Just been and had my % body fat calculated at the gym, 19% which I'm told is "OK but at the high end of OK". Seems I'm eating way too much carbs, need to up the protein after rides, suggested shakes. You guys using them, can recommend one that doesnt taste awful?

For Goodness Shakes or Mars shakes are very nice.

Waitrose chocolate milkshake or Friji.

Seems I'm eating way too much carbs, need to up the protein after rides

I think that is moot! If you're too fat just eat less stuff
gram for gram carbs and protein have the same calorific value

Do you have decathalon over there? they do a really cheap one which doesn't make you fart too badly. Just had one right now after swinging my machette for 6hrs and riding for 3!

Holland and Barrett have a half price offer on whey protein at the moment, so you get a fair size tub (I think about 1kg) for £12.50.

I buy the unflavoured stuff, which has a marginally better protein content than the flavoured as well as not tasting crap, and chuck it in the blender with milk and fruit.
If you're on a low carb/fat kick then light soy milk is good for that and frozen berries are only a couple of quid from the supermarket and make it taste pretty damn good.

Thank you Simon I'm going to let you argue that point with anyone that wants to. Otherwise I may have to listen to the training staff at the gym.

McBoo – do some research on it and look for real valid peer reviewed stuff.

There is an awful lot of debate ( and a huge amount of guff) about this and other "sports nutrition" things. My own belief is they are a total waste of time unless you are an elite athlete in which case they might make a marginal difference.

I buy the unflavoured stuff, which has a marginally better protein content than the flavoured as well as not tasting crap, and chuck it in the blender with milk and fruit.

I understand that mixing whey protein with milk slows the uptake of the whey protein, as the casein (protein in milk) is more slowly absorbed.

So, whey protein (40g powder in 500ml water) within 20 mins of finishing ride and milk before bed for slower release of protein.

I get my whey in bulk from myprotein.co.uk

Friji.

Only 400 Kcal per bottle.

I understand that mixing whey protein with milk slows the uptake of the whey protein, as the casein (protein in milk) is more slowly absorbed.

That's interesting, I hadn't heard that before. Would that hold true for soya milk as well do you know?

I've been meaning to order from myprotein as well, the overall costs are certainly cheaper. But the initial outlay is harder to find, even when it akes so much long term sense.
Also I have a more mundane concern about the size of the tubs. Don't they come in 4kg+ or something? A 1kg tub takes up a fair bit of room in my cupboard.

the stuff about milk is true i think, the maximuscle stuff I use to get said that on the side of the tub, it was quite expensive but mixed well (no lumpy gritty bits) and tasted good, for recovery after a ride though you need some sugar in your system as well as just the protein… so i hear anyway.

That's interesting, I hadn't heard that before. Would that hold true for soya milk as well do you know?

Don't know, sorry. Oh, and I'm basing the casein thing on hearsay (namely Cycling Plus, people I ride with and the internet).

Also I have a more mundane concern about the size of the tubs. Don't they come in 4kg+ or something?

Last purchase was a 2.5kg bag of whey protein. You can buy storage tubs, but I find the bag (literally) more flexible. The top is resealable (though I fold it over and clinch it with a clothes peg.

Oh, and myprotein does a little shaker think (a bottle, lid and mesh insert that breaks up the lumps). Means you can take the powder then mix up a drink away from home.

I know people who make protein drinks to take with them on rides. But they're more weird than me.

I'm coming in from a ride, body is craving carbs so I'm munching down meat yes but also lots of potatoes, bread, cereals, going way over the top on the carbs. Worst is after big weekends away on the bike I come home 2kg lighter but spend the next week eating like a lunatic and putting it straight back on. I've always had bad eating habits (Scottish) so need t make some permanent changes if I'm going to get down to a good weight for a cyclist……91kg now, target of 84 which seems plenty. La Marmotte next year, I want to be skinny.

Sitting here eating my way through a For Goodness Shake berry flavour from Sainsburys. Have to say its a bit of an effort. Not sure I could do 2 of these after a 2hr ride.

Friji only 40kcal more than For Goodness shakes choc malt but with out the chemical taste.

I've heard that you have to drink them fairly soon after mixing because the protien denatures over time. Sounds right so I always do!

I've heard that about the milk but I use milk because I rather it that way. Don't find it an issue. (I base that on the fact that I find protien helps me if I take it after a hard ride and I don't find that milk minimises this effect)

You could try 'weight gain 4000'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZIBPJuXke4

oh, er…just watch you don't overdo it though…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNjMEqefJHs&feature=related

Otherwise I may have to listen to the training staff at the gym.

who are of course highly knowledgeable nutritionists and not musclebound numbskulls at all oh no 🙂

It's simple physics that fat = calories in – calories out. Beyond a small amount of glycogen, that's how your body stores excess intake. I think it may be that the pathway for converting protein calories to fat is compromised (hence Atkins diet) – but that's a form of self poisoning. If you're taking carbs and protein any excess protein beyond that needed for reconstruction is metabolised diverting the carb portion to fat creation.

Unless you're training REALLY hard and want to gain weight, just drink a pint of milk. Or milkshake if you must.

you could tell people your not fat, your just storing energy for future use.

OK Simon, thanks I will do some research. Not a musclebound numbskull though, more a very pretty hardbodied Aussie triathlete.

I'm not fat OK! Will you fcukers stop calling me fat! I'm 6'3! 91kg is OK! (top end of ok)

Alright calmy down porky 😉

Will you fcukers stop calling me fat! I'm 6'3! 91kg is OK! (top end of ok)

m-u-s-t r-e-s-i-s-t g-r-a-v-t-a-t-i-o-n-a-l p-u-l-l… (exits thru window mcboowards)

after big weekends away on the bike I come home 2kg lighter

Most of that is just water loss.

Fat holds 9 calories per gram: it's not easy to generate an 18,000 calorie energy deficit over a weekend…

…..thank you men, as ever some good STW advice in amongst the abuse.

1 x protein shake nailed, no longer hungry.

Now off to the pub (this isnt going to be easy)

Now off to the pub

^^^^^^^^ We may have found your problem 😀

Stuff i've read about protein

Protein has the highest "thermic effect" of any food. That means that protein foods speed up your metabolism because your body has to work harder to digest, process and utilize this nutrient compared
to fat or carbohydrate. The "thermic" effect of protein is one of the reasons that a higher protein diet is more effective for fat loss than a high fat diet or a high carbohydrate diet.
Too much of any food type can be stored as body fat, but protein is less likely to be converted to fat than any other nutrient.

also good advice here: http://stronglifts.com/fat-loss-101-how-to-lose-fat-fast-with-free-fat-loss-diets/

OK Simon, thanks I will do some research. Not a musclebound numbskull though, more a very pretty hardbodied Aussie triathlete

Who's probably on commission to sell protein shake powder at the gym – the gym where I used to go for sports massage was forever pushing protein and nutrition stuff – big ads up all over the place, "special" offer blah blah.
Unless you are a) really are doing some serious training or b) you have a shockingly poor diet or c) have some medical condition you don't generally need stuff like that.
If a) then you'll likely know exactly what you're doing and/or have coaches/nutritionists to advise you, if b) sort the problem out at source and eat properly, if c) you probably won't be training anyway!

Fat holds 9 calories per gram

pure fat yes, but fat cells are only 85% fat, so you need to derate to about 8 kCal/g

I've wondered about all that stuff about speeding up your metabolism, does it really make any difference, or is it like 0.001% increase.

Protein has the highest "thermic effect" of any food

cods. I think protein digestion is endothermic, and if you burn protein in air you get 6 kCal/g but the body uses 2 of those calories to digest each gram

edit: it's about 30 years since I read about that so the figures may be wrong

Trickty disco – I'd be very dubious about that link. This appears to be his qualification.

Mehdi has read hundreds of books about strength training, weight lifting and nutrition and spent hours on forums learning from the best. People where he lives know he has been training for years. He gets questions about it all the time and has helped family & friends build muscle, lose fat and lift weights.

about the same quality as advice on here

Hmmm

http://www.caloriesperhour.com/tutorial_thermic.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermic_effect_of_food

http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/full/23/5/373

Convincing evidence exists that protein exerts an increased thermic effect when compared to fat and carbohydrate. Evidence is also convincing that higher protein diets increase satiety when compared to lower protein diets.

It's always the way.. everyone on here thinks they're an expert. I'm going by what i've read and tried and certainly increasing my protein intake and eating at regular intervals has reduced fat.

Cynical boys…..she told me to try protein shakes then whispered, "I'd avoid the ones we sell here, taste crap"

…which is where we came in, me looking for alternatives.

Interesting also seems to depend what you cut and paste from the internet.

In conclusion, evidence suggests that higher protein diets may have beneficial effects on weight loss in the short term, although most of the studies have been small and inconclusive.

Me I'm lucky I'm not a porker and unlikely to ever be but it's simple really, use more calories than you take in.

Interesting also seems to depend what you cut and paste from the internet.

Aye.. isn't that what everyone does 😀

Yup.