Protein shakes after cardio?
Anyone do protein after cardio workouts? I've decided to totally devote gym time at this point to cutting fat, which we all know essentially boils down to cardio/metaboism. I could care less in this job about looking shredded or being big. As long as I have healthy strength I'm okay with that, and I've never had a problem with decent muscle mass. What is most important to me now is core strength and good lungs for those little pricks that run. :D As of now I do cardio about 5 times a week. I hit the treadmill for 30-35 minutes every day before shift, without fail, four times a week. At least one of those sessions I do intervals. Then I take a day off (generally my first day off after the work week), then I run outside and try to do intervals. Then another day off before my work week. At some point, however, once I've shaved off the fat, I'll start lifting for a little bit of mass again. If you NEED to concentrate on one or the other though, you can't really do both.
I've worked out before with a mix of lifting and cardio, and I've done fast burning whey shakes after weights before. What I want to know now is if it would be beneficial to do a whey/casein (slower burning) protein after cardio. I've never done shakes after runs before but the idea came to me since I eat about an hour after running while we have briefing...usually some fruit and a PBJ or grilled chicken on whole wheat. I started to think about how the wheat fiber is probably slowing down the protein absorption and lessening the benefits of getting protein to my muscle. Throughout the rest of the night I eat lots of small, healthyish meals...grazing. A yogurt here, some applesauce there, a turkey and cheese sandwich, pasta salad, etc.
I know cardio won't need protein to the extent that lifting does, since the muscle recovery isn't generally as severe...your not tearing up your muscles as much running. Still, on intervals, I am beefing my legs up a bit. You still need protein. In general, if I don't get to eat, I'll feel it a little the next day in my quads. If I've eaten like I should, I don't feel any real soreness at all. That's just a fact. In conjunction with the protein necessity though, I'd be looking at the shake as a meal replacement as well. A good friend of mine uses the BSN Syntha-6. BSN Syntha-6 He swears by it. It's a whey/casein blend, so it isn't strictly a post-workout shake. I think that the whey content will be sufficient for the cardio protein needs, and the rest of the slow burning casein proteins and the carbs/fat/etc in it should work well as a meal replacement. Most post workout shakes consist of two serving scoops, but I would just do one to 1.5 scoops to keep the calories around 200-300 to replace the meal I've been eating during briefing.
It sure would be a lot simpler I think. What do you guys think? I know we have some fitness buffs here...1 or 1.5 scoops, an hour after cardio, ONCE a day as a protein supp + meal replacement?
And please...no one say Muscle Milk. It's a decent supplement I think, and it tastes pretty good, but come on. They sell it in the cooler at 7-11 and gas stations around here fer chrissake! :D It definitely has the reputation (at least where I work) as the shake of choice for "those" guys...you know the ones. The ones that drink 8 shakes a day at 350 calories a hit(gotta get my protein, brah!), acting all tough, even though they just stuffed their face with three double beef burritos from Taco Bell or a steak burrito from Chipotle, don't even know where a gym is, and swear to God that they can actually "flex" fat. :D We all know some cops like that!
