You consume whey protein because you won't be able to get enough protein just eating your regular meals all day. Two scoops is 60grams of protein. That is damn efficient. My friend takes four scoops a day. That is 120 grams of protein on top of the 20-30grams he gets from his meals. There's no BS. You need protein to build mass. Pre-workout, I don't know how that works, but protein is pretty important.
Worked at the Vitamin Shoppe when I was a teen. And regarding preworkout, it is indeed bull****. First of all it is NOT healthy and not worth it in the long run. And I have to disagree regarding the protein. It does help but not in the way people think. Protein is there to help you maintain your body weight and help lean down if you want to go down that route. Contrary to popular belief most proteins don't "build mass", thats what a weight gainer does. A typical protein shake, lets say gold standard, can run to about 100 calories. That won't do much to your weight, but a typical weight gain shake can run from 600-1000 calories.
I've been advised that it helps to take in some protein before a tough workout. Tried this a few times and it may have helped me stay in the gym a little longer and push myself more. How much of that is scientifically valid is inconclusive as is most 'bro science'.
The point of the protein powder isn't to be better than a "real" meal, it's to supplement calories/protein that you're not able to consume otherwise. If you believe it's some magical workout powder, then yeah it's bull****. Otherwise it is what it is, a convenient way to get some protein in.
Didn't realize science was a con? Go ahead and consume 3000 calories worth of carbohydrates and fat a day and tell me how much muscle you can pack on. Sure you can pack on mass without protein. It won't be muscle mass though.
Not that aspect, moreso the whole over emphasis of protein powders by the sup companies. Was there too at one point but haven't bought powder in years.
I last used PMD ACG3 Charged+. It's waaay over priced but I liked it. Has Creatine in it as well. Just make sure that you're actually in the gym and ready to go by the time it kicks in, otherwise you'll be entirely too intense to function in any other facet of society. Get a BCAA powder and mix with water to drink throughout your lift. And a protien isolate shake before and after your workout. I'm not a scientist or expert or anything, but that stuff really worked for me.
I know someone who imports some rare organic fungus that to eat before workouts. Damn Joe Rogen podcasts.
vitamin B...the tablets that dissolve under the tongue. i don't know if it really works or it just has a placebo effect for me...either way...
What is your argument here, that you don't need protein powders to gain muscle? Of course you don't and nobody here said you did. Protein itself is necessary to build muscle and powder is a source of it, the same way an egg, chicken, etc is.
