Many people have bought into the hype and marketing push to consume chemically manufactured protein powders as pre and post-workout essentials. The supplement industry is largely unregulated, and supplements often contain "proprietary formulas" that make it difficult to assess the potential effectiveness.
The amount of protein you eat throughout your day with snacks and meals adds to the muscle repair/restrengthening process so it is not necessary to have large quantities of protein before or right after a workout, but enough protein throughout the course of the day. In addition, it is important to consume adequate amounts of carbohydrates, both before and after workouts, as this is the fuel that your muscles actually run on. If you don't eat enough carbs, your body will have to use some of the protein that you eat as fuel, a much less efficient process that can impair your muscle gains. The recommended dietary allowance for healthy adults is 0.8 grams of protein/kg of body weight. So for a 170lbs adult, that equates to roughly 61 grams of protein per day. (170 lbs/2.2 = 77.2 kg x 0.8 = 61 grams). One chicken breast averages 43 grams of protein so it is easy to see how quickly you can meet your daily protein needs.
We recommend these real food items as a wonderful way to enhance your intake and get adequate nutrition needs for exercise:
mixed berries topped with chia seeds
cottage cheese with a fruit snack
hard-boiled egg with a fruit snack
a handful of almonds or walnuts with a fruit snack
avocado, cucumbers, salsa with grilled shrimp or chicken for mini-meal
2-3 TBS chia seeds for protein drink before y fat (avocado, olive, flax, or hemp oil, saute with grapeseed or coconut oil) with lunch and dinner
Add healthy fat (Braggs Healthy Vinaigrette or Ginger Sesame salad dressing) at lunch and dinner
3 egg-white omelet with veggies and avocados for breakfast
Level 1 smoothies with hemp or chia seeds for breakfast
Warm quinoa, topped with fruit and nuts, cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice for breakfast
Time to fuel up and get moving!