When it comes to building muscle quickly, shrinking your recovery time and even losing some fat, protein supplements have been known to help us in our quest. However, consuming them isn’t as simple as purchasing a tub of protein at your closest fitness store. Folks at Diet Nepal in Naxal have been around supplying protein supplements for years now and they can vouch for it. Here, Laxmi Timalsina from the Diet Nepal store helps

The Week get our facts right about protein supplements battling all the misconceptions she has heard from customers over the years.

Insisting on getting started with protein shakes on day one of the gym

Though there is no serious harm to this, we’d recommend people to wait out, access their physical capacity at the gym and then accordingly choose the supplements and their amount. For instance, if somebody wants to take protein to gain weight, observe the changes that your body and daily diet bring about for two weeks to a month. Later with that knowledge you can add the required protein supplements. This will help bring about more significant changes. Thus, it’s always best if you realize your body power and requirements first.

Seeking cheaper protein supplements

When it comes to protein powder, there’s no such thing as cheap. Protein powders don’t have many side effects. The side effects we hear about are some disturbance in sleeping pattern because of too much consumption of some caffeinated products or constipation because they haven’t been drinking sufficient amount of water. Other than that there isn’t anything to worry about, but that is only if you are using quality products. Gym goers really need to be wary of fake or low quality protein shakes.
If your shake contains a concentrate powder with a suspiciously low price and a long shelf life then it possibly means you are paying for something packed with fat and carbs as well. So, don’t try to scrimp and save on proteins.

Relying on protein for lunch and dinner

Many people falsely assume that they can make a proper meal out of protein shakes. That’s not true. Protein shakes come in handy when you don’t have the time to prepare full course nutrient packed meals or your hectic schedule doesn’t allow you to eat on time, however, they can’t replace whole food. They don’t have as many nutrients as a proper meal; the reason why they are called supplements, not food. So don’t be that guy or girl who is chugging down shakes for their meals.
In fact nutritionists note that eating proper food will also help with your fitness plan because a full course means your body has to work harder to break down the food so you use up more calories in the digestion process. Focus on things like fish and chicken and make an effort to treat your body to proper meals.

Not reading the labels and neglecting the importance of the mix

We have so many guys coming in and, right off the bat, they ask for Whey, nothing more. They think that a tub of it will be enough. But Whey is only protein and sometimes we can tell some customers will need more to reach their desired body goals. So in these instances, knowledge on these matters is crucial. Familiarize yourself with words like BCAA, amino acids, creatinine, leucine and so on.

Read the labels and see the nutrients that are already present in your tub of protein and consult about the ones you might have to add later on as well. For instance, BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) are very popular among athletes who are searching for ways to increase lean mass and performance. Leucine is considered the key acid that stimulates muscle protein synthesis and growth. Creatinine is also very popular among body builders since it helps with the energy supply of muscles among other things. So it is best if you educate yourself on these things.

At Diet Nepal, they even have small jars of other minerals to help rest and ease muscles, melatonin to recover sleeping patterns, and fiber to make the body building process more effective and hassle free. If you require some guidance, always ask for it.

Timing it wrong

It isn’t enough to have protein in your system. When it comes to supplements working when to take them can be just as important as what you’re taking. So discuss this issue with your trainer.

We have supplements for the pre-workout phase, things like Animo energy that will help with boosting your energy for activities like weight lifting. Then there are minerals like BCAA that are recommended for after workout for muscle recovery and tightening. There are also products that can be consumed while you are working out as well. So you might want to plan these things as per your requirement.

If protein is being taken after the workout, most experts suggest that you consume it within an hour after your workout. This way you can help your muscles with the repair and recovery process. Indeed, rules like these need to be taken into account as well while using protein.

 
• health and nutrition