Why must you drink a protein supplement after a workout.

The  old adage  “food first and then supplement second.” Well there is  a lot of truth to this, but supplementing with a protein shake immediately after a work out will foster better gains rather then consuming it from solid food. 

Let’s  take a look at working out first,  primarily resistance training. When you subject yourself to resistance training you’re breaking down lots of muscle tissue. The next step is for that  muscle tissue to rebuild back up, along with some new muscle tissue. And one of the best ways to help galvanize this process is by taking a protein supplement shake instead of a protein meal. 

A protein shake unlike a meal is absorbed at a faster rate. It also contain all the essential amino acids(essential meaning your body can't produce on its own) to rebuild new muscle tissue. 

 In this case since time is the essence  you have a window of (30-60 minutes) to get the protein in before your muscles begin to catabolize.  The protein shake will get to the muscle cells at a faster rate. The speed  to which you get protein digested, enter the bloodstream and then to the muscle is the single most important factor. 

After you consume your shake, those amino acids(leucine) will travel to the muscle cell nucleus. Once it enters the nucleus it turns on something called Mtor. Mtor is like a turn on switch to help begin to repair and  produce new muscle tissue. 

Regardless of gender or goal, the single most important factor when one is trying to lose body fat is to retain as much muscle as possible.  Taking  a protein supplement preferably a whey  isolate will help impede  muscle loss.  With the many different types of protein supplements out there which one is optimal. The simple answer is a whey  isolate protein compared to a blend. A blend has extra calories in it such as fat carbohydrates and also contains an excessive amount of lactose.  Since most of us are lactose intolerant it’s going to be very challenging for you to absorb and assimilate the nutrients.

 A lot of times we end up just fermenting them. Most brands on the market are a lot cheaper than an isolate but the truth of the matter is you’re not actually saving money your losing money because you’re not able to absorb and assimilate the nutrients.

A whey isolate on the other hand goes through a sophisticated filtering system and removes all the lactose, extra carbohydrates and fat from the protein.

Since the goal is all about absorption and calorie control,  you’re better off paying a little more and investing in a protein shake that contains no lactose, no carbohydrates  and no fat. Next time you're shopping try the Zeus protein by Zorbas Nutrition.