Would you like a little protein with your sugar, sir?

[Threadbearer]

In an effort to beef up, I've been drinking protein shakes before, during, and immediately after my workouts. I've heard that for proper absorption it's important to mix shakes in a 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein.

To achieve this, I've been mixing Whey Delicious protein powder with appropriate amounts of orange juice and/or cranberry juice. However, I think the sugar from all that juice is rotting my teeth, and I'm concerned that the acids might be hard on my stomach lining.

Keeping in mind that I have celiac disease and can't ingest anything that contains wheat, rye, or barley, does anyone know of something that I could mix with Whey Delicious powder instead of juice that would provide lots of carbs without all the sugar and acid?

 

[garmentmerchant]

when i worked out i used myoplex instead of delicous whey I thought it was great stuff

 

[thekunk07]

myolpex is great for meal replacement if you're not as carb conscious as some. metabolic drive is best for those avoiding carbs IMO.

 

[ken]

Originally Posted by Threadbearer

However, I think the sugar from all that juice is rotting my teeth,

That's common, from what I've read, among people who drink lots of fruit juice.

You could use maltodextrin instead of sugar; I don't think it affects teeth the same way. I've also read that whole fruit is better for your teeth, so you might consider just eating an orange along w/the shake (though the fiber may slow absorption, that shouldn't be your biggest concern).

You could also take spoonfuls of glucose. I've seen it sold in Indian supermarkets.

 

[Thomas]

I mix Met-Rx with Ultra Fuel (powder) for my post-run shake. It works well enough, and the complex carbs don't make me crash later.

 

[thekunk07]

i usually add maxoldextrin to my shakes after heavy lifting and also add a few spoonfuls to my creatine.

Originally Posted by ken

That's common, from what I've read, among people who drink lots of fruit juice.

You could use maltodextrin instead of sugar; I don't think it affects teeth the same way. I've also read that whole fruit is better for your teeth, so you might consider just eating an orange along w/the shake (though the fiber may slow absorption, that shouldn't be your biggest concern).

You could also take spoonfuls of glucose. I've seen it sold in Indian supermarkets.

 

[rjmaiorano]

The 2:1 ratio, AFAIK, has little to do with absorbtion and more to do with muscle/glycogen recovery. It will not necessarily help you bulk up. I personally would do more of a 1:1 or 3:2 ratio.

Recommend Endurox recovery for this, or mix your whey protein with gatorade powder.

 

[Jared]

Here's what I've gathered from reading online articles and forums:

Muscles need glucose. Other sugars can be converted into glucose, but it takes enzymes time. Monosaccharides are absorbed quickly, polysaccharides need to be broken down.

glucose > fructose > galactose
monosaccharide > disaccharide > polysaccharide

sucrose = glucose + fructose disaccharide
lactose = glucose + galactose disaccharide
dextrose = glucose monosaccharide
maltodextrin = glucose polysaccharide

Therefore, consume as much dextrose as you can stand and maltodextrin for the rest. Don't drink fruit juice, don't drink gatorade.

 

[theincumbent]

It may be that your stomach is not agreeing with the Whey protein. This was the
case with myself.

As a matter of fact, the only protein supplement I can use is Hemp Protein powder.

My recommendation:

3 oz Hemp Protein Powder (32g Protein)
1 Cup water
5-6 frozen strawberries (or banana, blueberries, etc)
Blend

This way you are reducing processed products and thus sugars, preservatives, etc.

 

[KMurphy]

Rice cakes are another quality option as long as they are injested with the protein after working out. You need the high GI food to spike insulin levels. Insulin is the most anabolic substance you could hope for. Why do you think bodybuilders inject it PWO?

 

[Threadbearer]

Originally Posted by garmentmerchant

when i worked out i used myoplex instead of delicous whey I thought it was great stuff
Myoplex was a favorite of mine, too, until I got diagnosed with celiac disease. EAS (the company that makes it) is very cagey about releasing info on its ingredients. For a long time, they wouldn't say whether or not it contained gluten. Now they claim that it's free of wheat gluten and rice gluten, but they don't respond to questions about rye and barley gluten. Until they do, I can't go back to it.

Originally Posted by Thomas

I mix Met-Rx with Ultra Fuel (powder) for my post-run shake. It works well enough, and the complex carbs don't make me crash later.
I'll look into these products. Thanks.

Originally Posted by rjmaiorano

The 2:1 ratio, AFAIK, has little to do with absorbtion and more to do with muscle/glycogen recovery.
You're right. I misspoke.

Originally Posted by rjmaiorano

I personally would do more of a 1:1 or 3:2 ratio.
Right again. Since there's considerable disagreement about the proper carb-to-protein ratio, I could cut down on some of the sugar just be cutting back on the amount of juice I'm using.

Originally Posted by rjmaiorano

or mix your whey protein with gatorade powder.
That's a good idea. I'll start reading Gatorade nutrition labels this weekend.

Originally Posted by theincumbent

It may be that your stomach is not agreeing with the Whey protein.
I'm not actually having any stomach problems with the Whey Delicious shakes I've been drinking. I'm just leery about the juice because I've heard that it can damage stomach lining in large quantities. Tooth decay, on the other hand, has indeed become a real problem lately. I suppose it could just be my age, but it could also be the enormous quantities of juice I added to my diet about a year ago.

Originally Posted by theincumbent

As a matter of fact, the only protein supplement I can use is Hemp Protein powder.
Never heard of it. Thanks. I'll check it out.

 

[Chips]

The only reason "the experts" recommend any carbs with protein intake is because insulin is an anabolic hormone. Just as it shuttles glucose thru the cell walls into the cells mitochondria for energy production, it also allows more amino acids into the cells (in this case, muscle cells) for repair.

If I were you, and had the few extra minutes, I would consume somewhere from 30-40 grams of carbs just prior to drinking the protein shake. Your blood sugar levels will bump, your pancreas will respond by releasing more insulin. Most protein shakes contain whey, that breaks down in the gut into seperate amino acids rather quickly. You will then have an abundance of free floating amino acids circulating while your blood sugar is elevated enough to allow the higher spike in insulin. Result: Anabolism.

Just avoid fructose or any derivative, including fruit juice. You can buy a 5 lb bag of dextrose at a heath food store for about $5-10 and it will last you several months if not more. Use it with Crystal Lite or whatever floats your boat, as long as it doesn't have any sugar of its own, and your all set.

 

[Threadbearer]

Originally Posted by Chips

You can buy a 5 lb bag of dextrose at a heath food store for about $5-10 and it will last you several months if not more.
A bag of dextrose, eh? That sounds kind of weird and unexpected -- like saying "a can of riboflavin" or "a bucket of cholesterol."

So does one gram of dextrose contain one gram of carbs? In fact, is it safe to say that sugar (in its many forms) is just another word for carbohydrate?

 

[Chips]

Yes, dextrose is a carbohydrate, like many others, so one gram of it would be one gram of carb. All sugars are carbohydrates.

It is a common food additive, often used in processed meats and industrial sausage making. It looks exactly like plain table sugar. It is most often sold by the pound in health food stores.

I picked up a 5 lb bag of dextrose at my local health food store about 4 years ago. I transfered it into a plastic protein powder container for better keeping. I still have it, it's not like it has a shelf life.

Sucrose= table sugar. It is made up of two seperate sugar molecules, one of which has to be broken down again before it can be converted to glucose.

Dextrose is made up of only one molecule, dextrose itself. It creates the fastest rise in blood sugar out of all sugars. It is used in IV fluids for patients for this reason, among many others.

Simply put, you would be far better off using dextrose in conjunction with protein powder AFTER a workout, more so than if you used fruit juice or sport drinks etc.

 

[MonkeyFresh]

reading everything in this thread has me very interested haha i didnt know so much thought was put into protein shakes but i shouldve known, body building is serious stuff
my friend likes to mix dextrose, maltodextrin and whey protein for his shake, he told me why and i just kinda shrugged off his explanation at the time but im glad i know know why he does this haha
ill ask him for the ratios though, great thread im glad i browsed it