Stop Wasting Your Protein Powder

Stop Wasting Your Protein Powder! How To Squeeze More Results Out Of Each Scoop
Of Protein Powder You Take

By Nick Nilsson

Without knowing when and how to take your protein powder for best results, you could be flushing
your gains directly down the toilet!

It doesn't matter what brand or type of protein powder you take...if you are taking it at the wrong
time, you aren't getting as much out of it as you could be. In fact, if you take your protein powder
at the wrong time, you may as well just dump it in the garbage!

Here is a list of the when, why and how of effective protein supplementation, ranked in order of
importance.

1. Immediately After A Workout

If you only take protein powder once per day, this is the absolute best time to take it. Immediately
after you finish your workout, your body needs raw materials to rebuild and recover with. If you
don't supply the raw materials through eating, your body will break down muscle from elsewhere in
your body in order to rebuild the damaged areas. This is very counterproductive as you can well
imagine.

By taking in some protein (20 to 30 grams or so) within minutes after exercise, you provide your
body with the raw materials it needs to recover without breaking down its own muscle tissue.

2. An Hour After A Workout

About an hour following a workout, your body has settled down from the excitement and is ready
to really start rebuilding. The protein that you took in immediately following the workout has been
metabolized and your body is looking for more. Another protein shake at this time is a good way to
help speed recovery. Try to take in another 20 to 30 grams about an hour after working out.

3. First Thing In The Morning

Immediately upon waking, or as soon after that as you can manage, take a scoop of protein
powder. Your body has just been through an (approximately) 8 hour fast and is hungry for
nutrients. Feed your body!

Protein powder is more quickly assimilated than solid food and gets into your muscles faster. This
protein shot gives your metabolism a boost, which can help with fat loss. Be sure to follow it with a
good breakfast, of course.

4. Last Thing At Night

Prepare your body for the long overnight fast by giving it a little something to work with. A good
combination for this purpose is to mix a scoop of whey protein in with a small glass of milk.

Whey is what's known as a "fast" protein, meaning that it's digested quickly, while milk protein
(casein) is what's known as a "slow" protein, meaning it's digested relatively slowly. At night, you
want your protein to be metabolized slowly so that your body gets a more even supply over the
course of the night. By mixing "fast" and "slow" proteins, you get the benefits of the higher-quality
whey with the slower digestion time of the milk.

5. In-between Meals

A quick protein shake can be a great snack in between meals. It helps keep your body supplied
with protein all day long. This is especially useful if you tend to have long periods of time
in-between meals. It could mean the difference between losing muscle and building or keeping
muscle!

6. With Meals

Taking a protein supplement with meals is a handy way to increase the protein content of a meal.
This is perfect for when you eat a meal that is somewhat low in protein.

7. In The Middle Of The Night

This is a trick that bodybuilders sometimes use in order to keep their muscles supplied with protein
throughout the night. Keep a pre-mixed protein shake right beside your bed. Although some
trainers have been known to set alarms to wake up to drink it, I prefer to have it there waiting just
in case I wake up, but I don't try to wake up on purpose. If I don't wake up, it's right there ready for
me to drink first thing in the morning! This strategy is more targeted for muscle growth rather than
fat loss.

WARNING!

Never drink a protein supplement immediately before working out!

Some people do this thinking that it will give them an energy boost or give them a head-start for
post-workout recovery. Basically, all it does is sit in their stomach and bloat them up. Valuable
blood that should be going to working muscles gets sent to the digestive system to try and digest
it. The same warning goes for taking protein during a workout. Don't do it!

Taking protein powder is not going to make up for poor diet or a bad program but it can definitely
help to support you in your training efforts. Take it at the right time and you'll get the most bang
for your buck!
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Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a
degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for
more than 16 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including "Metabolic
Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus -
Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of" all
available at (http://hop.clickbank.net/?muscled1/betteru). He can be contacted at
betteru@fitstep.com.