Whey Protein Isolate - Part 6 - How Much Should I Take and When?

<< Part 5 - Side Effects and Cons <<

Now that we know all the benefits and the few possible side effects of whey protein isolate, we need to learn more about the proper dosages.

All of your supplement containers are going to give you suggestions as to how much and when you should take your supplements, but for some reason you don’t always trust those instructions.

They are trying to keep you buying their product, so you may sometimes fear that they’re trying to get you to consume too much.

Let’s sidestep those fears and look at things with a more logical approach.

Proper Protein Dosage

The proper protein dosage for you isn’t going to be the same daily dosage that someone else needs. We all come in different sizes and we have different fitness goals.

I want you to be sure that you realize when I talk about your daily protein dosage,I don’t mean only from supplements! You don’t have to try to get this amount from supplements on top of what you eat.

If you eat a steak, eggs or almonds, those all count toward your daily protein consumption. And the numbers I mention below are per pound of lean body weight, which means your body weight minus your fat.

Here are a few common fitness goals and the total amount of protein you should aim to get each day in order to achieve your goal:

• Increasing Endurance - .7 to .9 grams per pound of LEAN body weight
• Increasing Power or Speed - .9 to 1.1 grams per pound of LEAN body weight
• Gaining Muscle – 1 to 1.6 grams per pound of LEAN body weight
• Losing Weight - .35 to 1 gram per pound of LEAN body weight

So if you’re 200lbs, with a 20% body fat percentage (160lbs lean weight), and you’re trying to lose weight, then you should try to consume a total of 56 to 160 grams of protein each day. If you have a hard time getting that from the food and drink you consume, then you should add in a protein supplement.

You can also use protein to help you with other common issues like Stress (.45 - .7 grams/lb) or Recovering from Trauma (.9 - 1.4 grams/lb).

So now that you have a good idea as to how much protein you should be consuming each day, let’s look at when you should consume it.

You’re going to want to consume high quality protein for all of your meals so that your body functions properly. Whenever you don’t have time to get protein from a meal that would be a great time to mix up a quick protein shake.

But when most people are paying attention to things like daily protein consumption they’re doing it for health reasons and they usually have one of the goals listed above in mind.

Changing your eating habits is a big step toward your fitness goal but you should also look at changing your level of activity; yes I mean exercise.

One of the best times for you to consume a shake that contains whey protein isolate is right after your workout. Your body is looking to repair itself after all the stress you put it through. Yes, exercise is stress, but your body repairs itself stronger than before and you make progress!

Whey protein isolate is digested very quickly so you can ensure that your body gets the protein it needs when it needs it, if you consume your protein supplement right after your workout. When you help your body out like that, you’ll recover quicker and reach your goal even faster. That’s the kind of motivation you need to stick with your workouts.

So now you know how much whey protein isolate to take to help fill in those protein gaps and when to take it.

In closing, I’d like to mention a few of the top rated whey protein isolate supplements out there to help steer you in the right direction.

>> Continue Reading Part 7 - Sources & Conclusion >>