Should football players drink protein shakes?

[coachmws]

Creatine occurs naturally in the body and is used for the resynthesis of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). ATP is what makes the muscle cells contract and when your muscle cells are out of ATP they won't contract anymore. Adding creatine makes more ATP than you would normally have which means you can work harder and longer. Repairing muscle cells is what the proteins do, not the creatine.

 

Creatine has not been tested in teens so they should stay away from it. In the real world, kids today don't eat a balanced diet so the extra protein from from a shake or bars will help build muscle mass faster and it won't hurt you. Just check the lable to make sure a lot of other stuff is not added. Extra vitamins/minerals are in the better suppliments and are OK

 

 

 

i went to memphis and one of the guys who developed creatine was there. he is now at baylor running their sports performance lab. creatine is produced in the body, taking it as a supplement simply makes you retain water more than you normally would. that's why you tend to swell up. also aids in recovery so you can train much quicker to the same muscle groups.

 

as for protien, no problem. it aslo aids in muscle recovery to the exact muscle fibers. when you work out your muscle fibers are actually torn EVERY TIME. supplementing protein aids the recovery process. exercise science major in college

[Kevin38]

Creatine occurs naturally in the body and is used for the resynthesis of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). ATP is what makes the muscle cells contract and when your muscle cells are out of ATP they won't contract anymore. Adding creatine makes more ATP than you would normally have which means you can work harder and longer. Repairing muscle cells is what the proteins do, not the creatine.

 

Creatine has not been tested in teens so they should stay away from it. In the real world, kids today don't eat a balanced diet so the extra protein from from a shake or bars will help build muscle mass faster and it won't hurt you. Just check the lable to make sure a lot of other stuff is not added. Extra vitamins/minerals are in the better suppliments and are OK

 

 

I got my info about creatine from one of my instructors who has his doctrine so I felt he was a pretty reliable source. I have just had a couple of anatomy classes back to back so I have heard the exact same thing about creatine synthesizing the ATPs and all of that hoopla. The protein naturally repairs the muscles but not at an excelerated rate; so I stand by what I said that you get more than enough from a normal diet. I am not by any means an expert; my primary focus is not on personal nutrition or training or anything like that. This is what I have been taught so I am gonna close my argument right there; I am not claiming to be right or wrong but just b/c the label says something does not mean it is right.

[zonepirate]

I got my info about creatine from one of my instructors who has his doctrine so I felt he was a pretty reliable source. I have just had a couple of anatomy classes back to back so I have heard the exact same thing about creatine synthesizing the ATPs and all of that hoopla. The protein naturally repairs the muscles but not at an excelerated rate; so I stand by what I said that you get more than enough from a normal diet. I am not by any means an expert; my primary focus is not on personal nutrition or training or anything like that. This is what I have been taught so I am gonna close my argument right there; I am not claiming to be right or wrong but just b/c the label says something does not mean it is right.

 

 

"all of that hoopla"? I sure hope the anatomy classes are not something you will rely on in your career

 

What I said is not off of a lable . I have done a little research.

 

I agree with you. If kids eat a balanced diet, high in protein and good carps and low in fats that they would get all the protein they need. But speaking from experience that rarely happens with HS kids who hit fast food joints way too often and tend to grab a quick snack because they stay busy. You're still young and probably stay very busy...do you eat a balance diet? I think the extra protein is beneficial to add muscle mass considering a typical teenager's diet filled with fats, carbs and sugars. IMO, It is best for teenagers to avoid creatine suppliments.

[Kevin38]

"all of that hoopla"? I sure hope the anatomy classes are not something you will rely on in your career

 

 

I know you probably didnt mean for it to sound that way; but this is kind of offensive. I used "hoopla" b/c it is alot of info that I probably will not need in my field but still had to sit through the class and hear it all. I just am not going to sit here and ring off all of those big terms to make myself sound intelligent.

[Coniglio]

I just am not going to sit here and ring off all of those big terms to make myself sound intelligent.

 

 

A little off topic, so you want us to think you aren't intelligent?

 

 

Didn't read most of the thread....

I wouldn't recommend the protein shakes, especially in place of a well balanced diet. The best thing possible (but it's extremely hard to try, especially with school and practice and etc) is 5 or 6 much much smaller meals a day. That way you aren't carrying around extra, but you have just enough. And once that just enough runs out, it's time for another mini meal.

 

I'd say that 3 meals a day is the next best thing though. And it's the more logistically possible with how our daily lives are.

[zonepirate]

i went to memphis and one of the guys who developed creatine was there. he is now at baylor running their sports performance lab. creatine is produced in the body, taking it as a supplement simply makes you retain water more than you normally would. that's why you tend to swell up. also aids in recovery so you can train much quicker to the same muscle groups.

 

as for protien, no problem. it aslo aids in muscle recovery to the exact muscle fibers. when you work out your muscle fibers are actually torn EVERY TIME. supplementing protein aids the recovery process. exercise science major in college

 

 

You studied about like I did in college .

 

Creatine rebuilds ATP from ADP (adenosine-diphosphate) created during contraction of the muscle cell. The creatine suplimentation simply enhances the ability of the muscle to maintain power output during brief periods of high-intensity exercise above what your body could normally do. ie..you can work harder for longer bursts getting more work out of your muscles. Water retention is a side effect of creatine loading, not normal use at lower levels. The recovery and rebuilding of the muscle cells is another process involving amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.

 

OK that's my last lecture on creatine and proteins. My advise, do your own research before taking suppliments. Understand what they do and how they do it and then make an informed decision

[zonepirate]

I know you probably didnt mean for it to sound that way; but this is kind of offensive. I used "hoopla" b/c it is alot of info that I probably will not need in my field but still had to sit through the class and hear it all. I just am not going to sit here and ring off all of those big terms to make myself sound intelligent.

 

 

Sorry if I offended. I like dishing out a little humor. When you said all that hoopla that's exactly what I figured. You had the basic premise down (protein through your diet) but had your facts (like what creatine does) a little off. Remember, that kid was asking a honest question and more kids will read the thread. When it comes to supliments and muscle building all that hoopla can be important. It's pretty easy to check before you post

[Kevin38]

Sorry if I offended. I like dishing out a little humor. When you said all that hoopla that's exactly what I figured. You had the basic premise down (protein through your diet) but had your facts (like what creatine does) a little off. Remember, that kid was asking a honest question and more kids will read the thread. When it comes to supliments and muscle building all that hoopla can be important. It's pretty easy to check before you post

 

 

I really didnt take offense; I understand the points you made and most of it is pretty close to what I said from just paying attention in class. I do enough research as is which is why I didnt go looking this stuff up. That is also why I recommended people to do their own research and make their own decision b/c like I said......I am no expert.

[HOGEYE75]

Thanks for all the information.

[MO$$$$]

Just wanted to add some common sense to this. If they are not regulated by the FDA then they can say or produce what ever they want until something happens to shut them down. They have many paid programs that make bold statements that are also questionable. Like the juicer for instance. They lead you to think all you have to do is drink juice made from veggies to be healthy. Then there is a pill that will enlarge that certain part of a mans body. Made from herbs. Myth busters ran the test on the latter with 3 men for 6 months. Guess what? Busted. It did nothing. My point is, its easy to sell ego products. At what ever price you ask. Like cosmetics for instance. They make a lot of claims they cant prove. If it don't work, the ego makes you ashamed to pursue it. So they remain in business. A few bold claims lead to bolder ones.

 

MY opinion. I think if you work hard enough at building muscle you can do it without the aid of supplements. I assure you an hour a day wont give great results. Body builders work in gyms and put in several hours a day. I would only take vitamins to supplement what you may not get from eating the wrong types of food. Eat healthy, work out longer, and more often and the results will show. Better doing a sure thing than being fooled by a snake oil salesman. There is no easy way to build muscle. It takes commitment and pain.

[BUC4LIFE]

Whey and casein are milk proteins. Whey is fast digesting (30 min for muscle building) and casein is slow digesting (6-7 hrs for muscle retention). Soy and albumen (eggs) are medium digesting proteins and bridge the gap between whey and casein. All are safe and good for you. Just get the supplements (shakes or bars) from a known and reputable source (GNC, etc) and it helps to take extra vitamins too. Carbs and fats will not build muscle...you have to have protein. It is hard to eat enough food to get all the proteins without consuming too much fat but a balanced meal should be your first source. Talk to your coach/trainer/doctor to see if they think supplements are what you need based on your training program

WOW!!! Zone, will you come back and be our team nutritionist? I thought you were a pretty sharp guy, but this has elevated my already good opinion of you. My son does the Whey protein. I was told by a trainer that anything over about 30 grams of protein at a time was worthless, that the body could not digest more than that at a time. He said you can pay a lot more for more grams of protein per drink, but you were just throwing away money. The past couple of years, we have used the 1850 calorie drinks and took half the dose in the morning and the other half at dinner. This will help the players maintain their weight during the season. I was told that anytime someone lost 3% of their body weight (that was in shape already) that they lost strength as well.Hope your son is healthy and doing well.

Just wanted to add some common sense to this. If they are not regulated by the FDA then they can say or produce what ever they want until something happens to shut them down. They have many paid programs that make bold statements that are also questionable. Like the juicer for instance. They lead you to think all you have to do is drink juice made from veggies to be healthy. Then there is a pill that will enlarge that certain part of a mans body. Made from herbs. Myth busters ran the test on the latter with 3 men for 6 months. Guess what? Busted. It did nothing. My point is, its easy to sell ego products. At what ever price you ask. Like cosmetics for instance. They make a lot of claims they cant prove. If it don't work, the ego makes you ashamed to pursue it. So they remain in business. A few bold claims lead to bolder ones. MY opinion. I think if you work hard enough at building muscle you can do it without the aid of supplements. I assure you an hour a day wont give great results. Body builders work in gyms and put in several hours a day. I would only take vitamins to supplement what you may not get from eating the wrong types of food. Eat healthy, work out longer, and more often and the results will show. Better doing a sure thing than being fooled by a snake oil salesman. There is no easy way to build muscle. It takes commitment and pain.

Great post!!!

[wildcatpride70]

As a student at APSU and this involving the area that I am majoring in this issue has come up multiple times in our classes. The answer to the question is unless they just simply have some kind of wierd diet where they never eat or drink milk, eggs, cheese, or many other foods that contain protein they get more than enough in their normal diet.

 

Also especially if they play football w/ the exception of a few of them there matabolisms are at its peak so burgers, pizza, pasta, and all of the other popular unhealthy foods will not hurt them. In fact they probably need the energy that they are getting from those foods b/c football takes it out of you. Chances are they are going to work it all back off very quickly; when I was that age I ate like a hores and never gained an ounce, now I think about a piece of fried chicken and gain 5 pounds.

 

i caint really agree with you when u say people's diets consisting of unhealthy food wont hurt them because i know A LOT of young people that eat like that and play ball that aint really in that good of shape