Best protein powders for muscle gain?

Austin Ward4 said:So that's my question... can I take creatine before training and then mix it with whey after?

It really depends on which type of creatine you're using. You've got the monohydrate stuff where people do those loading phases—taking multiple doses throughout the day—and then there's the newer formulas designed for pre or post workout.

I'm not exactly a pro bodybuilder, so I never did the whole loading thing with mono. I just took it during my workout, then hit the whey with some sugar right after. These days, I'm on the newer stuff... it's not just plain powder, they add other things to it. I take that about half an hour before I start.

Walter White said:Look, I'm telling you... I never actually wanted to buy mass gainers, they just sounded too much like what I was trying to avoid... basically just protein mixed with a mountain of junk... but since the price tag is absolutely insane, I don't bother with them...

So, you're saying zero saccharin? Oof... and as for some "natural" alternative to cheap white sugar... honestly, I try to dodge that stuff as much as possible because I already eat way more crap than I should anyway. :-)

Why do people act like saccharin is some UNNATURAL monster? It's just as "natural" as half the other sugars out there, if not more. There’s really no reason to be terrified of it, especially if you're hitting the gym hard—working out helps balance out all the other garbage you eat. Sometimes you just need that hit (sure, glucose works too, but it's pricier and less efficient, so 😁 )

Austin Ward4 said:So that's what I'm asking you... is it actually okay to take creatine before my workout and then follow it up with whey protein after?

Personally, once I've finished my loading phase, I just mix it with my whey right after training, though on the days I don't hit the gym, I find it easiest to just take it first thing when I wake up.

Can I just swap out the dextrose for a banana and some raisins? I was thinking instead of the usual shake with whey, dex, and half a liter of water, I could just toss a banana and a handful of raisins into a blender, mix it all up, and drink that instead.

Carol Palmer44 said:Can I swap out the dextrose for a banana and some raisins? I was thinking instead of the usual shake with whey, dextrose, and about 16 ounces of water, I could just toss a banana and a handful of raisins into the blender, mix it all up, and drink that instead??

Honestly, you could just eat the banana or those raisins right after your workout, then wait maybe 15 or 20 minutes before knocking back your whey mixed with water...

So, I'll just grab a banana right after training, then hit the whey protein about 15-20 minutes later, and skip the dextrose entirely.

Sweet, thanks. I'm such a stickler about my diet that honestly, having to dump two tablespoons of sugar into my protein shake makes me feel sick😛.....I'd much rather save those calories for something actually worth eating😁

goldencyclist60 said:Why on earth do people label sucrose as UNNATURAL? Fructose is perfectly NATURAL—if anything, it’s more so than many other sugars out there. There really isn't any reason to be terrified of it, especially if you maintain an active lifestyle. Physical activity has this inherent ability to balance out and mitigate much of the nonsense we ingest through our diet. In those cases, you actually need it (glucose is fine too, but it's pricier and less efficient, so 😁 )

Look, I’m not saying it’s unnatural. But the reality is that most Americans consume far more sugar than they even realize... and it’s not just from candy or soda; it’s baked into all that "regular" food we grab on the go. That’s why I feel a bit uneasy adding another 30 grams of sugar if it isn't strictly necessary. It's not like I'll drop dead instantly... but if I can avoid it, I will.

By the way, I was browsing through your blog for a bit... it sounds good, but it lacks actual data to back up your claims. I don't know if you follow sweat science blog by Alex Hutchinson; he writes similar pieces, but he always links directly to various studies.

Walter White said:Look, I'm not saying sugar is some kind of alien substance, but let's be real—we’re all shoving way more sugar into our bodies than we realize. It's not just the candy bars and sodas; it's hidden in all that "healthy" processed junk we grab on the go. That's why I hate the idea of adding another 30g of sugar if I don't absolutely have to. I mean, I'm probably not gonna drop dead tomorrow over it... but if I can dodge it, I will.

btw, I was poking around your blog for a bit... sounds good, but you're missing some actual data to back this stuff up. Not sure if you follow sweat science blog by Alex Hutchinson, but he writes stuff similar to this, except he actually links to the studies.

Don't sweat it, the info comes from actual research. I left out the citations on purpose because I wanted to keep things simple and easy to digest. That said, I might—and honestly, probably will—change my mind about adding them later on. 🙂

I wasn't really following. Personally, I’m a huge fan of how Lyle McDonald and Alan Aragon handle things. Much like them, I'm all about demystifying nutrition and pushing for a way more chill, flexible approach—which honestly ends up being way healthier in the long run.

goldencyclist60 said:I haven't been following closely. Personally, I’m a big fan of Lyle McDonald's work and Alan Aragon's. Much like them, I advocate for demystifying nutrition through a much gentler, more nuanced approach—one that's ultimately healthier.

I’ve been reading Lyle McDonald, and I followed Aragon for a bit... but he posts to his blog so infrequently that I actually removed him from my e-reader...

Alex writes relatively short pieces compared to Lowe's, but he puts them out almost daily. He’ll grab two or three studies, include the links, and piece together a potential conclusion. Sometimes those conclusions are quite open-ended—he even admits when things are inconclusive—but generally, the content is solid.

Anyway... back to proteins. 😬

I'm currently reading an article about how fructose and glucose affect recovery. Honestly, the whole site is excellent, even if the design looks like it was built a decade ago. It got me thinking... if the optimal combination is glucose plus fructose, should I just toss some white sugar into my whey shake? Or should I aim for something like the glucose from milk (via lactose) paired with some grape juice from Disney? ;-)

Joshua Adams

Walter White said:I follow Lyle McDonald too, and I used to keep an eye on Argonaut... but he posts on his blog so rarely that I actually ended up removing him from my reader...

Alex writes pretty short pieces compared to Lowe's, but he's posting almost every single day. He just grabs two or three studies, drops the links, and mashes together some possible conclusion—sometimes they're pretty open-ended where he admits you can't really prove much, but for the most part, it's solid stuff.

Anyway... back to proteins 😬

I'm actually reading this article about how fructose and glucose affect recovery. Honestly, the whole site is great, even if it looks like it was designed back in 2014... so I'm wondering... if the best combo is glucose + fructose, should I just go with adding white sugar to my whey shake? Or should I try getting glucose from milk (via lactose) plus some gummy bears from Disney? ;-)

D

Yeah, the design is... "minimalist," to put it mildly. 😁
Just toss some white sugar into your shake (doesn't have to be whey, I just posted a new article on the blog about different types of shakes) because it's the cheapest option and works just as well.
And why on earth would you even try to get glucose from lactose?! 😲

Since I’m already mixing my whey with milk anyway... we're looking at lactose (which breaks down into galactose and glucose) plus fructose... that's what I was getting at. Otherwise, if I just add sugar to the milk, I still have the lactose, but then you add sucrose, which effectively triples the glucose intake... or am I missing something here?

Most people opt for dextrose specifically because they want to bypass fructose entirely... If you just stick to standard table sugar, you end up consuming both glucose and fructose at once. Plus, wouldn't you have to consume a much larger amount of sugar just to achieve the same effect?

Oh, great, my bad... I’ve actually been thinking about dextrose this entire time... No idea why I got so hung up on fructose... just pure grapes and whey, I guess.

Walter White said:Since I’m already mixing my whey with milk anyway... that means I've got lactose (galactose and glucose) plus fructose in the mix. That's what I was getting at. Plus, if I just toss sugar into the milk, I'm looking at lactose plus sucrose, which ends up being three times the glucose... or am I totally tripping?

hm, my bad, didn't realize you were drinking it with milk. How much are we talking? Like a cup? If so, you're only getting about 10g of lactose, which breaks down into 5g of galactose and glucose. Compared to the 30g minimum you should be adding (depending on how hard you crush it in the gym), it's basically nothing.
Look, we haven't even touched on the fructose-to-glucose ratio yet—it doesn't strictly have to be 1:1. I don't know if anyone has actually run studies to find the "perfect" ratio, but in my experience, since liver glycogen stores aren't exactly massive, maybe more glucose would actually be better, like a 2:1 or 3:1 split. But honestly, that's just me guessing, and you'd probably only see a real difference if you were an elite pro athlete... so... cost-benefit analysis, right? 🙂

Joshua Adams said:Most folks switching to dextrose are just trying to dodge fructose... If you go with standard table sugar, you're getting both glucose and fructose anyway. Plus, you'd have to eat way more sugar just to get the same effect.

You're totally ignoring the fact that fructose fills up liver glycogen, which glucose doesn't touch.
Avoiding it is just plain stupid...

goldencyclist60 said:you're overlooking how fructose replenishes liver glycogen, which isn't quite the same thing for glucose.
it seems a bit counterproductive to avoid it entirely...

Isn't it also true that excess sugar just ends up being stored as fat, which is exactly what most of us are trying to prevent?

Joshua Adams said:Same goes for all that extra sugar turning straight into fat—and I think we're all trying our best to dodge that bullet...

Wait, where exactly did you find this massive surplus of sugar?

p.s. This whole idea of sugar "converting" into fat is mostly a myth. What's actually happening when you overeat calories (doesn't matter where they come from) is that your body stops burning fat for fuel and starts prioritizing carbs instead. You end up storing way more fat than usual because your body chooses the easier path, not because of some magical "conversion" process. It's just metabolic laziness.

I always mix my whey with milk... honestly, drinking it with water is just unpleasant, and I couldn't care less about those supposed three extra seconds of faster absorption.😬
By the way, does anyone have a link to actual scientific data regarding absorption rates? Everyone seems to claim mixing it with water is superior to using milk, but it feels like they're just relying on some pseudo-scientific logic... the idea being that water has zero calories, so it absorbs quicker and so on. I am genuinely curious if anyone has actually tested this (though I have no idea what kind of methodology they would even use).

Walter White said:Look, I’m always mixing my whey with milk. Drinking it with water is just gross, and honestly? I couldn't care less about that "faster absorption" nonsense people obsess over. Who gives a damn about three extra seconds?😬
By the way, you got any links to actual scientific studies on absorption rates? I know everyone loves to throw around that "water is better than milk" argument, but honestly, it feels like people are just making stuff up as they go. Like, some random logic about how water has zero calories so it hits your system faster or whatever. I'm curious if anyone has actually run a real test on this—and if so, how did they even measure it?

I don't know if anyone’s ever actually tried using milk and water as a medium. Honestly, it's a non-starter. Milk is packed with proteins and other stuff that makes it fundamentally different from plain old water. You can't even compare them.

Look, if you match up the protein count and the carb types between both shakes, there shouldn't be any damn difference. I left fats out of this on purpose because they don't do squat for muscle synthesis or catabolism.

Yeah, exactly. Like I already laid out on my blog, faster absorption isn't always a win. It doesn't necessarily mean it's better.