Do You Need Carbohydrate (Carbs) To Build Muscle and Bulk Up?

It’s very widely accepted that protein is a necessity when aiming to build muscle. After all, muscle is a highly abundant source of amino acids (the building blocks of protein), so it makes sense that in order to build substantial muscle mass, you require an above average intake of protein. Science too confirms this. Yet when it comes to your carbohydrate consumption, there is a lot of confusion on the topic. Do you need carbs to bulk up?

The answer is yes, you absolutely, unequivically require carbohydrates to build muscle. Reducing or even attempting to eliminate carbohydrates from your diet will impede muscle growth and most likely result in muscle loss. Carbohydrates are not only required to build (and maintain) muscle, they are required to facilitate proper brain function and maintain energy levels.

The question now becomes – if amino acids (which form proteins) are a primary constituent of muscle tissue, why are carbs necessary if they do not play a direct role in the structure of a muscle fibre? Let’s consider why.

Protein synthesis is the act of creating proteins. When muscles are developing, protein synthesis is occurring by connecting amino acids together into proteins and thus into muscle cells. This is what causes muscle growth, or hypertrophy. In order for this to happen, muscle cells must be able to source amino acids from the blood stream. This is not possible without the presence of insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas. Insulin acts as a blood glucose regulator. In order to prevent blood sugar levels from rising too high and becoming dangerous, insulin is secreted to reduce blood glucose levels.

Now the question becomes, if hypertrophy requires amino acids, and amino acid uptake is only possible with the presence of insulin, how then do we increase insulin levels?

Carbohydrates

Upon ingesting carbohydrates, our body’s attempt to break them down into glucose, a simple sugar. Too much glucose in the blood stream can lead to hyperglycemia, so insulin comes along to maintain a healthy blood glucose level.

Ultimately, eliminating any nutrient from your diet is a mistake. Proteins, carbs and fats are all required for optimal muscle development. Removing carbs is a big mistake for anyone seeking to gain muscle tissue.

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Is Organic Food Healthier than Non-Organic Food?

Over the past decade, organic foods have become quite prevalent within Australian supermarkets. What was once a highly niche market is almost a necessity for all large supermarket chains. You’d be hard pressed to find a Woolworths, Coles or Aldi without some organic food offerings.

There does however seem to be a bit of confusion as to what “organic” foods are and why they may be healthier than other foods.

Organic foods, by definition, are those that are produced free from inorganic chemical pesticides. Australia has quite stringent laws to ensure that anything labelled “organic” is grown in a highly “natural” environment. This ensures that any man-made chemicals are not consumed when ingesting the product.

There seems to be a very common misconception with organic food, being that it is healthier in regards to it’s fat content, or cooking process. For example, Aldi sell “organic chips”. Whilst it may be easy to assume that these organic chips are low in fat and therefore healthier, this is a completely incorrect assumption to make. Upon investigating the nutritional composition of this snack, they were 20.2% fat. In comparison to a package of Arnott’s Shapes at 14.5% fat, these organic chips were therefore 39% higher in fat than an alternative non-organic snack.

As you can see, organic does not refer to the macronutrient (fats, carbohydrates, proteins) contained within a food. Organic only refers to the elimination of inorganic chemicals used.

Whether or not organic food is healthier than non-organic food is a raging debate among nutritionists. Although it makes sense to eliminate all unnatural chemicals from our diet, there is no consensus among professionals either way due to the lack of evidence in this field. It really comes down to personal choice; do you wish to consume inorganic substances in your diet? If you do not, you also need to consider that organic foods cost more to produce, therefore this may weigh heavily on your budget.

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Is the Food at Subway Healthy and Good for Weight Loss? A Review.

There are so many food choices available on the market nowadays that it can be excruciatingly painful trying to ascertain what is “healthy” and what is “garbage”. There are low-fat, low-joule, high protein, sugar-free, lite, fat-free and plethora of other marketing terms used to communicate that a particular product is healthy.

So, I have decided to use Subway as a case study in this blog post. Subway’s catch phrase is “Eat Fresh” and a few years ago they began marketing within Australia quite heavily as a fast food chain that was highly appropriate for people seeking to lose weight. Do you remember Jared? Jared Fogle was somewhat of the “Subway mascot”, who lost a phenomenal amount of weight, as shown in Subway’s advertising campaign.

But the question at hand here is not whether or not Jared lost weight on the Subway diet, rather, whether or not the food at Subway is healthy and if the food at Subway is good for weight loss. In other words, is Subway’s marketing campaign accurate with the message that they seem to be implying?

As with any marketing in the nutritional field, it is not wise to rely on what the marketing campaign purports. Just because something may be low in fat, doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily “healthy”. After all, jelly beans are low in fat, but they are high in sugar and have a high glycemic index (or have very fast absorbing carbohydrates). Milk chocolate may have a low glycemic index, yet it is full of sugar and very high in fat. Low-fat butter may be lower in fat than regular butter, but it may still be 40% fat (and not the good fats either). So a good understanding of nutrition is vital when ascertaining whether or not food is actually “healthy” for you.

Coming back to Subway and whether or not it is healthy (or good for weight loss), it really depends on the actual food that you consider. Subway have a variety of foods available, all with completely different nutritional compositions. I have downloaded the nutritional information off the Subway website and am using this as my point of reference in writing this Subway review.

Let’s begin with the Subway cookies. The choc-chip cookie is 215 calories having a total of 10.5g of fat. It’s loaded with 18.2g of sugar. Other cookies from Subway are comparable and it really is a bit of a no-brainer that these cookies should generally not be consumed if you’re looking to follow a healthy approach to nutrition.

The salads, wraps and subs at Subway generally depend on the foods that you choose to add into the salad. The meat and sauces that you choose to add on can have a profound impact on the healthiness of the meal you consume. So rather than considering each item individually, let’s look at some of the fillings instead.

To begin with, all the vegetables are great at Subway! They are all fresh and packed full of nutrients. Plus, most of them are practically neutral in regards to net calorie intake. Go for your life with the veggies!

The ham, roast beef, roast chicken and turkey options are quite good, being minimally processed, relatively low in fat and good protein sources. These are all options on the “6 grams of fat or less”. Placed in a salad, you’re eating a very low calorie and high nutrient density meal. For example, a turkey salad without sauce equates to 107 calories (less than half of a choc chip cookie!). Yes, this is quite a healthy meal.

A low-fat 6-inch sub isn’t too much of a concern, assuming that you choose the correct bread and filling. Subway have just introduced a multi-grain sub, which would be a much better option than most of the breads that have available (being white breads). Multigrain will generally not only have a lower glycemic index, but also be more nutrient dense due to the wholegrains contained within the bread. A “6 grams of fat or less” sub will generally set you back around 200-300 calories. The exception is with the sweet onion chicken teriyaki 6-inch, being 352 calories; not a good option for weight loss. The high calorie content is due to the high sugar content in the sweet onion sauce.

Now, onto the Subway no-no’s for weight loss in this review.

There are a variety of add-ons that can really boost up the calorie content. For example, cheddar cheese adds in 42 calories to a 6-inch (double for a footlong). Bacon adds in 45 calories. Chipotle Southwest sauce adds in a whopping 98 calories from a very high fat content of 10.3g on a 6 inch sub! Thousand island dressing adds in 82 calories on a 6 inch – again, definitely one to avoid. The sauces at Subway can really boost up your calorie intake – so if you’re seeking to lose weight, be aware of the effect that this will have on your dietary program.

This is where it really pays to do your nutritional research. Something that is often conceived as low-fat is actually quite the opposite at Subway. Consider this – a tin of tuna in springwater found in your supermarket is typically around 80 calories. Meanwhile, a 6 inch sub at Subway with tuna contains 393 calories! Total fat content (with no add-ons) is a whopping 16.5g primarily from the tuna!

What may come as a surprise (I know it did for me) are some of the non-low-fat subs and how calorie dense they actually are. You may be shocked (and appalled) at how high in fat (and calories) a footlong meatball marinara with a couple of additives has. Let’s consider the following recipe:

1. Footlong Meatball Marinara
2. Cheddar Cheese
3. Bacon
4. Ranch Dressing

I chose these because I know someone who likes to order a footlong with this recipe! Let’s consider the calorie content of each of the above ingredients:

1. 956 calories
2. 84 calories
3. 90 calories
4. 120 calories

Total equates to 1250 calories. To put this into perspective, a Big Mac from McDonalds is 540 calories (according to the American McDonalds website). This footlong sub would be the equivalent of consuming 2.3 Big Macs (in calorie consumption terms)!! Alternatively, 1250 calories is possibly more than a female seeking to lose weight would consume in an entire day! I feel that this is fairly obviously not appropriate for anyone seeking to lose weight, let alone eat in a healthy manner.

So the lesson here is to do your research. Yes, there are certainly very healthy options at Subway, yet there are also very unhealthy options too. The same reigns true for nearly all food outlets and restaurants. It is most important to familiarise yourself with the foods that you consume from a nutritional point of view and to never (ever) rely on the marketing that is fed to you through advertising campaigns.

If you don’t feel confident in analysing the nutritional composition of foods, I highly recommend that you sign up to our free weight loss course where we discuss food in detail and interpreting this information for your own personal use.

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Drinking a Protein Shake After a Cardio Workout

It is very common to question whether or not you should consume a protein shake after a cardio workout. Protein shakes are typically associated with a post-weights workout drink to enhance muscle growth. But what about a cardio session?

Rather than dealing with whether or not you should have a protein shake after your cardio workout, let’s actually consider what a protein shake is. A typical post-workout protein shake (whey based protein powder – for example, whey protein concentrate and/or isolate), if highly refined source of dietary protein extracted from cows milk. The benefits include:

1. A higher quality source of protein
2. A purer source of protein
3. A faster absorbing source of protein

Whilst it is common to assume that a protein shake is necessarily designed to build muscle (after all, protein shakes and bodybuilders tend to go hand-in-hand), you may be missing out on many benefits by not consuming a protein shake because of this assumption. These high quality, fast absorbing proteins are highly effective in:

1. Boosting the immune system
2. Enhancing recovery
3. Enhancing your fitness
4. Enhancing fat oxidation (or fat breakdown)
5. Obviously, enhancing muscle development

Of course, your training needs to be specific to your goals – a protein shake will not aid in you accomplishing your goals if your training is not appropriate.

Following an intense bout of cardiovascular exercise, your body will be in a state of recovery. A protein shake will encourage the recovery process by providing your body with the appropriate nutrients needed to repair damaged cells. A faster recovery will encourage a greater fitness improvement response. It will also facilitate fat loss and minimise muscular breakdown after your workout.

Of course, protein powder in isolation may not have the greatest benefit in a post-workout shake (be it cardio or weights). By combining this with a fast-acting carbohydrate source, insulin release is encouraged which enhances protein uptake into cells. Examples could be dextrose or waxy maize (including BSN Volumaize).

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New Supplements Worth Trying

In the health, fitness and bodybuilding industry, there are a range of new supplements released all the time. Let’s discuss two relatively new supplements that would be worth your while to test out.

When I refer to “new” these aren’t necessarily brand new supplements that have just hit the shelves. Rather, I am referring to relatively new supplements without conclusive scientific research behind them to back their claims. These supplements do show some hope with some of the research, but they are yet to be widely accepted as “highly effective”. This is unlike supplements such as protein powder and creatine. However giving these new supplements a go really won’t do any harm – they can benefit your general health anyway.

New Supplements Worth Trying #1: Tribulus Terrestris

Tribulus terrestris (or tribulus) is a herb that has been used traditionally in Chinese medicine. We recently published an in-depth article discussing the health benefits of tribulus and has been promoted as a remedy for liver, kidneys, and cardiovascular system complications.

Tribibulus terrestris has been shown to have a profound positive impact on libido by boosting testicular testosterone levels. I wrote a tribulus review a while back where the benefits in this regard were quite obvious.

Tribulus has become popular among bodybuilding circles as an ergogenic aid. There are claims that tribulus supplementation can assist in muscle development. The science is still sketchy with some research demonstrating strength increases.

Whether or not this new supplement is effective for muscle growth is still up for debate. Yet it is a very popular supplement, so it may be worth your while trying tribulus (which can be found in our store).

New Supplements Worth Trying #2: CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid)

CLA, or conjugated linoleic acid, is a fatty acid supplement. These supplements do contain fat, just as you find in food. However CLA levels in our diet have decreased over the years and thus CLA supplementation can benefit our health in a number of ways because it presents anti-carcinogenic, anti-atherogenic, enhanced immune function and anti-diabetic benefits.

Conjugated linoleic acid has been promoted as a weight loss supplement because there is emerging research suggesting that it promotes fat loss and can also enhance muscle development. The degree to which this is true is still up for debate, however this is quite a popular natural supplement.

If you are interested in giving this new supplement a try, you can find CLA in our supplement store.

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Does Protein Powder Work to Bulk Up and Build Muscle?

Protein powder is the most common supplement available and is often marketed to help build muscle and bulk up. But does protein powder work – or is it just going to put a hole in your wallet?

What is Protein Powder?

Before we discuss the actual question, “Does protein powder work?”, let’s first identify what protein powder is, and what it is supposed to do in respect to building muscle and bulking up.

Protein powder is a highly processed form of protein. There are many varieties of protein powders – egg, whey, casein, milk, soy, rice, pea based (and so on), all of which are derived from different sources, or have undergone different processes. The most commonly recommended protein powder when aiming to build muscle is whey protein powder. Let’s discuss whey protein powder in more detail.

Whey protein powder is milk derived. Milk is naturally around 20% whey and 80% casein. The concept behind supplementing with a whey based protein shake is as follows:

1. Whey protein is the best quality protein available
2. Whey protein is absorbed very quickly

The quality of the protein that you consume is extremely important when you are seeking to build muscle. The greater the quality (measured by “biological value”, or the degree to which your body can utilise these proteins for biological function), the better the protein is going to be to build muscle.

The rate of absorption is also critical before and after your workout. Following an intense workout, your body requires a readily available source of amino acids in order to repair damaged muscle tissue and begin synthesising new tissues. Amino acids are the constituents of proteins, so it is important to have an available source at your body’s disposal.

Whole-food proteins cannot be absorbed anywhere nearly as quickly as whey proteins found in supplements – hence why whey protein powder can be an effective tool.

Does Protein Powder Work?

Coming back to the original question, it is important to understand that protein powder isn’t a “special” supplement that will replace everything else in your fridge. Nor is it something that “does” or “doesn’t” work in isolation. Rather, it is a tool used to enhance your results, in conjunction with an effective training regime, a good nutritional approach and proper recovery.

It is important to never, without exception, view a supplement as “the holy grail” of accomplishing a particular goal. In this instance, it is important not to assume that with the inclusion of protein powder in your regime, you can expect to bulk up with minimal effort. Building muscle in any substantial amount is the result of a long-term and dedicated approach to your training and lifestyle in general.

The addition of a protein powder to a poorly constructed lifestyle in regards to muscle gain will not be advantageous. For example, if you regularly consume junk food, train inconsistently, drink alcohol regularly and do not sleep properly, forget about having a protein powder after your workout. In all honesty, it will be a complete waste of your money. You would obtain far more benefit by eliminating the junk food and alcohol, sleeping well and establishing a structured approach to training.

Meanwhile, if you are dedicated to accomplishing a muscle building goal in all aspects of your lifestyle and wish to give your body every opportunity to build muscle, a protein powder would be right up your alley. Supplementing with a protein shake would significantly boost your results by encouraging maximum muscle development following your workout and during the remainder of the day. There is an overwhelming amount of scientific literature to support this notion, which has been referenced extensively on this website.

There are two primary options for pre/post workout supplementation that you should consider – Whey Protein Isolate (WPI) and Whey Protein Isolate/Concentrate blend (WPI/WPC). The Whey Protein Isolate is a slightly faster absorbing protein powder. However due to the additional manufacturing involved, the WPI is slightly more expensive than the WPI/WPC.

Our most popular WPI/WPC powder is the Optimum Whey. Meanwhile, the most popular pure WPI powder is the AST Sports Science VP2.

I do hope that this short article sheds some light on the topic of “Does Protein Powder Work?”. Good luck with your muscle building goals!

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Are Supplements Healthy & When Do Supplements Become Unhealthy?

Supplements can be an effective tool to lose weight, build muscle or tone up. But at what point do supplements become unhealthy?

The world of supplements can be a confusing one. There are hundreds of varieties of protein powders, amino acid mixes, fatty acids, carbohydrate drinks, veggie and fruit capsules, vitamins, minerals, multi-vitamins, joint formula’s and so on.

With so many supplements available, you could practically replace all your food with supplements. Note that this would be extremely expensive and science (let alone common sense) would tell you that this would be extremely unhealthy.

Are Supplements Unhealthy?

So at what point does supplementing with these products become unhealthy? It is okay to drink a protein shake every once in a while – or five times a day? Should you replace meals with meal replacement supplements? Or should you stay away from supplements altogether?

Let’s begin by defining when supplementing does become unhealthy. Extreme cases aside, in my opinion, this is when:

• You consume supplements to replace whole-food meals regularly;
  and/or
• You rely on supplements as a primary source of nutrition

The word “supplement” by definition is to “add onto” and not “replace”. So as soon as your primary use of these dietary products shifts to replacing, rather than supplementing a whole-food diet, you are following unhealthy dietary patterns.

Why exactly it is important to base your diet on whole-foods? Foods in their whole and unprocessed form are extremely nutrient dense. It is important to know that nutrients (which are essential for the normal functioning of the body) extend far beyond fats, carbohydrates and proteins. They not only encapsulate vitamins and minerals, but also include special nutrients known as “phytonutrients”, or “plant nutrients”. There are hundreds of phytonutrients and I do recommend that you read further on this topic in a recent phytonutrients article that we published.

Whilst supplements may contain some vitamins, some minerals and even a very limited number of phytonutrients, no supplement can contain the same degree of nourishment obtained from a well rounded whole-food diet. This is a diet based on natural, unprocessed foods across all food groups.

Supplements, Fitness Goals & Unhealthy Practices

There is a general assumption within the bodybuilding community that the more protein consumed, the more muscle development one can expect. Whilst there is no conclusive scientific evidence to justify this belief, it is common practice to consume excessive amounts of protein powder each day as a substitute for whole-foods. This does have the potential to lead to serious health complications and of course, sub-optimal muscle development rates.

A similar practice is commonplace within the dieting industry. Replacing whole-food meals with meal replacement supplements is often construed as a healthy and calorie-controlled alternative to facilitate weight loss. There are some primary concerns associated with such a practice:

1. You are risking malnourishment by restricting your nutrient intake
2. Excessive calorie deficit can lead to health complications

The truth is that a healthy calorie deficit can be obtained through a whole-food diet without the need for “diet” meal replacements. This approach to nutrition will almost guarantee a greater micronutrient intake.

Healthy Consumption of Supplements

Supplementation can certainly be of benefit if you are trying to accomplish a health and fitness goal. If they weren’t, we certainly wouldn’t be selling them in our supplement store!

As suggested above, it is important to integrate your supplementation regime into a whole-food diet in a healthy manner. Here are what I believe to be some healthy uses of supplements:

1. Consuming a meal replacement occasionally for convenience
2. Consuming a protein powder surrounding your workout and sparingly throughout the day in conjunction with whole-foods
3. Taking a multi-vitamin, or specific vitamin/minerals to compliment a diet already rich in fruits and vegetables
4. Using supplements for sports specific purposes to enhance results, without detracting from a well balanced whole-food diet

Supplements do have unique advantages over whole-foods, such as faster absorption times, higher quality proteins, convenience etc. However these do not overshadow the fact that our bodies are built to consume whole-foods as a primary food source – not pills and powders.

Be wise with your nutrition and your body will thank you for it!

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The Most Popular Bodybuilding Supplements

There are three distinct groups of bodybuilding supplements that are significantly more popular than others. Let’s consider each category and identify the most popular bodybuilding supplements.

The Most Popular Bodybuilding Supplements #1: Protein Powders

Right up the top of the list are protein powders. A whey based protein powder is almost essential for anyone seeking to pack on a significant degree of muscle tissue. A highly bio-available protein source, such as whey protein powder, is vital so your body has the appropriate nutrients available to synthesise muscle tissue following a workout.

So what are the most popular protein powders? Without doubt, the Optimum 100% Whey is the number one seller in our online store. This is because is a cost-effective and very high quality protein powder, available in a variety of great tasting flavours.

Dymatize have a very popular rival, the Dymatize Elite Whey. This product has a similar composition to the Optimum brand, but is slightly more cost effective.

If you’re looking for a pure WPI, which provides a high quality whey protein that absorbs extremely rapidly, our best seller in this category is the AST VP2. A very high quality protein powder with an exceptional worldwide reputation.

The Most Popular Bodybuilding Supplements #2: Creatine

Creatine is such a popular product because it can enhance the force potential that a muscle can generate prior to muscular failure. Whilst it doesn’t directly assist in muscle synthesis, it does aid in overloading the muscle during a workout.

Our number one selling creatine supplement is BSN No Xplode, which is a mix of creatine, nitric oxide and various stimulants.

If you’re seeking a pure creatine monohydrate powder, the Dymatize Creatine is our most popular creatine supplement, being both cost effective and providing a high quality powder.

The Most Popular Bodybuilding Supplements #3: Thermogenics

Whilst obviously not beneficial for muscle development, fat loss is assisted through the use of effective thermogenic supplements. These supplements contain safe substances that can assist in the breakdown of fat tissue.

AST Sports Science again has a winner in this category, the Dymetadrine Xtreme. This one has been around for a while now and has continued to thrive based on it’s highly effective blend.

The other most popular fat loss supplement that we have available is the Cytogenix RFA-X. Although a relatively new supplement, it has gained considerable exposure overseas this year. Consequently, the RFA-X falls onto our most popular list.

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All the best in your bodybuilding endeavours and I hope this article on the most popular bodybuilding supplements has given you the direction you need!

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The Best Creatine Supplement to Build Muscle

There are so many creatine supplements available – which one do you choose? How do different creatine products differ? Let’s take a look at some various powders and discuss the best creatine supplement for your muscle building goals.

A quick background on creatine…

Okay, so you’ve decided to take creatine. What exactly does it do? In this brief article, we are not going to discuss the specific chemical pathways that take place, but rather take a very general view. (I have written about creatine in detail previously, so you may wish to search this up). So, here goes:

Creatine does not directly facilitate muscle growth. However, it does saturate muscle cells and thus increases your muscle’s ability to lift more weight. More weight lifted can induce greater trauma leading to further hypertrophy (or muscle growth).

As I said, a very general overview!

So many types of creatine – what is the best form?

With creatine monohydrate, creatine malate, creatine ethyl ester, kre-alkalyn creatine and other creatine’s now available on the market, it’s no wonder that the world of creatine supplementation is a confusing one!

You may be very happy to know that creatine monohydrate is the most comprehensively researched creatine product available on the market. Other forms have minimal (and sometimes no) objective scientific backing to confirm that your investment will pay off.

You may have heard of kre-alkalyn, which gained a lot of popularity a couple of years ago. In mid 2007, the ISSN conference in the United States concluded:

Kre-alkalyn supplementation has no beneficial effect on creatine-to-creatinine conversion rates.

This compared Kre-alkalyn to standard creatine monohydrate. The additional investment was a complete waste, according to these findings.

Consequently, we do not sell kre-alkalyn supplements in our store.

Considering that creatine monohydrate has been so well researched and practically proven to be effective for the majority of the population, this would be a great investment. Other forms of creatine may have been shown to be effective, but not to the same extent.

Creatine – mixed or pure powder?

So the question becomes whether to invest in a pure creatine monohydrate powder, or spend the additional money on a pre-mixed product.

A creatine monohydrate powder, such as the Dymatize Creatine is a very popular product because:

• It is highly cost effective
• It has solid scientific evidence backing up it’s effectiveness
• It’s a great product

However, if you do intend on supplementing with creatine monohydrate from a pure powder, you should consider consuming it with a high glycemic index carbohydrate, such as dextrose or glucose. This causes an insulin spike that enhances creatine uptake.

A pre-mixed creatine supplement is also a very popular choice because:

• Most taste great
• Many contain high GI carbs and other ingredients to enhance uptake
• They are more convenient than standard creatine monohydrate powder

One of our best sellers, BSN NO-Xplode does contain creatine (along with many other ingredients). Gaspari SizeOn is also a very popular creatine product.

Other creatine notes

Creatine won’t always work for everyone, so it may be worthwhile giving this supplement a go and seeing how it works for you.

Initially, you may experience some minor stomach discomfort, which is quite common.

You may experience weight gain after supplementing with creatine after a few days. This is normal and is due to a greater amount of water being retained within muscle cells. Be sure to drink plenty of water when supplementing with creatine!

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Drinking a Protein Shake After a Cardio Workout

If you’ve been wondering whether you should drink a protein shake after your cardio workout, then you’re not alone. This has got to be one of the most common supplementation questions out there! After all, a protein shake is there to build muscle, right? And cardio isn’t effective for muscle growth…right?

Well actually, no, these assumptions are actually quite incorrect. This could lead to the presumption that a protein shake is not necessary following a cardio workout. (You may wish to read an article I published entitled “Cardio & Bodybuilding – Good for Muscle Growth?“)

Another misconception is that because cardio is highly effective for weight loss, a protein shake could limit the “fat burning effect” by increasing the number of calories you consume.

Let’s take a step back and look at what cardio is – a form of exercise. Exercise is a means of placing physical stress on your body. You “stress” your body in order to force it to adapt to the stimulus.

In the case of an intense cardio workout, you are forcing your fitness level to increase once the cardio session has concluded. Your body will improve its fitness so it can handle this physical stress more effectively, in case it is subject to this form of exercise again in the near future. This “overcompensation” is how you train your body to become the shape that you wish it to be.

Considering that the major physiological changes happen after your intense workout has concluded (fat loss, fitness enhancement, muscle development etc.), it is therefore important to provide your body with the essential nutrients to facilitate these changes. Just like a house builder requires  materials to build a house (bricks, wood, concrete etc.), your body requires nutrients to maximise the many changes that take place upon the conclusion of your workout.

Following the conclusion of your intense workout, your body is dire need of nutrients. It’s like a sponge and will soak up nutrients to assist in the recovery process. A protein shake is a unique tool that can provide your body with some fact acting nutrients to support this recuperation process. Two key ingredients include:

• Fast-absorbing, high quality proteins (eg. Whey Protein Isolate, as found in many quality protein powders)
• High GI carbohydrates (eg. Dextrose)

Other supplements such as vitamin c/e (antioxidants), l-glutamine (immune support), free-form BCAA’s (branched chain amino acids) may also be of use in your protein shake after an intense cardio workout.

So in summary, following an intense cardio workout, you should drink a protein shake comprised of effective supplements – for nearly all goals. Not supplementing may very well inhibit your recovery, thus reducing your results. Further, you will also place your body at a heightened risk of becoming run down with a lowered immune response.

A low-intensity cardio workout however is another story. If you are performing a low-intensity session, then a protein shake may not be necessary. This is because the degree of “stress” placed on your body from exercise is minimal.

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