Protein Powder: All That is Required to Grow in the Gym?
September 30th, 2007 | by the health blogger |
This is just a quick note of advice, not an article.
I was speaking to a personal trainer friend the other day and he told me how one of his clients thought that taking protein powder alone (i.e. without a real training regime + diet) would significantly change his body (aesthetically) and it was some sort of a special potion that would yield him significant results in terms of gaining muscle mass.
I couldn’t help but laugh and also secretly empathise, I unfortunately fell for this farce too.
Several years ago when I first started training I heard about protein from my tae kwon do teacher and thought that this special drink would transform my physique into something like the ones you find in those magazines, you know the ones I’m talking about 
Don’t get me wrong, protein powders are very beneficial, have a very high biological value and can also have anabolic effects if used properly and frequently, in combination with a very good diet and training plan.
However, don’t be fooled into thinking that you can drink a protein shake and you shall immediately explode into Ronnie Coleman. Sorry to disappoint you, but this is highly and totally unlikely to occur.
There is no substitute for hard work in the gym – except maybe the use of banned substances, which I do not endorse.
Please don’t surmise that buying protein powder alone is the answer, healthy achievements involve determination, persistence, trial & improvement and hard work to succeed with good drug-free results!
- Internal tags:anabolic effects, gaining muscle mass, protein powder
- Technorati Tags:anabolic effects, gaining muscle mass, protein powder
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7 Responses to “Protein Powder: All That is Required to Grow in the Gym?”
By student on Feb 15, 2009 | Reply
What’s your perspective on ENSURE? My doctor recommended it as my BMI is around 18. I always pictured the elderly with it :/
..plus it doesn’t fit very well with my ‘whole foods’ mantra…
By the health blogger on Feb 15, 2009 | Reply
student,
What is “ENSURE”? Is it fair to assume that it’s a protein powder?
By student on Feb 15, 2009 | Reply
Sorry, should have clarified.
http://ensure.com/
This is what I found on it:
http://www.thedietchannel.com/scoopon.htm
and
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1762.pdf
By the health blogger on Feb 16, 2009 | Reply
Student,
This product is rubbish! And that’s me being somewhat nice! They have sugar, maltodextrin and other ingredients I would not advise to take!
The BMI is not very accurate at all! Unfortunately many doctors are trained from specific text books and are very limited in their knowledge of nutrition and natural health care. They have been taught how to prescribe, prescribe and prescribe…..get my point?
If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you? If you want to put on weight there are many healthier ways of doing so.
Weight training and a good nutrition plan are key ways to putting on healthy weight.
By the health blogger on Feb 16, 2009 | Reply
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1762.pdf
By student on Feb 16, 2009 | Reply
Yup, it figures. I guess what’s harder to come to terms with is the confidence with which physicians prescribe treatments. I knew right away when I saw the product it was useless.
As for stats Male/21/5′5.5/115 pounds. I’m not incredibly thin actually, but definitely could use some lean muscle
I wish proper nutrition was part of the health care community!
By the health blogger on Feb 16, 2009 | Reply
Student,
I wish “proper nutrition was part of the health care community” too!
Sometimes we (even I made this mistake) put our trust too much in doctors and forget that they are humans and can’t “cure it all”!
If you read my acne article(s), you’ll find out how I was prescribed antibiotics for acne when in reality, all I needed was some exercise and to improve my diet (in fact, change my diet totally!lol!)
I was asking your age so that I could make sure it was okay for you to start exercising without supervision, didn’t want to start telling some unhealthy 80 year old to have a heart attack
Start exercising matey, seriously don’t put it off, you’ll hate yourself for not starting sooner!