My peri-workout nutrition is: 4 shakes each of which contain 35g Whey Protein, 100g Maltodextrin. 2 out of the 4 shakes contain 10g creatine, 15g BCAAs. I’m 6’9, 130kg.
This workout nutrition makes me feel mega sick. I also find it hard to eat for hours after going to the gym.
Is it the lactose content of the whey protein (I’m told it’s seriously minimal) or is it the huge amount of maltodextrin, or is it that I’ve developed an intolerance?
Anyone got similar problems?
Should I cycle my protein powder sources more, and cycle my carb powders too?
What’s the alternative to Whey? Casein would presumably be worse for lactose intolerance. Pea, organic hemp and brown rice proteins are surely bullshit? I’ve found an egg white protein powder which seems like it could be decent - it’s probably a slow release protein though — what do others think?
that’s a huge amount of shake. Why not, like 2 shakes instead of 4? That would also reduce the amount of fluid, which might be an issue. What about cutting the amount of sugar in half?
and if you’ve been taking creatine for a while, the book would tell you that 5g or so would be enough for maintenance.
Your body simply cannot process that many calories in such a short period of time. The undigested carbs will pass into your gut causing gastric distress. Lactose probably has nothing to do with it - it is simply too many calories from the maltodextrin. Try cutting back to one or two shakes tops depending on the length of your workout - one per hour is probably the most your body can handle.
John Berardi recommends 3 peri-workout shakes - one before, during and after.
I can’t remember the details but for bulking he recommends something like 80g carbs. I bumped that up to 100g and started doing 4 shakes instead of 3. Don’t know why - just thought I should try and gain weight/muscle. I don’t think I’ve gained any muscle since October, despite having got stronger (Dead up 45kg, Squat up 30kg, Clean up 15kg, Bench up 5kg, Military up 15kg).
I will reduce shakes to 80g carbs and only 3 of them. I’ll see if that leads to less gastic distress.
I also thought I should consume a higher grade protein supplement and maybe try palatinose for carbs (this is slow-digesting though, which is probably not what I want?) – I can’t handle the sweetness of dextrose.
Lower the amount in each shakes, pick up some digestive enzymes (amylase, proteases), or go to a few all you can eat rib nights and get a bigger stomach.
I recommend the last two, as you get more calories during you workout, get digestive aid, and get to be generally awesome.
Whey Isolate is easier to digest than Whey Concentrate (or a blend of those two) in my experience. Try to find a 100% whey isolate.
As already noted, you’re eating way too much during your workout. It’s obvious why you feel sick. Did Berardi say 80 carbs total? That sounds more reasonable to me. Also, you should ease into these big dietary changes, the same way you would make your workouts harder. Start with one shake. When you can handle that, then think about adding a second shake.