naturally be more careful with my diet and have added motivation when I train in order to see better results.
3-4 weeks in I'm feeling in great shape. I'm not sure as yet how much (if anything) of that is down to the supplements. I'll continue using them until I've used them up and I'll see what shape I'm in then and whether I feel I would have reached those levels anyhow. On Friday I recorded my fastest ever commutes to and from work (I log everything!) and most significantly I don't seem to feel as sore the days after hard rides.
I'm not saying that they're not a placebo, but I will give them a fair go and post back with a truthful summary for anyone who's interested.
Before exercise (football or a ride of significant distance or intensity) I will have half the quoted dose of Amino energy supplement. Basically it's got lots of caffeine in, as well as green tea and obviously amino acids. The combination is supposed to make me train harder (the caffeine most likely - I don't like coffee anyway) helps me strip away fat (green tea - I don't have much to lose but we'd all like to be trimmer) and amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and also kick starts your metabolism.
After exercise I have half the stated dose (or the woman's dosage - I don't remotely want to bulk, just achieve leanness, efficiency and muscle tone) of a diet whey protein shake. This is supposed to help me to recover quicker, and tone the muscles, and also contains green tea and flaxseed etc for metabolic boosting.
I came into it very open minded with the thought that if it worked then great!, But it's not something that I could overdose or damage myself on.
I also thought that it would be difficult to quantify the results because as a result of starting to use the supplements I will naturally be more careful with my diet and have added motivation when I train in order to see better results.
3-4 weeks in I'm feeling in great shape. I'm not sure as yet how much (if anything) of that is down to the supplements. I'll continue using them until I've used them up and I'll see what shape I'm in then and whether I feel I would have reached those levels anyhow. On Friday I recorded my fastest ever commutes to and from work (I log everything!) and most significantly I don't seem to feel as sore the days after hard rides.
I'm not saying that they're not a placebo, but I will give them a fair go and post back with a truthful summary for anyone who's interested.
T.M.H.N.E.T
Rainbows aren't just for world champions
- Location
- Northern Ireland
What supplements are you taking? This post lacks context without
T.M.H.N.E.T
Rainbows aren't just for world champions
- Location
- Northern Ireland
And what exercise? Non-discounted PHD is very much overpriced. Can get 2.5kg for not much more from myprotein/bulkpowders amongst others.
I'm struggling to see why a cyclist(we are on cyclechat afterall) would need a pre-WO
I paid just over £30 for both.
If I decide to continue I'll be able to get it cheaper in larger quantities... Because I'm only taking smaller doses its lasting a while anyway.
My riding is high intensity. Eg my commutes on Friday were at 22mph average carrying a rucksack and with lots of stop start. Circa 10 miles each way - enough to burn significant calories. I took the 1/2 dose of amino in the morning as a kickstart and then the half dose of phd when I got home to aid recovery.
I'll do the same before and after a football match (90 mins) on a Monday but I also cycle there and back. I'll do the same before and after the club run today. Same dose as club run will be longer but lower intensity than my solo rides.
I won't use them unless I'm exercising.
GrasB
Veteran
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
Taking a small amount of protein before a ride helps a bit, it's a last few % thing. Post ride protein intake is more beneficial.
Taking protein after exercise helps with muscle repair regardless of taking in enough dietary protein. One thing you can consider is changing the way you consume so your protein with your normal diet is just after exercise. For me this means having what amounts to vegetarian meals & post exercise 'protein snacks'. Scrambled eggs, cold cooked chicken pieces or even a simple glass of milk can be consumed to help supply protein when the body needs it very quickly after finishing your exercise. The key here is to consume the protein as quickly as possible after exercise. In this regard a lower quality protein source consumed within 5 min of getting off the bike is better than consuming from a high quality source say 15-20 min after.
I use whey protein shakes after harder or longer 'hot' (over 23C) rides because it is very easy to make up & consume when exhausted (it takes 30s to lob everything in a blender & mix it up). For recovery rides or longer tempo rides which are 'cold' (read under 18C) I'll tend to have food-stuff based protein, it's not about cost, as T.M.H.N.E.T said if you look at it in terms of g protein per £1 there's very little cost difference to the non-premium brand whey 'supplements' (e.g. whey from myprotein.co.uk) & 'real' food. In fact because I can't easily transport cooked meat to work in summer from home, due to ride length & heat, whey products actually work out cheaper because quality pre-cooked supermarket meat is quite expensive.
Taking protein after exercise helps with muscle repair regardless of taking in enough dietary protein. One thing you can consider is changing the way you consume so your protein with your normal diet is just after exercise. For me this means having what amounts to vegetarian meals & post exercise 'protein snacks'. Scrambled eggs, cold cooked chicken pieces or even a simple glass of milk can be consumed to help supply protein when the body needs it very quickly after finishing your exercise. The key here is to consume the protein as quickly as possible after exercise. In this regard a lower quality protein source consumed within 5 min of getting off the bike is better than consuming from a high quality source say 15-20 min after.
I use whey protein shakes after harder or longer 'hot' (over 23C) rides because it is very easy to make up & consume when exhausted (it takes 30s to lob everything in a blender & mix it up). For recovery rides or longer tempo rides which are 'cold' (read under 18C) I'll tend to have food-stuff based protein, it's not about cost, as T.M.H.N.E.T said if you look at it in terms of g protein per £1 there's very little cost difference to the non-premium brand whey 'supplements' (e.g. whey from myprotein.co.uk) & 'real' food. In fact because I can't easily transport cooked meat to work in summer from home, due to ride length & heat, whey products actually work out cheaper because quality pre-cooked supermarket meat is quite expensive.
How many cyclists load up on strong coffee in the cafe before a club run and stick energy bars galore in their back pockets? It's just the same thing surely?
It depends on what sort of cyclist you are. Is your cycling a means of getting to work? A pootle? Or is it part of a more intensive exercise regime to increase fitness and performance? My commutes are usually ridden at 90-95% intensity so a supplement that gives me a bit of a boost to work a bit harder, is a bonus and hopefully helps me to get more out of the ride
T.M.H.N.E.T
Rainbows aren't just for world champions
- Location
- Northern Ireland
Not quite. You'll probably find that those cyclists are heavy consumers of coffee anyway, which is more to do with withdrawal than stimulant benefit.
Energy bars/gels are a different product with much different ingredients.
Very much so. A 10mi canal pootle isn't the same level as 80mi/5000ft/19mph average - the energy and dietry demands are going to differ significantly.
Depends on the regime. Stuff like ON Amino Energy is generally aimed at gym based exercise (you may have noticed the tingling feeling?)
You could probably gain more by simply riding fasted. But that depends on the overall goal.
Louch
105% knowledge on 105
- Location
- Kingdom of Kinnard
Protein doesn't give a boost in same way the caffeine or carb enegry bars do though, it's more for repair than performance. If you are taking it with milk, it's the carbs in that you are burning , and I could only see the protein hindering as your body tries to bak it down, whilst maintaining your high average speed.
No milk, I take both with water only, and
I wouldn't take the whey protein before exercise.
Even with a half dose I notice the tingling... It's a little disconcerting.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not an staunch advocate or trying to sell anything to anyone. I was sold (on giving it a go) on the basis that I'm doing x level of exercise anyway, so ensuring I have correct supplement nutrition just capitalises on that - almost as if I'm not making the most of my workouts otherwise.
I don't have false or high expectations... I'm just willing to give it a try before making up my mind either way.
The protein is low calorie and I'm only taking a minimal dose around exercise so my weight shouldn't be affected. Any extra protein etc that the body can't process just gets passed so the worst that can happen is I pay £30 for a placebo or a plateaued performance.
And hypocritical at that.
Who are you to say what someone can or can't spend their money on.
