Protein shakes and morning yoga practice

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#12

Helle Peter,
You are new to our Yoga forum, and you are welcome to continue on as a member, but you will need to immediately rise to the opportunity by treating yourself, and each of the members here, with dignity and respect; this is required even if you are upset and have assumed that you have been condescended to. So far, you have failed in this by calling a member here a vulgar name on the boards and then continuing onto libel him, which can be a legal issue as your words sit here on a public forum. The above is not open for discussion; and while I hope you stay and contribute here, you will not be missed if this is the best we can expect from you.

As for your request for information about protein shakes and practice: An empty stomach, and an emptied to mostly-emptied intestinal tract, is preferable for most moderate to strenuous classical asana practices, and for most people. These are all generalities, and simply the recommended point for people to [I]begin exploring what suits them best[/I]. As Gordon and Pandara have both offered you before, you will really need to play this by ear for what suits your body and all of your goals, because you have listed a few different goals. If the pre-yoga protein shakes help you recover from the fasting that happens overnight in all of our bodies, then drink them. If anything about the shake negatively impacts your Yoga practice, it would likely only be the timing; you will know if the timing is off if you are belching, nauseous or feel “too full” to do the asana comfortably and to your full ability. If no problem, then there is no problem; and if there is, simply moving it to after will still get you where you want to go on all accounts. As Gordon also offered you, the shakes may still benefit your goal of 200grams, but it will not serve you in a repair capacity if taken outside the benefit window–this is a simple fact.

Again, you seem to be interested in getting your personal system dialed and reaching your goals; you also appear to be aware of your body, so just continue to watch how the shakes treat you. In understanding the protein intake that you are trying to achieve daily, it may serve all of your goals to incorporate Yoga directly into your lifting schedule rather than separating them out–this will help with timing your meals between all of your physical output sessions. Done mindfully, and with respect for your body, your lifting will become more yogic, and you can safely maintain a healthy range of motion and appropriately lengthen (stretched) muscle tissue. It is no fun to be injured, or to be sidelined from the things we love to do, so stay aware of what serves your body, with food, timing, activity and rest.

There are a few other threads on this forum that may interest you; search for [B]weights[/B] to find them. Here is one to get you started.http://www.yogaforums.com/forums/f16/yoga-and-the-strongman-4630.html

Namaste,
Nichole

#13

Yoga is not merely just stretching, the main thing about Yoga is Yama and Niyama, it involves in good manner and how to behave as a person, so if you are still that angry, and specially if you are just doing the stretches just to compliment your gym activities, don’t consider your self doing Yoga, or even yet don’t think that you are actually doing Yoga, just think that you are doing stretching !

#14

Yoga is anything you choose to be.

It’s like martial arts, can be so different, but all stay martial arts

#15

yeah…i haven’t tried protein shakes before but now wold like to try and see…

#16

[QUOTE=Peteryogaz;23421]i simply wanted to know if consuming a protein shake (1.5 scoops EAS pure whey with 300ml water) prior to yoga (which i still havent gotten a concrete answer) would negatively impact my yoga, and would you recommend for it or against keeping in mind that i need to consume at least 200 grams of protein a day.[/QUOTE]

The only thing that comes to mind is practicing sun salutations, twists, etc. with a belly full of protein shake, for me, would become very uncomfortable and take away from the focus. Would drinking the shake after yoga in the morning offer the same benefits, while being refreshing?

#17

Protein shake, what is meant by that ? I mean, if a 2 eggs with milk and honey are made into a shake, and all constituents are organic, and fresh, that is one thing, and shakes made up form various powders quite another.

Edit: 200 grams of proteins ? That’s just insane, unless you are a professional body-builder. But … I think professional body-building is actually insane, so I need not to use “unless”. :slight_smile:

You know how much protein I have daily ? 25-30 grams. From a mostly cereal based vegan diet. I don’t even count them, just made a quick math for your sake. Even when I was going to a gym, I never had more than 80 grams a day. (84 kilos of bodyweight)

#18

How old are you Hubert? 25-30 grams protein a day. I sure hope your puberty is long gone :stuck_out_tongue:

#19

[QUOTE=jlg;23690]How old are you Hubert? 25-30 grams protein a day. I sure hope your puberty is long gone :p[/QUOTE]

I believe ‘normal’ is about 1 gram per kilo of weight. I’m 80 kg. But intense bodybuilders will go up to 2 grams per kilo. 30 seems a bit low, but I’m no expert.

#20

There are differing views on protein consumption and the sooner we accept that differing views can co-exist in the same dish, be it our own mind, our family, our class…the more we will be living the open mindedness we too frequently flaunt without subscription.

#21

Well said

Diet is a complex topic and the right balance is a personal thing. What you can do is educate yourself on the topic so you can review and refine your views on the topic.

While protein has a number of uses in the body, we generally review protein quantities in relation to repairing damaged muscles.

Body builders damage their muscles more than cyclists who damage their muscles more than yogi’s. Hence, depending on what you do, you will need more or less protein in your diet.

The body cannot store protein and protein only lasts around 4 hours. So if you are trying to use protein to strengthen your muscles or repair them after exercise, you can gain greater benefit from dividing the intake into 5 meals

There is a maximum amount of protein that the body can consume and that is generally recognised as 2.2 grams per kilo of lean body weight (how much you weigh - how much your fat weighs) per day. After that the body will convert the excess protein into stored fat. In reality you would only use that quantity of protein if you were a body builder.

Meat vs Vegetarian vs Vegan. This is completely stupid, you can get your protein requirements from whatever diet conviction you have. If you desire to increase your protein intake, then read the labels on the products you purchase, does one type of pasta have a higher protein content than another?

Protein powders. Only required if your diet doesn’t deliver enough protein.

  • Whey protein. Cheap, not suitable for vegan’s as made from milk. Some people have problems with it
  • Soya protein. Cheap, suitable for vegan’s Speculation as to whether suitable for males. I don’t know, perhaps someone can reference some studies on it.
  • Pea protein. I’m aware of a vegan female weight lifter who’s using it.
  • Others. Yes there are others, but at a price.

Carbs. The body requires some carbs to digest the protein, hence why there are protein powders that are mixed with carbs, but if your going to put it on your cerial or have a slice of toast with it, then you don’t need one that has been mixed with carbs.

Reference info. There’s tons of it around, here’s one from Australia;

http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition

Ah time to go make dinner…

#22

While I tend to eat mostly vegetarian, and things are hard to come by these days (especially raw), I use a protein drink in the morning (after yoga) and sometimes with a meal in the evening. [I]Source of Life[/I] makes a great protein shake. They are all-natural, GMO free and 100% vegetarian. Just add a cup of milk, one scoop of the mix, 4 ice cubes, banana or apple, and it tastes perfect every time.

#23

I am 37, and still counting.

I do not have very demanding daily physical activities, and I for long stopped growing in body. I am not saying 25-30 grams of protein are enough for everyone, but they are surely enough for me. (Vata type)

#24

[QUOTE=jon01;23505]Yoga is anything you choose to be.

It’s like martial arts, can be so different, but all stay martial arts[/QUOTE]

The Yoga sutras is a great book for learning the classical definition of yoga. Yes, human’s give meaning to all words and situations based on perception, but in general, yoga can be defined.

#25

I would say, drinking the protein shake depends on your body. Some people do require a little bit of sustenance prior to practice to be at there best. I would say try it and see. If your yoga continues to progress then it is fine.

#26

[QUOTE=InnerAthlete;23373]What would be the purpose in drinking a protein shake before an asana practice? Even looking at it from a weight training paradigm, protein is consumed within 45 minutes of concluding a workout with the idea that the body needs it for repair.

“Getting muscular” and yoga, simply put, have very little in common.

But you may do whatever you’d like. There are no rules. If you discover that your particular body, your particular life, your particular purpose are all suited to having whey protein before asana then who is anyone to say otherwise, eh?

gordon[/QUOTE]

i think the point of drinking a protein shake before an asana practice is pretty clear cut. would you not put gas in your car before you went for a drive? you have a few hours to burn use the protein after its been consumed.

as for getting muscular and yoga not having anything in common, i think this opinion is a bit mis guided. i am fairly new to the practice and still have much to learn, but the physical benefits seem to be great. im burning fat while building long lean muscles.

#27

[quote=JordanR;27786]i think the point of drinking a protein shake before an asana practice is pretty clear cut. would you not put gas in your car before you went for a drive? you have a few hours to burn use the protein after its been consumed.

as for getting muscular and yoga not having anything in common, i think this opinion is a bit mis guided. i am fairly new to the practice and still have much to learn, but the physical benefits seem to be great. im burning fat while building long lean muscles.[/quote]

Hi JordanR and welcome, the “gas in the tank” is the glycogen stored around the muscles, of which you have more than enough for yoga of any sort. Putting protein/carbs in your stomach is about what time it is delivered for repairing the body from the activity. Some are of the view that it should be delivered immediately and placing it in the digestive system before the exercise will ensure its immediate delivery afterwards. Personally I’m not that concerned about speed of delivery, post yoga.

I agree with you about yoga having physical benefits and I’m guessing that your practice may well be similar to mine. On this site the major contributors come from a wide variety of practices where the muscular demands vary considerably and hence there needs and views will vary accordingly.

#28

It is very possible I am misguided.
But I’ll take a try at a gentle reply nonetheless.

Classically speaking (about Yoga since that is the topic of this forum):

a - an asana practice is not yoga. An asana practice is a small fraction of yoga. Ergo the assertion that getting muscular and Yoga do not have much in common. Further, I think getting “muscular” tends to be perceived differently than maintaining muscle tone or even achieving long lean muscle. But this can be subjective. For those who perceive yoga as ONLY asana AND perceive asana as ONLY physical “exercise”, yes, it would appear to be very much like “working out”.

b - the practice of asana is done on a relatively empty stomach. It is not always so nor is it a “rule” but it would likely be ratified by most practitioners of some depth of study. For this reason I inquired as to the purpose of the protein shake before the practice. It’s actually quite a rational question as in Yoga there is no room for dogma only that which is right for the person in question. So I was exploring to ascertain the intention of the OP.

Even at the height of my own weight training, even at the height of my career in designing and implementing conditioning programs for college basketball teams, at no time did “we” ascribe tot he concept of protein consumption immediately before physical exertion. Just one more reason to ascertain the intention of the OP before I responded.

My apologies if I was unclear the first time around.

#29

After reading you’re second post Gordon I would also like to say that I was neither offended, angry nor hostile, I was simplying trying to engage in an intellectual debate for the purpose of both of us learning some new knowledge, but it is now clear to me that you felt threatened by my response and would not answer any of my insightful questions, so now that a considerable amount of time has passed and you know my intentions were pure, Im still curious as to what your response would be to some of my original questions. Anyways I have been practicing yoga consistently since that time and I have also stopped weight lifting.
Here are some conclusions that I have made on my own: I dont reccomend drinking protein shakes before practicing yoga, it makes you feel somewhat bloated and creates gas, which can be annoying during pratice. Also Yoga is extremely beneficial for weight training: Using the natural breathing pattern learned from yoga allows better oxygen delivery to muscles during exercise, which allows for more reps at a higher weight (which every weightlifter desires) also as your body starts to open up and you become more aware of yourself, you find ranges of motion to do the same exercise which benefits the definition of muscles. I could list many more advantages but they are not very significant, I just wanted to share this knowledge that I have gained and will continue to use for the rest of my life. Cheers

#30

hi everyone

you may want to take a look at The China Study (http://www.thechinastudy.com/about.html) to check out how proteins have an impact on our health.

#31

My post just above was in reply to Jordan, nothing more.

As for your post Peter, I’m quite secure and not at all threatened. But I think the body of my contributions on this forum speak to that with far more volume than I could in one thread:-)

As for unanswered questions…which questions did I not answer? I would gladly respond to any “insightful questions” you’d like to point me toward.

Relative to your feelings I would ask how the sentence “I ridicule your notion…” sets a stage for an “intellectual debate for the purpose of both of us learning”? And I’d direct you to the point earlier where you state that I criticized you. I’ve re-read my text and I’ve actually given you as much leeway as possible to pursue your personal practice in any way you see fit. What specific statement did you feel was critical?