Whey or "no Whey"!

Supplementation when it comes to exercise is a complicated industry.

Protein powders, creatine, BCAAs, what should everyone be taking? (Definitely not the latter - BCAAs are an unnecessary drain on finances.)

Right now I want to focus on protein powders, these come in a variety of forms, whey (the most popular), hemp, pea.... Generally, people who take whey protein get plenty of the macro nutrient from many other products. So is supplementing protein necessary? The answer could be slightly different for vegans and vegetarians who have to get their protein from sources other than meat but for now let's focus on the carnivores.

As someone who does enjoy a protein shake, this is a tough one for me as I know the answer really is no.

Generally, the average person should aim to eat 46g (women) and 56g (men) of protein per day. Unless they are active individuals, then the recommendation is around 1g protein per kg body weight. This changes slightly the more active you are. For example, those who partake in long distance, high intensity cardio exercises could benefit from upping the intake to 1.3-1.6g per kg body weight and body builders or those who take part in heavy weight training sessions should up it again to 1.6-2g per kg body weight. Again this is all speculative and is very dependent on how truly hard you train.

If you go to the gym and don't really break much of a sweat, don't think you need lots of protein just because you have been exercising. It is also worth mentioning here - that most people think that carbohydrates are the enemy, when in fact, they are our main source of energy and it is carbohydrates which should be taken for recovery as they break down faster and replenish the depleted ATP stores in muscles.

On average, most people are getting enough protein, more than enough in fact, of all the macronutrients, protein is usually the only one that isn't insufficient.

To give you a rough idea, 100g of chicken has approximately 27g of protein, so that isn't even a full chicken breast and that is pretty much half of the recommended daily intake for someone of my size (59kg) who exercises regularly.

One egg has 13g of protein which is about one quarter for me. So if you consider what you eat on a day to day basis - chances are, you're okay on the protein front.

Protein options for vegans and vegetarian are plentiful eg: beans (26g/100g) Chickpeas (19g/100g) nuts (6g/28g), however, these are not necessarily foods that are eaten at each meal - in which case, vegetarian and vegan protein shakes could be an excellent substitute.

I don't want to completely disregard protein shakes. For some people, they are a lean and convenient snack both pre and post work out. If combined with milk then the carbohydrates are also included and the protein can slowly get to work repairing muscles while carbs do the immediate work.

Often, when we come home from the gym my partner and I share a shake to give us some energy while we wait for dinner to cook. Our particular brand has 21g protein per 25g scoop. He has probably two thirds and I have a third. Those 7 grams are unlikely to do me any harm, considering I have just finished at the gym. It is also worth noting, that if I know I have had a protein heavy day, then I don't even have a sip.

Protein should be eaten at every meal, as should fat and carbohydrates to support a healthy, balanced diet.

This week's simple smoothie

This is achievable if you manage the amount of protein. Eg, I might want a smoothie for breakfast, adding a scoop of protein powder helps make it more filling and substantial, and generally more tasty.

So what should we do about protein shakes? I don't think we need to chuck away our latest bag, but I also don't think we need to rely on them daily to help with "gains" (MYTH ALERT) or "repairing muscles". Protein shakes can be a convenient snack or food when necessary and if we have a lower protein intake one day. But generally, natural food based sources win every time, in every aspect not just protein, as you get a full round up of fibre, nutrients and other benefits.