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shredder · 11-11-2002, 11:52 PM

There's really no trick to it, other than deciding on a blend, reading the labels, and being frugal.

I'll start with whey, currently enjoying the most popularity. Honestly with whey you can buy whatever is cheapest. Unless you're already a high level athlete, you don't need isolate or hydrolyzed whey. You can find a two pound jar of whey protein concentrate at your grocery store. Short of that, Twinlab is usually pretty reasonable. I like it because it includes a fair amount of glutamine. If soy is your weapon of choice, EAS has a pretty good price.

The rundown on the rest at the supermarket:

-Carb Solutions makes a cheap mixed blend of whey, soy, milk and egg.
-Naturade makes a few good blends for a few more dollars.
-MetRX's Protein Plus blend has more casein than the rest, but also contains lots of extra junk.
-Designer Whey isn't worth it for my money.

It's a good idea to mix, since whey, soy, and casein have different absorption rates, BCAA levels, and amounts of glutamine.

Your best bet is to go cheap, so that you don't blow your savings on powders. The FDA doesn't regulate supplements like it does with food products, so its up to you to make sure that it has the ingredients claimed. You might not want to go for the very bottom o' the barrel cheapest, but you should still set your sights low.

I can't stress enough though, that protein shakes are not necessary. They will do absolutely nothing for you if you don't have a solid program, sound diet, and sensible sleep schedule. Also, find out how much protein you are getting already before you go on a shopping spree. Your body doesn't store protein after you reach excessive levels, so there are definitely some diminishing returns and wasted money if you aren't wary of the hype. Besides, a can of light tuna and a glass of milk, a sandwich, beefaroni, or a few eggs can give you your protein fix as well. Protein shakes are not better protein to any significant extent. Use them for convenience, not as magic beans.

And to clarify, the best times to take in some protein is mid-morning, post workout (with some simple carbs), and before bed.

11-11-2002, 11:52 PM	#6 (permalink)
shredder Registered User Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 46 Groans: 0 Groaned at 0 Times in 0 Posts	There's really no trick to it, other than deciding on a blend, reading the labels, and being frugal. I'll start with whey, currently enjoying the most popularity. Honestly with whey you can buy whatever is cheapest. Unless you're already a high level athlete, you don't need isolate or hydrolyzed whey. You can find a two pound jar of whey protein concentrate at your grocery store. Short of that, Twinlab is usually pretty reasonable. I like it because it includes a fair amount of glutamine. If soy is your weapon of choice, EAS has a pretty good price. The rundown on the rest at the supermarket: -Carb Solutions makes a cheap mixed blend of whey, soy, milk and egg. -Naturade makes a few good blends for a few more dollars. -MetRX's Protein Plus blend has more casein than the rest, but also contains lots of extra junk. -Designer Whey isn't worth it for my money. It's a good idea to mix, since whey, soy, and casein have different absorption rates, BCAA levels, and amounts of glutamine. Your best bet is to go cheap, so that you don't blow your savings on powders. The FDA doesn't regulate supplements like it does with food products, so its up to you to make sure that it has the ingredients claimed. You might not want to go for the very bottom o' the barrel cheapest, but you should still set your sights low. I can't stress enough though, that protein shakes are not necessary. They will do absolutely nothing for you if you don't have a solid program, sound diet, and sensible sleep schedule. Also, find out how much protein you are getting already before you go on a shopping spree. Your body doesn't store protein after you reach excessive levels, so there are definitely some diminishing returns and wasted money if you aren't wary of the hype. Besides, a can of light tuna and a glass of milk, a sandwich, beefaroni, or a few eggs can give you your protein fix as well. Protein shakes are not better protein to any significant extent. Use them for convenience, not as magic beans. And to clarify, the best times to take in some protein is mid-morning, post workout (with some simple carbs), and before bed. Last edited by shredder; 11-19-2002 at 12:26 AM.