Yeah, it can get a little confusing! What's that in your hand? Is it your protein drink, recovery drink, meal replacement drink, "hair of the dog" drink (just had to add that one) or is it the I-Don't-Know-Anymore drink but it sure is sweet and I'm really buzz'n right now?
There sure are a lot of different drinks that claim different things. Are YOU sure you are drinking the right one? With so much variety now you can really get your head spinning if you do not fully understand YOUR needs, and the TYPE of product you're drinking.
Let's break down the 3 different catergories of drinks I am refering to. There is a protein drink, recovery drink and a meal replacement drink. The protein drink is just that, it gives you added protein. Why would someone need to add more protein to their diet if they are eating healthy? The main reason is that for many of us, it is very difficult to get OUR required amount by just eating solid foods. Did you know that we need between 0.75 and 1.0 grams of (good) protein per pound of lean body mass? And, if you are trying to add muscle you will need closer to 1.5 grams per pound. What's lean body mass? It's what is left after you take away your body fat. Let's use me as an example. I currently weigh around 160 lbs and have around 15% body fat. (I know, still working on it!) Quick math tells me that is 136 lbs of lean body mass which means I need anywhere from 102 grams to 136 grams of good protein a day. Maybe even more since I am working on adding more muscle. This is a lot of protein to try to get from solid foods considering a serving of chicken breast is only 30 grams and an egg is around 6 grams. Now could I get all my protein from solid foods? Yes, but that would be a heck of a lot of food to eat day in and day out. Which is why I use a protein powder to give me the needed protein on a daily basis.
Now there are different protein supplement sources such as whey, casein, soy and eggs. Whey and soy are 2 of the most popular. In general there are 3 types of whey protein: concentrate; isolate; and hydrolysate. Whey concentrate is the least expensive of the three due to the processing. Because of this it contains less protein but includes more lactose. Whey isolate has a more refined process elliminating much of the lactose and is around 90% protein. Finally there is whey hydrolysate which is a predigested form of whey that is relatively free of allergens. It is very expensive and unless you are extremely allergic really is not worth the extra money you need to pay. So always look for at least whey isolate as the protein source.
Soy, has been very popular of late as a protein source but has it's pros and cons. The debate continues as to whether it's health benefits outweigh the potential health concerns such as hormone imbalances and cancer. You know what? I will leave that to you to decide. You can find as much bad as you can good so do your research. BUT . . . I will leave you with this: soy is one of many crops that have become heavily genetically altered. There are many claims that over 90% of all soy found in the U.S. is a GMO (Genetically Modified Organism). If you are not understanding any of this I suggest doing a little research on the Monsanto Company. Two words that should not go together: Round-up and Soy. (Oops! Got a little political there . . .)
Can you guarantee that the soy you are using is not GMO?
Of course eggs are a very very good source of protein unfortunately at around 6 grams of protein per egg, thats a lot of eggs to eat. But I do eat around 4 a day!
The last thing I want to talk about with protein is this - if you are using a protein drink for added protein then make sure it just has protein! Take a look at some of the protein drinks out there and they are full of carbs. You do not need to get your carbs from a protein drink! Why add all those extra calories to your daily meal planning. You are working hard at staying healthy, why make it harder? Also read the labels. Make sure those long hard to pronounce words are amino acids and not chemicals to make it taste better!
Next is a recovery drink, meant to be used within one hour after a strenuous workout. No, not after a walk around the block, 30 minutes of slow cardio or when you are just jonez'n for a sugar rush. A true recovery drink should have a ratio of carbs to protein of 4:1. This means for every 4 carb grams there should only be 1 gram of protein. Remember, carbs are basically sugars and you do not want to put a high amount of carbs in your body when not needed. A recovery drink is meant to be used after a hard workout to replentish your glycogen storage in your muscles and liver. Think of glycogen as fuel for your muscles and the storage areas in your muscles and liver like a gas tank. Your gas tank can only hold so much gas right? Same with your muscles and liver storing glycogen. If you haven't exhausted your glycogen supply there is a very high chance those carbs in your recovery drink will just be stored as fat. So think about when to use this drink. Now not to try to confuse you but . . . a good recovery drink will also include essential amino acids which help with protein synthesis. Yes amino acids are the building blocks of protein, at the same time essential aminos have added benefits over a whole protein. Other good ingredients include vitamins and electrolytes that are lost during your workout. Overall this total mix will replentish glycogen and assist in muscle repair and soreness.
So, a good recovery drink will have a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein, essential amino acids and vitamins & electrolytes. Now some of you might mention chocolate milk as a good recovery drink. Although it does have a close ratio of carbs to protein (because of the sugar to make it chocolate sweet) it lacks the essential amino acids and some minerals. Plus, why would you want to drink milk anyway? The are much better sources of calcium out there now. Also, do you know we are the only mammal that drinks milk in adulthood, and it's the milk of another mammal! Yuk! Not to mention all the hormones and antibiotics that are in most of the milk now. Why even bother? If you feel the need to make this a DIY project then use juice and protein powder. Although not fulfilling all requirements it would be a better choice than chocolate milk.
Finally there is the meal replacement drink. What's that all about? Just eat 5 very healthy and nutritious meals a day and you are all set right? Well for some of us this has become more and more difficult. Our lives are set at warp and the days sometime blend together making it a challenge to fill this order. So, if you know that every meal should be nutritious then your "meal replacement" needs to be too. More often than not, some of your other meals are lacking the nutrients you need which makes choosing a meal replacement drink even that much more important. So what is a good meal replacement drink? One that has as much nutrition as possible covering various parts of a healthy diet. It would not hurt for it to be low in calories also. When it is lower in calories it generally means not a lot (if any) junk is in it. Protein & essential amino acids, vitamins & minerals, antioxidants and digestive enzymes are all great areas of concern when it comes to your diet. Get as much of all of this as you can in a meal replacement drink and you will be well on your way to getting all the nutrients you need for a healthy body.
So . . . are your eyes all blurry and glazed over yet? Seems like a lot to worry about all the time. Well, isn't your well being worth it? The most important thing is to know what you are drinking and why. Let's do a quick breakdown:
Choose your protein drink based on the quality of the protein. Not because it tastes like a Starbucks Mocha or that you can get it cheap at Costco.
Don't drink a recovery drink just because you did some form of exercise. Make sure you really need it (remember the carbs) and the ratios are correct. Essential amino acids and electrolytes are the key.
As for a meal relacement drink. Wow . . . if you know you need one then make it a good one. Think quality quality quality. Warehouses and Walmart will not be your friends here. Take the time to learn the ingredients and choose the one that fulfills all your nutritional needs.
Want to know what I use?
Protein: Currently I am using IsoPure Zero Carb. Obviously it has zero carbs and has 50 grams of protein per serving (2 scoops). It probably falls right in the middle between the low end products and the top shelf. If I was a body builder or at least very serious about bulking up I would upgrade, but this serves me fine for now.
Recovery drink: Well I do not use one every day (except when I did my 30-day Bikram Yoga Challenge), but when I do I use P90X Results & Recovery Formula. I like it because it is a quality product, meets all the requirements for a recovery drink, comes in a powder form so I can mix when I want to and tastes great.
More info
Meal replacement: Hands down there is nothing that compares to Shakeology. It is loaded with nutrition, low in calories which means that it can be used as a meal replacement (can add extra calories if you need to) or as a nutritional supplement.
Shakeology
Yes if you have not caught it already, I am an Independent Beachbody Coach. The recovery and meal replacement drinks I use are from Beachbody and part of a whole bunch of products I represent. At the same time, they are of high quality and are what they state they are. I encourage you to look into both products on your own and make your own decision. I am confident it will not be a waste of time. Plus, if you are interested I can show you how you can get a 25% discount on both of these products.
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