Muscle Milk or is there something better?

[hennessy1]

I am looking to take in alot of protein for weightlifting. I heard muscle milk is the best way to go these days for that or is there a better supplement out there that I can take. I don't just mean the liquid muscle milk the powder as well. Thank you.

 

[bossman34]

Muscle Milk isn't just a protein supplement...it's pretty much an entire meal replacement/PWO shake meaning that it has carbohydrates and fat as well. I am a believer that a protein supplement should be your last course of action after figuring out the rest of your diet and making sure you're getting good, quality protein from whole food.

That being said, I sometimes have a protein shake after a workout because it's a quick and easy way to get my carbs and protein after a workout. I usually just get a quality whey protein powder (Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey, Syntha-6) and blend it up with a banana/berries and some oats. It tastes good and gets me plenty of protein, carbs, and some nutrients from the fruit.

 

[SneakyStuff]

If you're looking to pack on the pounds try "CytoGainer".

 

[everman]

For just protein, take a protein supplement. Muscle Milk is a different kind of product designed to increase your caloric intake.

 

[hennessy1]

I tried looking on the gnc website for the Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey, Syntha-6 and I found them but I have no idea which to choose if you could help me out in that department I'd really appreciate it. I am trying to increase the protein intake. I am good with the carbs and calories intake I'd like to build more muscle in my workouts so if those items you said would help I'd like to give them a try. Thank you.

 

[KoolDrew]

Food > Supplements

Supplements can help if you find it too hard to get enough protein from your diet; however, too often people use protein powder as their main protein source, which is not what you want. What does your current diet look like? Are you tracking calories and protein intake? How much do you weigh and at what bodyfat %?

 

[hennessy1]

I eat pretty much anything except seafood so w/e i can get at the time but I rarely go and eat fast food. I havent tracked my calories my current weight is around 165-170 give or take a few pounds and I have no idea my bodyfat %. I know that is not much to go on but I am trying to increase my protein intake to induce more muscle creation. I know I am not going to be the hulk or anything but I just want to increase some more.

 

[KoolDrew]

How do you know you are getting enough calories without tracking them? Are you gaining weight? Also, what makes you think you're not getting enough protein?

Do yourself a favor and start tracking what you eat. Aim for 16-18 cal/lb and 1 g/lb of bodyweight for protein (in your case, 170g). Carbs and fat ratio can vary, but I've found that by simply setting fat intake to 20-25% (or 0.4-0.5 g/lb) of total calories and then simply filling the rest with carbs works well. Try that and if you have trouble reaching 170g of protein daily, consider a protein supplement but don't use it as your primary protein source. As far as which one is best, it's not going to really matter much. Not nearly as much as total protein intake anyway.

Once you've got everything set monitor your weight on a weekly basis. If weight isn't increasing by 0.5-1lb per week, adjust calories.