Will whey protein……

……..help achey muscles after running? Need to step up training and aches making me not want to run

probably not, will probably just make your piss expensive.

The science isn’t at all clear. I’ve been taking it recently training for a 10k assault course. I won’t bother next time as I didn’t notice any improvement. Also if you load up the protein you need to replace calcium. Once you start creating an inbalance in your diet, you’re on a merry-go-round of supplements.

Eat steak and you get your protein and creatine and iron and zinc… Pilchards rock too, more protein that beef. Fish in general is high protein and creatine.

I’ll be doing it by diet alone next event.

Protein supliments are great if you don’t get enough protein. Its easier, nicer and better for you to eat more protein from natural sources.

That said, when I was boxing I’d have protein shakes, but then I’m vegetarian and there’s only so many beans you can eat in a day!

This stuff has really worked for as an way of stopping muscle aches after big rides;

Placebo effect or really working? Not sure.

However, after a big epic in the Brecons a couple of years ago, self and three friends had a helping of this before hitting the other bottles at the Star in Talybont-on-Usk.

Next day, where usually there would have been at least a few aches and pains, nothing. Not even a hangover, which may be a side effect!

Have a look at massage sticks?

Tiger tail and “the stick”?

I don’t eat whey, but find that a soya protein shake after hard weight workout will stop me shaking.

Some strange replies in this thread 😕

Protein helps muscle repair, that is a scientific fact. Whey protein will help your muscles recover.

Stretching will be more effective and free…

It will, but no more than a nice juicy steak, I know which one I’d choose.

Protein helping muscle repair is a scientific fact yes. The bit that isn’t proven is drinking shakes after exercise that are high in protein offer any improvement on your existing diet. To quote oxford uni and the british medical journal..

“The evidence does not stack up and the quality of the evidence does not allow us to say these do improve in performance or recovery and should be used as a product widely.”

They want on to describe it as an expensive way to drink milk.

If it works for you then cool. It didn’t for me and the science is not yet proven.

The bit that isn’t proven is drinking shakes after exercise that are high in protein offer any improvement on your existing diet. To quote oxford uni and the british medical journal.

They are basically arguing whether or not it is better than food which to me is a pointless argument. Obviously most people would rather get protein from food but it’s not really practical to crack open a tin of tuna in the changing rooms at the gym or at the end of a ride, hence whey protein is an ideal substitute. There’s also the cost as well, try getting 300g of protein a day from food and see how much your shopping bill is!

Protein shakes are just a cheap and convenient way of boosting your protein intake.

which to me is a pointless argument.

So, you are more knowledgeable than OU and the BMJ? Well, I bow to your knowledge.

As gwj72 says, if it works for you, cool. That Protrient stuff worked for my friends and I. I do not hold that up as scientific proof that these drinks/shakes/etc are better than a solid existing diet.

They are basically arguing whether or not it is better than food which to me is a pointless argument. Obviously most people would rather get protein from food but it’s not really practical to crack open a tin of tuna in the changing rooms at the gym or at the end of a ride, hence whey protein is an ideal substitute. There’s also the cost as well, try getting 300g of protein a day from food and see how much your shopping bill is!

Protein shakes are just a cheap and convenient way of boosting your protein intake.

You’re right, but no one needs 300g per day, 1g per lb of lean body mass max.

£30 pound of myprotein isolate whey lasts me about a month and a half. £30 of steak wouldn’t last me very long. Still make sure I get lots of natural sources too, couple of eggs a day etc but after a hard ride the shake works for me. I struggle by the end of the week if i don’t have the shakes post ride.

+1 for good stretching. Not a couple of half arsed efforts when you get in, I mean a proper range of stretches done well. Sports massage (or DIY on worst affected muscles) can help too.

I think supplements have their place, but I think I’d be wary of going for something that requires no effort (drinking a shake) over doing some proper stretching (effort + time). The stretching is free and might help.

There is also the calcium risk. Some athletes that have hammered the protein have ended up with osteoporosis. Very high protein diets limit the absorption of calcium.

If it’s just that and you can take supplements to balance it then fine. But as the studies done have been described as poor by the BMJ then that makes me wonder what other effects it may have.

Not denying it’s widely used, sworn by from strength athletes and I know people who believe it helped them. But there are huge clouds of doubt for me. Maybe my body isn’t as receptive as anothers? We’re all different after all. It’s just not been worked out basically so I’m going to pass for now.

As gwj72 says, if it works for you, cool. That Protrient stuff worked for my friends and I. I do not hold that up as scientific proof that these drinks/shakes/etc are better than a solid existing diet.

Read my post bro, I said that I completely agreed with their research and would rather get protein from food but sometimes it is just not practical.

Whey protein shakes are a legitimate, convenient source of protein. Are they better than getting that protein from food? No.

+1 for good stretching. Not a couple of half arsed efforts when you get in, I mean a proper range of stretches done well. Sports massage (or DIY on worst affected muscles) can help too.

I think supplements have their place, but I think I’d be wary of going for something that requires no effort (drinking a shake) over doing some proper stretching (effort + time). The stretching is free and might help.

Its not about stretching, its about replacing muscle glycogen and giving them the fuel they need to repair.

So if you just run lots, drink spunk juice you’ll be ache free?

If you’re struggling to get your spunk from a balanced diet then yes, a spunk shake will help.

In answer to the OP, I doubt it will make much difference. The muscles will probably still ache with the protein shakes.
No pain, no gain etc. YMMV

Lots of ‘maybe’ and ‘probably’ and ‘personally’ here. Also, just because there is no conclusive evidence does not mean it does or does not work – it means there is no conclusive evidence.

OP – try it. It isn’t expensive or life-threatening to have a go. It might work for you.

Have a pint of milk

Whey protein shakes are a legitimate, convenient source of protein. Are they better than getting that protein from food? No.

I agree with this. I tend to use SIS recovery which is a carb protein mix and is really convenient. Only tend to use it if I’ve been going for > 1hr. It does make a difference to a) how i feel the next day and b) the added bonus of calming my immediate hunger and stops me eating everything in sight!

So, i could eat something appropriate and it would do the same job, but I’d have to prepare it and then actually eat it. Sometimes drinking a nice tasting shake is easier than eating proper food after a hard session.

I was recommended cherry active by a nutriionalist, evidence seems to show this can help with doms, delayed muscle soreness. But generally doms is micro tears in muscles due to exercise and is the mechanic that allows growth and increases in stregth. Good stretching and hydrating will help, protein shakes will help to speed up recovery but unlikely to reduce doms. It’s just a part of training shows your working ard and stressing the muscles, just make shore you get enough rest and prevent over training

http://www.fabresearch.org/2098

Links to the studies so you can make your own mind up.

They looked into sports drinks and training shoes too. They found a lot of unsubstantiated marketing guff with very little science backing up the claims. I’ll not spend more than £30 on a pair of trainers again anyway!

Consuming the right fats, carbs and protein after exercise will help you recover faster and better.

Whether you do this with “real” food or supplement style nutrition is your choice. Whole food is preferable, but the right supplements are very good.

Whey protein is simply a powder made from milk with a high standard percentage of protein in. It’s often however mixed into supplement mixes with all sorts of other guff in. It can also be cheaper, quicker and more convenient which is why I use it.

Couple of scoops of myprotein unflavoured impact whey, milk/almond milk, banana, berries. In a blender, less than 2 mins start to finish, tasty and nutritious.

It’s useful for me as I consume over 200g of protein a day.

A sports massage might be more effective.

For goodness shakes are the best thing I’ve used .

josh1982 – Member
……..help achey muscles after running? Need to step up training and aches making me not want to run

achs will not be helped by anything other than more running. Ach is caused by impact it will go once your body adjust to it. Each time you increase the distance it will ache again untill your body gets used to it. High protein diets are normally used by body builders or people training for a sport which requires large mouscles. Sprinters would use it. The front row of scrum would need to have it delivered by the lorry load etc

A couple of people have suggested sports massage, including Macavity who is normally a good source of weblinks, but is there any evidence that sports massage has any noticeable effect on, well, anything?

crikey – Member
A couple of people have suggested sports massage, including Macavity who is normally a good source of weblinks, but is there any evidence that sports massage has any noticeable effect on, well, anything?

YES if the masseuse is a beautiful woman it has tendency to make you feel good and forget the pain although it can cause some parts of your body to enlarge!

gwj72 – Member
There is also the calcium risk. Some athletes that have hammered the protein have ended up with osteoporosis. Very high protein diets limit the absorption of calcium.

Surely adding calcium to your diet would sort that out? Taking it before the protein drink.

Glass of milk and a banana.

And MTFU

Surely adding calcium to your diet would sort that out? Taking it before the protein drink.

I’m not sure. Certainly worth doing some research, iirc taking calcium may not make a difference as it won’t be absorbed correctly, or not at the rate of loss. Or something like that. I’m probably talking guff, but it might be worth checking.