Best protein powders for muscle gain?

So, I’ve been crushing these protein shakes for about 3 or 4 weeks now.
Obviously, the scale hasn't budged an ounce, but looking at my clothes, things are definitely fitting differently 😉—I’ve even had people asking if I lost weight. 😍
I guess the actual pounds will catch up eventually.
Does it make a difference if I stir in a spoonful of Nesquik? Honestly, that's the only way I can actually stomach this stuff.

Thanks a lot, slytrucker47—that was exactly the kind of explanation I needed.😉

If you're just slamming protein shakes without any extra support, you aren't going to see much progress—it’s like trying to win a race while wearing lead boots. Also, a little heads-up regarding caffeine: if you're using creatine, you really have to watch out because caffeine can actually block the effectiveness of the creatine
I haven't touched a drop of coffee in two weeks now—actually, heading into my third week—and I honestly feel incredible. The battle against this stubborn body fat is being fought down to the very last trench; specifically that lower abdominal area, but I am absolutely not surrendering yet

As for that whole idea about caffeine and creatine—from what I’ve gathered, it’s mostly just an urban legend without much actual proof behind it. Honestly, you're far more likely to mess up your progress if you're out hitting the bar for drinks while you're on a creatine cycle.

jadetiger962 said:As for the whole caffeine and creatine thing—well, from what I’ve gathered, that sounds more like an urban legend than anything actually proven. Honestly, if you ask me, the real damage comes from mixing alcohol into the equation while you're on a creatine cycle.

Look, professor, I have to respectfully disagree there—even the most hardcore fitness trainers wouldn't dream of telling you to skip out on creatine or caffeine. On the flip side, any serious bodybuilder worth their salt is going to steer clear of alcohol; it's loaded with empty calories that hit your bloodstream instantly, and let's face it—your progress just takes a massive hit when you start drinking.

jadetiger962 said:As for the caffeine and creatine thing, I've heard that's mostly just an urban legend with no actual proof behind it. Honestly, you're doing more damage if you're hitting the beer while on a creatine cycle.

Whether it’s a myth or not, anyone can figure it out themselves using some good old-fashioned common sense. 😁

Coffee has a diuretic effect—meaning it flushes water out of your system—specifically because of the caffeine content.

On the other hand, creatine works by pulling water directly into the muscle cells to increase volume. This process aids hypertrophy (muscle growth) and improves the leverage of your bones during lifts, which makes us stronger.

So, taking them together doesn't make much sense since their effects on water retention are working against each other.

It's pretty logical, isn't it? 🙂

Look, it’s pretty simple: if you're strictly on a bulking phase, caffeine isn't really a priority, and if you're cutting for definition, creatine isn't your main concern... though, if you decide to run both at once, you just need to balance them so they don't interfere with each other.

goldenfox24 said:Look, professor, I have to disagree there. Most serious fitness trainers wouldn't dream of recommending you mix creatine with caffeine, and as for alcohol, any dedicated bodybuilder stays far away from it because those empty calories hit your system hard and just tank your progress if you start drinking.

Maybe try doing a little Google search and actually looking up some peer-reviewed studies. From everything I’ve gathered, caffeine only really interferes with creatine if you're slamming massive doses of it. A single cup of coffee isn't going to ruin your gains.

coastalbison12 said:Whether it's a myth or not, anyone can figure it out for themselves if they use the good old-fashioned tool at their disposal: common sense logic. 😁

Coffee has—amongst all its other properties—a diuretic effect, meaning it flushes water out of your system, and that's precisely because of the caffeine.

It's pretty logical, right? 🙂

The human body isn't quite simple enough to be solved by just applying basic logic like that. I’ll say it again—don't just take a trainer's word for it; go online and find actual research. For heaven's sake, it's not like we're living in the Middle Ages relying on hearsay when we have access to such a massive wealth of information right at our fingertips.

P.S. It doesn't really matter to me personally; I don't touch coffee or alcohol anyway, regardless of what's happening with the creatine.

jadetiger962 said:The human body isn't simple enough to be solved with pure logic alone. I’ll say it again—don't just take a trainer's word for it; go online and look up actual research. Good grief, it’s not like we’re living in the Middle Ages blindly following hearsay when we have access to such a massive amount of information.

P.S. It doesn't really affect me personally; I don't drink coffee or alcohol anyway, regardless of the creatine

You're reaching... I actually feel bad for you. 😢

I hate to write this, but here we go...

What I stated above are undeniable facts and basic biological mechanisms. I don't feel the need to double-check them; I did that a long time ago.

If you want to overcomplicate the conversation, go ahead. You can drag it out indefinitely, but I honestly don't see the point.

Everyone has a different build and varying reactions to caffeine or creatine... there are so many variables involved that you could spend forever conducting studies on it.

Of course, nothing involving the human body is strictly black and white (I'm not sure why I even need to mention 🤷), but for the sake of keeping this discussion within understandable bounds, it's enough to grasp those two fundamental principles I mentioned and understand why drinking coffee during a creatine loading phase isn't recommended.

Naturally, it's not the same whether a 240 lb guy has one small cup of coffee after breakfast or a 150 lb guy knocks back five strong coffees throughout the day... but that’s just unnecessary nitpicking.

Personally, I’m not a fan of "internet research." I've seen plenty of articles backed by big-name experts that turned out to be total nonsense.

I prefer to rely on serious literature and my own observations. 🙂

jadetiger962 said:As far as I've heard, that whole thing about caffeine and creatine is just an urban legend with no real proof behind it. Honestly, you'll get way more trouble out of drinking booze while you're on creatine.

It's all just nonsense, really—not even worth a debate. It's like worrying about whether you're drinking enough water when taking creatine. If you're slamming enough caffeine to actually negate the effects of your creatine, then the creatine isn't going to be your biggest issue. 😉

Ethan Garcia8 said:It’s all just a bunch of nonsense, really—honestly, it feels a bit silly to even debate it, much like arguing about whether you're drinking enough water while taking creatine. I mean, if you're slamming enough caffeine to actually counteract the effects of your creatine, then the creatine isn't going to be the least of your worries. 😉

You've got the wrong person here 😁

jadetiger962 said:The odds maker picked the wrong guy 😁

I'm not actually placing any bets here. 🙂

Can I just have some raisins instead of adding glucose to my whey shake after a workout?
I really don't feel like buying glucose powder, but I've seen people mentioning raisins online. If I go that route, how many should I eat? And is it going to make me gain fat🙂? Honestly, I had to ask...😁

Linda Hill27 said:Can I just have some whey after my workout and eat a few raisins instead of using glucose in my drink?
I don't feel like buying glucose, but I see people mentioning raisins. So, how many should I eat? And will it make me gain fat🙂? Honestly, I had to ask...😁

Of course you can.

Linda Hill27 said:Can I just have some whey after my workout and eat a few raisins instead of using glucose in my drink?
I don't really feel like buying glucose, but I see people mentioning raisins. So, how many should I eat? And will it make me gain fat🙂? Honestly, I had to ask...😁

Well, raisins are actually more expensive. Why not just stick with glucose?

slytrucker47 said:Of course!

What do you mean "of course"? Of course I can, or of course it makes you gain weight😁?

Little Bear: Honestly, I haven't really thought about it—probably because you can find grapes in every single grocery store out here.🙂

You can find Glucose at pretty much any CVS out there...

I didn't realize that. I honestly thought I was picking it up at the same grocery stores where I grab my whey.

Check your inbox; look for those light blue boxes labeled Glucose.

I will, thanks! I'll just mix that in with my whey after my workout, right?