# Portein powder reviews/recommendations



## bluekey88 (Apr 17, 2009)

Hey Gang! I've been using protein supplements for awhile. This has really stepped up for me in the last couple of months at the urging of my personal trainer. Right now I'm primarily using the _Designer Whey_ brand supplement. 

Here's the thing, I want to be using the best stuff I can afford.  Eveytime I go into the vitamin store, I see there are TONS of brands all espousing to make me more ripped, huge, massive, awesome, etc. The tubs are gigantic, expensive and it's hard to see what is and is not BS. At best, I look at the serving size and do a rough calculation of how many servings I'm getting for my money.  

I tried looking at a fityness mag issue on supplements that supposedly reviewed this stuff. I saw a lot of 4 page ads and basically lists of supplemetns but not real reveiws.

So, dear friends, I'm asking for you guys to tell me about what kibnd of protien stuff oyu use. and How you likre it...I figfure If I'm a bit confused, then I bet plenty of other people are confused as well.

Peace,
Erik


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## Carol (Apr 17, 2009)

I LOVE Designer Whey.

Its easy to find.  The portion sizes are small.  It is easy to fix up...just dump in a bottle of Poland Springs and *poof* instant energy.    

Plus it mixes well, tastes OK and doesn't have much for "extra" calories.

For the health food store brands, I guess my fave would be Isopure.  Their chocolate tastes like a chocolate milkshake.  But I'm not giving up my Designer Whey anytime soon


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## astrobiologist (Apr 17, 2009)

I can't stand GNC's blends.  Way too much cholesterol and not very tasty.

Designer Whey tastes yummy, but is lacking on the amount of protein compared to others.

Isopure tastes like garbage.  Not worth trying.  That whole "low-carb" thing is just stupid.  We need people who think "smart carbs" and "smart fats" and "smart proteins", etc.

I like Nitro Tech, if you don't mind having some funky gas...


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## bluekey88 (Apr 17, 2009)

Carol Kaur said:


> I LOVE Designer Whey.
> 
> Its easy to find. The portion sizes are small. It is easy to fix up...just dump in a bottle of Poland Springs and *poof* instant energy.
> 
> ...


 Yeah, I originally settled on designer Whey for the economic value (more bang fo rmy buck) but I did notice it is lower in protein than other mixes.  I boost that by mixing with milk and throwing some fresh fruit...make sfor adecent pre-workout breakfast.

Peace,
Erik


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## bluekey88 (Apr 17, 2009)

astrobiologist said:


> I can't stand GNC's blends. Way too much cholesterol and not very tasty.
> 
> Designer Whey tastes yummy, but is lacking on the amount of protein compared to others.
> 
> ...


 
I buy most of  my stop at Vitaminne Shoppe stores (don't go to GNC)...or I get it at my local Rite Aid (has a decent supllements section).

I'll take a look at the Nitro Tech when i go restock later today.

Peace,
Erik


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## Nolerama (Apr 17, 2009)

I don't have a whole lot of experience with protein powders, but I really like Muscle Milk. I mix it with some milk or yogurt and I don't feel weighed down.


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## bluekey88 (Apr 17, 2009)

Funny you should mention that....I ran into my instructor at the store.  He was picking up some Muscle Milk.  It was on sale so I got a jug...i'll report back when I've tried it.

Anyone else have some recommendations?

Peace,
Erik


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## teekin (Apr 17, 2009)

Ohhhhhhh, Ohhhhhhh, I know this one! Do not buy Muscle Tech, it is just makes everything taste like rotten eggs. Eeewww! The worst, On the other hand, Gold Standard by Optimum Rocky Road taste like hot choclate even when blended with water, yummy and Uberlean. Very low in carbs and fat. Easy to tollerate and digest for those of us who yack almost everthing.
lori


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## bluekey88 (Apr 17, 2009)

I just got done downing a vanilla creme muscle milk shake.  It was about teh same price as the designer whey I usually get.  The serving size is twice that of the designer whey (2 scoops as opposed to 1 scoop)...but if I double the deigner whey portion size, I'd get a similar amount of protein (slightly fewer calories) than the muscle milk.  the initAl flavor of the vanilla muscle milk is ok....but there's a bit of a bitter after taste.  Adding some fruit helped.

I'll probably stick with the designer whey compared to the muscle milk...but I'm going to try some of the other suggestions and see what's what.

Peace,
Erik


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## Ronin74 (Apr 17, 2009)

If you maintain a diet that's more vegetarian, Naturade Soy-Free Veg Protein Booster is a great way to go. I used it when my meat intake was limited to Fish or Chicken a few times a week.

However, if your diet it pretty normal, BSN makes excellent supplements, though they may be on the pricier end for some folks. I use Syntha-6 and Dessert. Depending on where you get your supplements, you might be able to get a free sample, which is how I got to try them out. No regrets, and for me they're worth the cost.

I've tried Muscle Milk, and don't really have any complaints about them, except that it's not what I'd suggest for the lactose intolerant (including the lactose-free version).

The one MAJOR thing I've found with all of those however, is that the human body usually won't process more than 30 grams of protein every three hours, and so you don't want to overdo it on the servings. Even with BSN's products, part of the label says to do twice the scoops (equal to two servings), but the suggested serving size listed with the nutritional info says to do only one scoop.

I might be going overboard here, but here's what I do to max out my protein intake after workouts. My post-morning workout shake is usually one scoop of Syntha-6, blended with a cup of berries for antioxidants, and 1 cup of soy milk. That actually comes out to just about 30 grams of protein, and it hold me over til the next meal. However, stay hydrated, or else you'll be pissing out the protein.


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## Flea (Apr 18, 2009)

Thanks for posting on this.

For the benefit of someone who's never tried protein supplements, could someone explain this to me?  Once I tried a canister of something and I didn't care for it - it tasted terrible, didn't dissolve well, and produced no energy boost.  Maybe I tried the wrong brand or something.  It's been long enough that I have no idea what it was.

If it does give one an energy boost as promised, what impact would that have on a person's sleep patterns overall?  Would you have to limit your protein shake consumption after a certain hour like with caffeine?  (Note that I'm posting this at 5am. :uhyeah: )

Just curious ...


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## bluekey88 (Apr 18, 2009)

I'm certainly no expert...but here's how I undestand the use of protein as a supplement and part of a healthy diet/excercise regimen.  

Protein is necessary for muscle growth and muscle maintenance.  If you are training for strength, toning, etc.  All the excercise in the world won't help if oyu aren't taking in adequate protein.

So, i was told (and most sources I've researched seem to support) the idea of getting 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of ideal body weight per day (for me, that's roughly 200-215 lbs per day).  Tricky to do just eating natural foods. The rest of your diet should be balanced out with healthy carbds (complex, whole grain and vegetation based) as well as healthy fats. 

I'm supposed to eat at least 6 meals a day each meal contianing 20-40 grams of protein per meal.  That has me eating roughly every 2 to 3 hours.  Meals are generally smaller (and I know I need ot eat because I get suddenly ravenous almost liek clockwork).  The idea is to keep me from going into a catbolic state (where my body starts eating muscle to synthesize necessary protein and also holdin gonto fat).  This will promote muscle growth and his promotes fat loss.

My schedule is a shake with some fruit first thing in the morning (upon waking).  This stops any catabolisis from the night before (I've gone about 8 to 10 hours without eating).  I  usually workout within an hour of this.  I then have breakfast (protein based) right after.  (or I eat a mid morning snakc if I haven't worked out).  I eat lunch.  Mid afternoon snack.  Dinner.  I take another shake right before bed.  It helps stop em snacking on unhealthy food and helps stave of thata catabolic state (I also wake up less hungry).  ANy of those snack can be a shake 9although I try to vary things for my own sanity).  I might use a shake or a protein bar on days where I'm running around a lot and don't have time to cook.

I'm sure the dietician/scietist folks can elaborate or correct where I'm mistaken.  Basically, the protein doesn't give energy in and of itself, but use dproperly it staves off the body "conserving" which might lead to tiredness...also more muscles mean faster metabolism means more energy (I think).

Anyway, I combine that with a good multivitamin, a fiber supplement and a fish oil supplement...and I'm feeling pretty good.  I'll probably never look like a cover model for Men's health magazine...but I'll hopefully be around and have the enegry to play with my grandkids (and tire them out ) in my 60's and 70's.

Peace,
Erik


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## searcher (Apr 18, 2009)

I use only IDS Multi-whey.    It has a very high absorption rate and absorption percentage.


And its the best tasting I have ever had.


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## Marginal (Apr 18, 2009)

Optimum Nutrition's whey protein came highly recommended to me. I've been using it ever since. It dissolves well and doesn't taste nasty. 

I'd tried GNC's powder (never really dissolved right, not so great taste) before hand, and some stuff from Jay Robb (really sweet. Kinda like drinking a marshmellow...)


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## jarrod (Apr 18, 2009)

i use the cheap stuff at wal-mart.  is that bad?  it tastes okay to me & doesn't have a bunch of sugar or anything.

jf


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## teekin (Apr 19, 2009)

Flea said:


> Thanks for posting on this.
> 
> For the benefit of someone who's never tried protein supplements, could someone explain this to me? Once I tried a canister of something and I didn't care for it - *it tasted terrible, didn't dissolve well, and produced no energy boost.* Maybe I tried the wrong brand or something. It's been long enough that I have no idea what it was.
> 
> ...


 
Flea, do try the Rocky Road I posted about. It does taste great. If you blend it with soy milk before bed it will help you shut down and sleep. Soy and protein have that effect. The extra energy is a by product of the move away from consuming the simple starch diet that most North American's are use to and from the weight loss that will result. The actual physiological process is kinda complex but I can point you to the correct sites and research. See my response on "Slow Carbs" to see your start point.
lori


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## Ronin74 (Apr 19, 2009)

jarrod said:


> i use the cheap stuff at wal-mart. is that bad? it tastes okay to me & doesn't have a bunch of sugar or anything.
> 
> jf


Like the majority of us, I'm not a nutritionist or dietician, but I think at the end of the day, if you find it works for you without any negative side-effects, then it's probably not a bad thing.

For me, one of the reasons I do pay the extra little $ for some stuff is because I find it works well for my body without any adverse effects to my digestion. I've heard of stuff that can sit in a person's gut because it doesn't work well for them, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's across the board.


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## Marginal (Apr 19, 2009)

Grendel308 said:


> Flea, do try the Rocky Road I posted about. It does taste great. If you blend it with soy milk before bed it will help you shut down and sleep. Soy and protein have that effect. The extra energy is a by product of the move away from consuming the simple starch diet that most North American's are use to and from the weight loss that will result. The actual physiological process is kinda complex but I can point you to the correct sites and research. See my response on "Slow Carbs" to see your start point.
> lori


The way I look at the extra energy, when I use protein powder I still get tired at the same rate, but I don't get all shaky and my endurance holds up better. (I'm a weirdo that takes it prior to a work out though so one's mileage may vary on that.) 

Without it, muscle fatigue tends to set in much faster.


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## searcher (Apr 20, 2009)

If you all want exra energy from your protien powder add some No Xplode.

Protien digests to slowly to give you a burst of energy.  If you are getting it from your PP, it is from another substance, not the protien.


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