Protein Powders and Why Some Take Them

Since my last post about Ultimate Nutrition's Halal Protein Powder, I've been receiving queries from friends asking me what the powder is for? Today insyaAllaah, I will try to answer that question based on my limited knowledge and some experience :) But here and again, I would like to advise Muslims, if you would like to use protein powders, make sure there's a halal certification stating that it is indeed a halal protein supplement... And don't take the word of any sales representative... as they are only working at their respective stores. They have a sales quota to fill, and some just might not be ethical enough to tell customers the whole truth (but a great many just don't know :P)

Ok... here are 2-reasons why people might wanna use protein powders :)

(there might be other reasons as well...)

1. As a (inferior) substitute for natural food

If any of you realize, on the containers or boxes of such products (e.g. Protein Powder, Glutamine, Meal Replacements etc.), there will most definitely be the word 'SUPPLEMENT'. Well, that's exactly what protein powders are for :) Supplementation! But, I'd like to view it more as a substitute... hence changing the term to 'SUBSTITUTION' :D

Why I say this? Well, because mainly that's what the powder is ultimately for. As a (natural) food substitute :) Instead of gobbling down a grilled chicken breast, U drink  a protein shake :) Instead of having an omelet, you make your own protein drink!

(of course, substituting the same amounts of protein grams per serving).

So, what's all the hype about athletes, bodybuilders and fitness experts promoting protein powders (among other products)? In reality, there're actually no 'magical' attributes attached to the powder. Seriously. Even though manufacturers will say that their protein powder produces better (OR BEST!) results in terms of muscle growth, or even nutrient absorption... all of this is more hype than truth! If there was even something 'special' about these powders... they are actually more inferior to natural protein sources (e.g. chicken/turkey breasts, fish, meat, soy etc.). This is due to the fact that protein powders are a processed type of food, and most of the time, artificial flavours are added (e.g. Splenda, for sweetness). Even the ones claiming NATURAL flavours can be a bit misleading, as the 'natural-ness' of those flavours themselves are actually artificial during the making! :P

If you get protein from natural sources like egg-whites, chicken breasts etc... then u're (almost) sure of getting the best deal, insyaAllaah!

(I say almost, because nowadays, so many animals get antibiotic injections, and other stuff put into their systems before ending up 'fit' for the slaughter house)

2. Convenience

This is the main reason (I think la...) why many people prefer protein powder. How is it convenient? Ok... let me explain some more, in the context of a beginner, amature or even pro bodybuilder... or even an athlete for that matter :)

Ideally, even for us normal people... it would be best to eat 5-6 meals per day. Of course, not using the normal portion we take eating out lah! Kalau camtu, jadik Obisiti Nurhaliza la!!! This is how these people eat... 5-6 complete meals per day :D

Anyway, a bodybuilder la kata kan... eats 5-6 and even up to 8 meals per day! And in every meal, normally there needs to be a balance between carbohydrates and protein. Carb you can get from pasta, potatoes, bread etc. Protein you can get from (like I mentioned) poultry, meat, egg whites (or egg substitutes like egg beaters... tapi xde kat Mesia!!!) and even diary products like skim milk or low fat cheese.

But for someone to cook 5-8 meals per day... that is a gargantuan task ye dok? I personally tried doing so during my fitter days (:P)... but as a lazy bachelor (at the time), I had to look for an alternative protein source (cuz its the protein that you normally have to cook). One that is more convenient and not on the dairy list, as I am lactose intolerant. So, I decided to go for a protein supplement :) Jadi, instead of cooking my other 2-3 meals (I did not use protein powder in all my meals la... muntuoh nanti :P), I just had a protein shake or protein based smoothie :) Tu dia... senang!

So, as you can see... convenience :D

In conclusion... these are among the main reasons why protein powders are consumed :) It's not because they have super magical powers. Some companies and individuals claim that these powders can be a catalyst for weight loss! Others claim the higher absorption rate allows for faster muscle repair and faster muscle growth. Whoaa... I mean... these claims are more to drug effects than magical food properties :P You can get these effects from consuming (or injecting to put it more accurately) anabolic steroids! But from protein powders... Hmmmmm.... Don't think so. Even if you train like KING KAMALI or MARCUS RHUL, protein powders alone will not be of any great help!

Anywayz... hope this has been of some valuable info for everyone :D Plz do comment if you have any. Selamaat :D