Is milk enough as a post-workout food?

Is milk enough as a post-workout food?		white_sakura
		Jul 23 2008 08:20
Every morning before breakfast I jog for about 20 minutes, then shower, then eat breakfast. But I'm not a big protein-for-breakfast person, and I mostly eat carbs of cereal/bread and fruit with maybe some peanut butter. The only protein I get is from the cup of skim milk I drink - is it enough protein for me as a post-workout food?

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#1	melkor	Jul 23 2008 08:30
Depends on what your workout schedule is - if you only or mostly do cardio you need 1.4g/kg/day protein, divided throughout the day. Once cup of skim milk has about 6g of protein, which would be sufficient if you had 6 equal meals a day (6*6=36) and weighted 25kg (36g/1.4g/kg) or about 56 pounds. In other words, probably nowhere near enough - if the milk was you sole protein source. There's protein in just about everything, there's just more of it in some food sources. Like, oh, peanut butter. Still, what you need in the way of protein is largely determined by your bodyweight and activity levels, and you should strive to divide it up into 4-6 roughly equal portions through the day.
#2	white_sakura	Jul 23 2008 09:20
Oh, I definitely eat more protein throughout the day - straight-up meat included - but I was just wondering if the milk + pb was enough just for a post-workout meal/breakfast.
#3	bunter007	Jul 23 2008 12:36
i would personally say not even close. you need more than that, i personally have a protein drink and a 3 bean salad within 1 hour of my workout, but i guess you just need to find what works for you :)
#4	dave98z3	Jul 23 2008 12:37
White - I agree with Melkor it really depends on your activity prior...if your workout is just the 20 min cardio then I would say no biggie...if you are warming your muscles up witht he cardio then doing weight training then I would say probably not...either way there is a formula that can compute the requirements for what you need exactly or you can do like I generally do which is use a calculator online that way I dont have to do all the math...here is a link to one... http://www.changingshape.com/resources/calculators/dailyprot einrequirements.asp http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calpro.htm Grams of protein per day - This value is calculated from the maximum normal BMI, your height, and your level of activity. It corresponds to 0.8 grams of protein per Kilogram of body weight which is the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for low levels of activity, 1.1 grams for moderate activity, and 1.4 grams for vigorous activity. Other components of the diet, including essential fatty acids and carbohydrates should be proportioned to provide the minimum required Calories per day. For men and women of equal height the caloric requirements are lower for women, but the protein requirements are the same for both men and women. This means that, in general, women's diets should be richer in protein than men's diets. Any diet should always include at least the minimum amount of protein to prevent loss of muscle tissue when the caloric intake is reduced. A typical high-protein diet would derive 30% of the Calories from protein, 30% from fat, and 40% from carbohydrate. A low carbohydrate weight-loss diet generally derives 25% of the Calories from protein, 65% from fat, and 10% from carbohydrate. The tables below show that these percentages provide more than the minimum protein requirement for 2000- and 1800-calorie diets. The U.S. Government Recommended Diet is used as the basis for the "% Daily Values" that are listed on the "Nutrition Facts" labels in food products.
#5	danielle860	Jul 23 2008 15:10
what about sticking a scoop of whey protein in your milk? That would do the trick. But the other thing to remember is that some types of bread are actually pretty decent protein-wise. You can get some pepperidge farm double protein bread... two slices of that with 1 tb of natural peanut butter and your cup of skim milk will get you 24 grams of protein. You'd probably be good to go on that, depending on your height/weight.
#6	danielle860	Jul 23 2008 15:12
dave - "A low carbohydrate weight-loss diet generally derives 25% of the Calories from protein, 65% from fat, and 10% from carbohydrate" That can't be right, can it? 65% from fat? I feel gross just reading it.
#7	dave98z3	Jul 24 2008 11:32
danielle - that was actually published online by a study that looked at the different diets and how protein is distributed across the diet plans...The references used were: References: Harvard School of Public Health - Nutrition Source. Provides information on diet and nutrition Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (Macronutrients) (2002). A 900-page, comprehensive assessment of nutritional needs from the Food and Nutrition Board and the Institute of Medicine. Michael R. Eades, M.D., and Mary Dan Eades, M.D., "Protein Power", Bantam Books, 1996. Describes a low carbohydrate diet that has had great clinical success in reducing obesity and normalizing insulin levels. The book explains the biochemistry and metabolic pathways that are the basis for the diet. Barry Sears, Bill Lawren, "The Zone: A Dietary Road Map to Lose Weight Permanently", ReganBook, 1995. Advocates a diet with 30% protein, 30% fat, and 40% carbohydrates. S.D. Hsieh, H. Yoshinaga, T. Muto, Int. J. Obes. Relat. Metab. Disord., 2003 May;27(5):610-6. Waist-to-height ratio, a simple and practical index for assessing central fat distribution and metabolic risk in Japanese men and women. J. Hodgdon, and M. Beckett, "Prediction of percent body fat for U.S. Navy men and women from body circumferences and height". Reports No. 84-29 and 84-11. Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, Cal. 1984. The link source I used was http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/diet.html I dont necessarily agree or disagree it was just provided as information. The reason I dont necessarily agree or disagree is its a very complex and very controversial topic...and depending on the individual its easy to make a case one way or the other...to prove my point there is an article at this website: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/glen34.htm Bottom-line: use the formulas as a "guide" not gospel and do what is right FOR YOU! I personally have days where I over do my protein level and others I go under...but generally speaking I do follow some simple rules which is right after I do my weight training I intake protein....I dont advocate additional protein "supplements" because I try to get all my protein requirements from foods versus protein shakes and power bars...and btw thats just my personal choice...I know friends who supplement their diet with a protein drink instead. Hope that helps.
#8	cpontifex	Jul 24 2008 16:24
This is a tutorial I read through on http://www.caloriesperhour.com/tutorial_ratios.php They've got a ton of great information on the site. Now that you know calories come from protein, fat and carbohydrates, and how many calories each of these macronutrients provides, you will want to know how much each macronutrient should contribute to your diet. The answer is commonly expressed in percentages and referred to as micronutrient ratios, or simply nutrient ratios. Example: 30% protein, 15% fat, 55% carbohydrates In order to obtain optimal health, and the slim body that comes with it, you need to eat healthy foods. But it's not enough to simply eat healthy foods; the foods must provide a healthy balance of all three macronutrients. There is no one set of numbers that is best for everyone, and the percentages that are best for you can change with your circumstances. At different times your goal might be to lose body fat, gain muscle, or both. Examples of Ratios The USDA Food Guide recommendations, based on a diet of 2000 calories per day, include 91 grams of protein, 65 grams of fat, and 271 grams of carbohydrates. This equates to 18% of calories from protein, 29% from fat, and 53% from carbohydrates. While one of the goals of the Food Guide is to reduce consumption of fat, many would consider 29% too high for optimal health. But perhaps it's a good compromise for the average American who might not be willing to reduce fat consumption further. USDA: 18% protein, 29% fat, 53% carbohydrates In his book Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, author Tom Venuto recommends a baseline diet of 30% protein, 15-20% fat, and 50-55% carbohydrates. These percentages are referred to as "baseline" because they are only meant to be a starting point. The book instructs you in how to modify the baseline percentages based on your body type and goals. And how, after measuring your initial results, to further refine them to meet the requirements of your particular body. Burn the Fat: 30% protein, 15-20% fat, 50-55% carbohydrates The percentage for protein is higher than the USDA recommendation because Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle is based on the concept of eating properly and exercising to ensure that you do not lose muscle while losing fat. Losing muscle causes your metabolism to slow and weight loss to stop. You will find that most diet plans recommend specific proportions of the three macronutrients. Keep in mind that any diet plan proposing extremely low proportions of any of the three macronutrients may be designed for quick weight loss and have little chance of long-term success. People often find that they tire of eating in such extremes and quit, rendering their diet a failure. Converting the Percentages to Grams Once you have determined the macronutrient ratios you will be using, it's easy to calculate how many grams of each macronutrient you should be eating. But first you have to calculate the total number of calories you will eat in a day as described in Calculating Daily Calorie Needs. daily calories x percent protein / 4 calories per gram = grams protein daily calories x percent fat / 9 calories per gram = grams fat daily calories x percent carbs / 4 calories per gram = grams carbs For example, if your daily calorie needs are 2000 calories and you choose proportions of 30% protein, 20% fat and 50% carbohydrates: 2000 x .30 / 4 = 150 grams protein 2000 x .20 / 9 = 44 grams fat 2000 x .50 / 4 = 250 grams carbs This tells you how many grams of each macronutrient you should be eating to achieve the ratios you have chosen. Another way of looking at it is to calculate the ratios of what you are eating, and then make adjustments accordingly. Calculating the Ratios of the Foods You Eat Butter and oils contain only fat, and sugar and honey contain only carbohydrates. But foods comprised of a single macronutrient like these are the exception. Most foods consist of a combination of two or all three of the macronutrients. To see the proportions of a food you eat, simply calculate the food with the Food Calculator. If a food doesn't appear in any of the food lists, you can enter the grams of protein, fat and carbohydrates with the Add Foods feature and then calculate it. To see the proportions of a combination of different foods, calculate each of the foods and let the results accumulate. The results will indicate the percentage of protein, fat and carbohydrates for the total of the foods you calculate. The formula used by the calculator is quite simple, and you can do the math by hand if you prefer: (grams protein x 4) + (grams fat x 9) + (grams carbs x 4) = total calories (grams protein x 4) / total calories = percentage of calories from protein (grams fat x 9) / total calories = percentage of calories from fat (grams carbs x 4) / total calories = percentage of calories from carbs
#9	danielle860	Jul 24 2008 17:26
well, the references look sound, but I still don't know about the article. What is a scientific psychic anyway? But like you said, it's up to the individual to filter out all the information that's available on the internet.
#10	dave98z3	Jul 24 2008 18:28
LOL the scientific psychic is just the website it is a web site dedicated to the exploration of language and the human mind with the objective of encouraging critical thinking and a healthy life style. Personally I thought the same thing when I saw the name but the information is what it is...take it all with a grain of salt and do what is good for you.
#11	melkor	Jul 24 2008 18:39
Well, try the Journal of American College of Nutrition instead for specifics on protein needs then. Though keep in mind that "enough protein to avoid protein malnutrition" and "enough protein to optimise athletic function" aren't neccesarily the same.
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