Protein alternatives?

stealth71

First off, I have lurked on this forum for several months, but this is my first official post, so I want to say hello to everyone and thank those of you who have unknowingly helped me with a few questions. I got into cycling last fall mainly to drop some weight. I was in terrible shape, 210 pounds, 5'11", size 41 jeans, etc. Now I'm a lean 160 and size 32 jeans. I didn't expect the weight to come off that fast. I'm not sure where I'm going with this new enthusiasm for cycling. As I said, I started riding to lost weight, but I'm having so much fun I'm almost considering riding competitively at some pont in the future.

I'm still learning, but I have a nutrition question. From what I have gathered, I need about 120-150 grams of protein a day. I eat a lot of protein-rich foods, but it's still coming up a little short. Protein shakes would be ideal for me. I have this protein shake mix called Ultramet. Tastes great. I used to make up a chocolate shake to take to work every day. The problem is, if I drink protein shakes, I feel like I'm passing a brick when I go to the bathroom. So, I quit the protein shakes for the time being until I can find an alternative brand or something. Too bad. They really were good.

Is it just me, or are there others out there who have a hard time with protein powders and shakes? Are there alternative brands or formulations that are easier on the digestive system. I'm curious what the rest of you use. On the other hand, I'm also open to the idea that I may be getting enough protein as it is. If it helps, I'm riding about 200-250 miles a week, or 1-3 hours a day. Just a rough guess looking at my graphs, but it looks like I'm getting 80-90 grams of protein a day right now.

Chris

matagi

What protein rich foods are you eating?

Red meat, of course, is right up there in protein content. However, you can get a lot of protein from other sources also.

Try the following link for some useful information about protein intake
http://www.ais.org.au/nutrition/doc...FactProtein.pdf

mikesbytes

Hi Chris,

Protein only lasts a short period of time, so you in addition to how many grams, you need to spread the intake over the day to maximise its effect. An ideal target would be 30gms 6 times a day, but is a little hard to acheive. The way to do this is to ensure that your 3 meals a day contain protein and then additionally have a snack containing protein mid morning, mid afternoon and just before you go to bed.

Hope this helps, Mike.

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stealth71

Thanks to both of you for the reply's. Matagi, I appreciate the protein download, lot's of information there.

Mike, spreading that protein intake out throughout the day sounds like a plan. But would 180 grams (30g x 6) be too much for me? I've heard too much can be a bad thing.

Chris

Beastt

I wouldn't personally look to red meat as the best source. Certainly it contains protein but it contains a number of other things you're probably better off without.

I'm curious as to what kind of personal work you've done to determine that you ride better if you consume more protein. I keep seeing this and it seems to agree with what I hear anecdotally from those who want to build bulk muscle, but not with the results of several studies on protein needs. I find it hard to believe that an infant can get by at a time when it's growing faster than it ever will again, on breast milk containing only 5% protein, but that when we try to build some muscle later in life, we need to boost that to 20%, 25%, 30% or more.

There seems to be a lot of information which suggests that over-consumption of protein leads to loss of skeletal strength because the body uses calcium to offset the changes in blood pH caused by heavy protein consumption. From health data, it seems to me that osteoporosis is a much bigger problem in developed countries than is protein deficiency. I'm not even familiar with an actual case of protein deficiency except for in those suffering from eating disorders. Is it possible that all of that protein isn't really necessary, isn't beneficial and might even be detrimental in the long run?

mikesbytes

180gms is fine, but you can decide. Just divide the amount of protein you want by 6, spreading it over 3 hour intervals is more important.

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ilmooz

I really like Optimum Nutrition Pro Complex protein powder. 55 grams of protein per serving, or cut the serving size to spread it out over two or more servings. I've never experienced any digestive problems with it, it tastes good, and it's easy to find.

mikesbytes

Unless you are really huge, 55gms is more than your body can process in one hit. Better to have a smaller portion and spread it over the day.

I'm interested in the stuff, have you got a link?

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ilmooz

Here's the company product page:

http://www.optimumnutrition.com/pro...plex-p-205.html

I see it's now been revised to 60 grams per serving. It shows the 4.4 lb. price at $77.99, but a Google search will reveal online sellers who have it available for about $40.

gravelmuncher

Eggs. I love 'm. In the morning I boil up 6. I fish 3 out of the boil after 3 min, and mash them onto some toast. I let the other 3 boil for 5 min, then fish them into some cold water, take them to work and keep them in the fridge. I peel the shell off them and gobble them up. I chop them into salads. I chop them with low fat mayo and spread them onto grainy bread. I never tire of them.

Eggs. They're tops.

myglyco

WWhat about fresh eggs?

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Beastt

The single most concentrated source of cholesterol in the human diet? Since a single medium sized egg can contain 218mg of cholesterol in the yoke, I personally would choose other options.

In studies on atherosclerosis, animals are often fed a diet rich in cholesterol to cause them to develop atherosclerotic build-up. Some studies use the addition of egg yoke to the diet to promote the atherosclerosis (a precursor to heart attack, stroke and erectile dysfunction.)

patch70

That's not really a valid comparison.

Babies consume large volumes of breast milk as a % of their total body mass or total body water. Adults consume more solids, less liquids.

Thus - to compare, you'd need to calculate how many grams of proteins a baby consumes (as a % of their weight) rather than just the % of protein in breast milk.

In addition, if you (as an adult) tried to survive on breast milk alone, you'd become deficient in various nutrients.

Beastt

But not protein.