Protein Powder & Meal Replacement Supplements
Protein Powder is the most important bodybuilding supplement for athletes, sports men and women and bodybuilders. This is because they allow you to reach your daily protein requirements, without having to eat high protein foods, such as chicken, beef or tuna six or more times per day, therefore saving money and time buying and preparing food, as well as reducing your fat intake, which accompanies most high protein foods.
With protein powders, all you get is protein, with nearly zero carbs or fats – meaning that you can consume a lot of protein every day, without consuming excessive calories. As protein powders work out much cheaper than any other food source per gram of protein, there is no reason not to incorporate them into your daily routine. You can then consume normal meals, which likely contain 10-15g of protein and supplement them with a protein shake, taking the protein content of the meal up to around 40g. Protein powders therefore allow you to regulate your protein intake throughout the day, so that you can strive towards consuming 40g of protein every 2-3 hours.
The more regulated and consistent your protein intake, the better your ability to gain muscular size, when following a high intensity anaerobic training programme.
Tip 1: Always avoid consuming protein powders on their own, as part of the protein will be oxidised and used as energy. Have your protein shake with two slices of wholemeal toast as a quick meal, or some other slow releasing carbs.
Tip 2: If you can only manage to eat three meals per day, supplementing each meal with protein powders, then you should also consider meal replacement powders, that can be used in between meals. They contain around 40g of protein, slow releasing carbs, good fats and a wide array of vitamins and minerals. CNP Pro-MR is my favourite.
| Meal Time | Typical Meal and Supplementation | Further Information | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal 1 | 7am | Porridge + Protein Powder | To make breakfast quicker, you could try blending 3/4 cup of fine milled porridge oats in 450ml of water, along with 1 serving of protein powder. This reduces sugar intake, from milk |
| Meal 2 | 10am | Meal Replacement Shake | Mix in water, not milk |
| Meal 3 | 1pm | Low fat, low GI sandwich, i.e. no mayo, wholemeal bread + Protein Powder | Tuna is okay, but avoid mayo and due to high mercury levels, limit tuna consumption to 2-3 tins per week |
| Meal 4 | 4pm | Meal Replacement Shake | Mix in water, not milk |
| Meal 5 | 7pm | Evening Meal + Protein Powder | If your meal is high protein anyway, don’t supplement with a protein shake, as it won’t be needed |
| Meal 6 | 10pm | Meal Replacement Shake | To gain extra mass, also consume two slices of wholemeal toast with peanut butter |
Following the above diet and supplementation with protein powders and meal replacements powders, drinking 8-10 glasses of water per day and training high intensity 3-4 times per week, will result in large muscular gains that will be noticeable within a couple of weeks.
Brian
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Tags: meal replacement, protein powder