Should I add more protein?

[Rowan11088]

Specifically, in the morning and before noon. I'm doing my best to keep up with the pace of 20 rep squats, and as they get harder I'm feeling more and more like I need to step up my diet as well. I think my meals after lunchtime are OK in this regard, but here's typical breakfast/AM snack:

Wake up:
3/4 cup oatmeal, with a bit of skim milk and brown sugar (not too worried about weight)
Whey shake (20g protein)
OR
3 eggs, either scrambled with hot sauce plus an apple, or in an omelette with spinach and cheese

AM snack:
Walnuts and Almonds, a few handfuls

I'm thinking I really need to change up my whey source, b/c this GNC brand has only 20g of protein, and I know I'm overpaying for mediocre product. My unwillingness to buy online is to blame, but I'll take a look at TP and other places people here recommend. Other than that, is this an inadequate amount of protein for the AM?

I'm around 205 lbs, endo/meso (more endo) but not overweight. I'm not experiencing excessive soreness or anything that I would associate with low protein.

 

[Monger]

Sandwich your workout between high protein meals. Outside of that, EOD protein will have much more meaning than early morning, before noon, or whatever.

When do you train and what is your protein intake like around training?

 

[DevilEyes]

I can't say for sure without seeing the rest of your daily diet and schedule but, assuming the rest of your diet is pretty dialed in, I don't see a whole lot wrong with this.

From what I understand, GNC brand whey is from the same manufacturer as ON (at least I think that's what I remember hearing KK say).

 

[Rowan11088]

Sorry Monger, but what's EOD? I tried searching but all I could find is something to do with on-day, off-day calorie loading.

I train in the evenings, and generally have a high protein meal in me around 2 hours beforehand. Peri-WO drink has 20g of whey as well.

Devileyes, I was under the impression that the GNC stuff wasn't that great, but maybe I'm wrong? It's not like it's THAT expensive, so I'll eat the extra cost if it means I don't have to get my protein delivered to my office (my apartment complex sucks for packages). I'm more concerned with the amount, as most people seem to be getting upwards of 40g of whey per shake.

 

[NovemberFoxtrot]

You should never have a meal without protein. If your gonna gave oatmeal, have the eggs too.

 

[DevilEyes]

I'm more concerned with the amount, as most people seem to be getting upwards of 40g of whey per shake.

Well, are you mixing your shake with water or milk? My ON 100% Gold Standard Whey only has around 24g per scoop, so I usually just double the liquid and use 2 scoops in my PWO shake.

 

[Monger]

Sorry Monger, but what's EOD? I tried searching but all I could find is something to do with on-day, off-day calorie loading.

I train in the evenings, and generally have a high protein meal in me around 2 hours beforehand. Peri-WO drink has 20g of whey as well.

Devileyes, I was under the impression that the GNC stuff wasn't that great, but maybe I'm wrong? It's not like it's THAT expensive, so I'll eat the extra cost if it means I don't have to get my protein delivered to my office (my apartment complex sucks for packages). I'm more concerned with the amount, as most people seem to be getting upwards of 40g of whey per shake.

Sorry, EOD=End of Day. I shouldn't be so lazy while typing :icon_chee

What I'm saying is that meeting total daily requirements will trump nutrient timing. Nutrient timing is icing on the cake. So first look at what your total consumption is. If you're trying to gain muscle and you

 

[Rowan11088]

Ok guys, thanks, that gives me a better perspective. I guess I was buying into all that overnight catabolism stuff, which I suppose matters a lot more for ectos and people cutting weight. I'll probably start using a scoop and a half of whey for my shakes. My recovery is fine atm, in fact it's great now that my diet is better and my work capacity has returned to a decent level, I just want to make sure I'm getting as much out of each squat session as possible, because I really don't want to have to bail out on rep number 19 one of these days.

 

[David Barr]

20g of whey at a time is fine for most people.

(although this almost seems off topic at this point)

 

[romistrub]

Yes you should get some protein in the morning but beyond that it's going to be splitting hairs for the most part.

Vedic? lol :icon_chee

 

[Matt Thornton]

For the record, not to be a GNC whore, but the quality of their protein has improved. Their 100% Whey is now the same formula and made by the same people as ON's 100% Gold Standard. And they make a pretty good whey isolate now too.

That being said, I think protein is one of those things that you need to find the "magic number" that works best for you. If you're an MMA or endurance type athlete, there can be such thing as "too much."

I'd really recommend buying David Barr's book; he is ridiculously up to date with his sports nutrition info. I'm about to pick it up myself.

 

[DevilEyes]

20g of whey at a time is fine for most people.

(although this almost seems off topic at this point)

I got one for you, Dave. I've been taking in around 32g of protein (currently in the form of Syntha-6 and skim milk) in my pre-bed shake. I'm pretty sure that's plenty to feed the machine while I sleep, but it never hurts to have a second opinion.

What's your opinion, am I getting enough protein overnight or should I add a little more?

 

[David Barr]

I'd really recommend buying David Barr's book; he is ridiculously up to date with his sports nutrition info. I'm about to pick it up myself.

Thanks Matt!
Please be sure to let us know what you think!

 

[David Barr]

I got one for you, Dave. I've been taking in around 32g of protein (currently in the form of Syntha-6 and skim milk) in my pre-bed shake. I'm pretty sure that's plenty to feed the machine while I sleep, but it never hurts to have a second opinion.

What's your opinion, am I getting enough protein overnight or should I add a little more?

Good one DE.
I try to maintain some modicum of protein density during sleep. This works out to ~80g, which is less than 10g an hour (if the dogs don't wake me up).

A little more casein wouldn't hurt, but I wouldn't increase milk intake before bed.
Let us know how it goes!

 

[DevilEyes]

Good one DE.
I try to maintain some modicum of protein density during sleep. This works out to ~80g, which is less than 10g an hour (if the dogs don't wake me up).

A little more casein wouldn't hurt, but I wouldn't increase milk intake before bed.
Let us know how it goes!

Good to know I'm not the only one that gets woken up throughout the night by their dogs :icon_lol:.

That's some good info, Dave, thanks. I'll go ahead then and up my pre-bed Casein intake. You said you wouldn't increase the milk intake and I know I've heard that before as well (although, to be honest, I can't remember why). Would adding 1 cup of cottage cheese have the same effect as upping my milk intake pre-bed?

 

[IDRISCKY]

I believe no milk is due to the insulin spike. I remember MM pointing out that he only drinks milk PWO because of how much it spikes insulin. Though I could be wrong if this isn't the same reason here.

 

[David Barr]

Good to know I'm not the only one that gets woken up throughout the night by their dogs :icon_lol:.

:icon_cry2 (sharing each others pain)

That's some good info, Dave, thanks. I'll go ahead then and up my pre-bed Casein intake. You said you wouldn't increase the milk intake and I know I've heard that before as well (although, to be honest, I can't remember why). Would adding 1 cup of cottage cheese have the same effect as upping my milk intake pre-bed?

Insulin is the issue with milk (good call IDRISCKY), but this shouldn't apply to cottage cheese if you'd prefer to take that route. (The sodium in CC kills me before bed.)

 

[MikeMartial]

Insulin is the issue with milk (good call IDRISCKY), but this shouldn't apply to cottage cheese if you'd prefer to take that route. (The sodium in CC kills me before bed.)

I've been using the low-sodium cottage cheese made by Lucerne.

 

[DevilEyes]

:icon_cry2 (sharing each others pain)


Insulin is the issue with milk (good call IDRISCKY), but this shouldn't apply to cottage cheese if you'd prefer to take that route. (The sodium in CC kills me before bed.)

Ok, then I'll start adding a cup of cottage cheese to my pre-bed routine as well as up the casein in the shake and see how that works for me. I should be able to take in 80g pretty easily with that combination. Thanks again, Dave, I really appreciate the advice.



*For some reason sodium has never really affected me much; sometimes I think maybe I have some sort of deficiency or condition, because I used to eat a LOT of salt and have never had any of the problems or issues that high sodium intake usually entails.