Protein Powder vs Real Food for Building Muscle | Are Supplements a Waste of Money?

[@terrywbreedlove]

Always food first for everything. Supplements and Protein powders are great but food first.

[@Weregonnamakeit]

Here in Canada, food prices are insane. I only wish the costs you've shown per 30g were remotely similar. If not on sale, 2lbs of chicken breast is over 30.00. I use isolates, instead of straight whey. Very fast digestion, super clean, no bloating. At $105 for 5lbs, is still a mega deal by comparison to what the equivalent in groceries costs. It's BS to hear people say you don't grow with powder. Years and years of daily consumption have proven otherwise. You definitely need more protein than you think when over 50, too. Keep up the great work, James.

[@JamesGrage]

You're 100% correct. As we age we need to increase our intake to make up for our body's decreased efficiency at processing proteins

[@davidbrown4271]

When is enough enough ? Just can’t believe I needs 180 grams a day according to some people , 80 should be plenty to still train and build muscle

[@CovertCowboy79]

Yeah, I hear you on that one man food prices here in California are crazy but the science behind what he’s talking about makes a lot of sense so I like the information on that aspect👍

[@haroldmilroy4489]

As always sir an intelligent and interesting discussion. Glad to see more videos recently. God bless

[@JamesGrage]

Thank you! 🙏 I appreciate the positive feedback.

[@billunderwood670]

Thank you so much for mentioning and answering the concern about Protein Spiking.....

[@JamesGrage]

Unfortunately it’s all too common, and has been for a very long time. At the center of the problem is the fact that proteins like whey are a commodity and the price for raw protein can fluctuate significantly, increasing the cost to make a finished product. On the flip side most consumers are used to paying a certain amount and don’t like seeing the price of their favorite protein go up significantly in price. This leaves brands with two choices: lose margin on an already low-margin item, or cut corners (like protein spiking). Unfortunately some brands choose the latter. Putting my consumer hat back on, I’ve learned that often times you get what you paid for. A super cheap protein is probably a super cheap protein.

[@benclark1753]

Excellent video thanks, James.

[@JamesGrage]

Appreciate it my friend. 👊

[@guzguzon3310]

Your videos are the best, very informative and easy to understand. Thank you for your efforts!!

[@JamesGrage]

Thank you very much for the very positive feedback!

[@marcdanieltheriault3955]

✌️Over 35 years of working out. Consumed whey protein shakes religiously for approximately 25 years. I decided to drop all supplements at the beginning of this past February to see if it would affect my workouts & abilities to regain/maintain muscle as a lifelong natural gym rat. The results are beyond my wildest dreams(very lean 180 lbs at 5’10” & 8% bodyfat). Therefore, in my opinion whey supplements have their place in certain situations but are not necessary so long as overall daily protein is of quality + sufficient amounts. Should be noted that I have been eating Carnivore(animal meats, butter, eggs etc…) & by no means am I nor will I ever preach to anyone how/what to eat. Best of luck to everyone out there. Please never give up👌👍💪🥩🇨🇦🇺🇸

[@parkerb764]

Being a bigger guy ( 242lbs) trying to eat and chew that much meat is not easy! I take in at least 100g of protein in whey shakes

[@JamesGrage]

Yeah, getting all of your protein from whole foods is not an easy task.

[@kbuzbee]

300# here. Same. I try to get as much “real food” as I can but without shakes I couldn’t do it

[@lesontime]

Not supposed to be easy otherwise everyone would be jacked

[@kbuzbee]

@@lesontime you well know, nutrition is not the difficult part…. Work, work, work… (eat, sleep) 😂 Or so I hear!

[@sebastianjuara]

can i ask why? 1lb of meat has roughly 0.25 lbs of protein, you only need to eat 350ish grams of protein? if you have 1 lb steak at lunch, 1 lb steak at dinner, you already have roughly 250gr of protein, + protein from other food you accompany the meat with (rice, potatoes, etc), you only have to consume 90-100 gr of proteins splitted between breakfast and afternoon snacks, it doesn't sound as too much.

[@miscetc-tm2yt]

You can also use the protein powder to satisfy sweets cravings like using it to bake brownies or cookies.

[@NarutoOfRivia]

Hey James, I have a question. I'm a vegetarian, not vegan, and I consume a plant-based diet and milk products. I don't eat eggs. My question is, I take around 70-80 grams of protein per day. Currently, I'm taking only one scoop, but getting protein from other sources is too difficult while shedding weight. Already lost 5kgs(~11 Lbs).Can I take two scoops of whey protein per day? Will it affect my body? Two scoops will make up more than 50% of my protein intake.

[@JamesGrage]

Hey my friend. You can take 2 scoops of whey per day with no problems.

[@NarutoOfRivia]

@@JamesGrage thanks a lot for the reply.

[@TOadamus]

Thanks for this informative video james, i love to keep it simple i would take it after training or if i don't feel like cooking ...but try to keep it at 2 protein drinks for the day not more than that.

[@JamesGrage]

👊

[@josephcanaday]

I apologize James Grage didn't see that thank you sir I appreciate you.

[@michaelh2797]

Some essential amino acid supplement companies, two that I know of, claim only 18% of whey protein is utilized by the body. The rest is turned to glucose and nitrogen waste to be urinated out. I'd love to hear your take on this. It has to do with the ratio of the amino acids. I'm not sure I buy it, I've checked my blood sugar an hour after drinking whey, and there was minimal change.

[@johnr4836]

I used to think that, but I got consistently stronger mixing whey with milk daily

[@JamesGrage]

Protein powders can definitely make a difference. It's not easy to consistently get the right amount of protein just from whole food sources.

[@JDAfrica]

As a notoriously bad eater, and have put in a lot of weight over the years (had a amputation so cousins do cardio) … shakes helped me to get protein easily throughout the day. I take 4-5 shakes a day, and also eat eggs/bacon for breakfast, then my usual protein heavy dinner … I skip lunch most days. Had amazing results, doing body recomp - lost almost all weight and put on a great amount of muscle.

[@adamhammer9736]

Does the info in your video also apply to Casein or "Milk Protein Isolate"? I see that a lot on the protein drinks at the grocery store.

[@JamesGrage]

So milk protein isolate and casein are lower grade milk proteins than whey, and have lower BV and PDCAAS scores, but they aren't the worst option either.

[@IgorVolyn]

Of course real food is best with all the nutrients they have. But as long as you get all nutrients you need using some high quality powder is ok too. Eating 300 gram protein when its summer is not easy so 200g from food and 100g from shakes is ok.

[@JamesGrage]

300g/day from whole food only is definitely not easy.

[@voiceshrey]

Great insights

[@JamesGrage]

Thank you!

[@AndreLucas-tm8yq]

Your the man tell this people the truth

[@user-kb1jv2us4e]

Is it best to have a protein shake before or post workout 🤔

[@JamesGrage]

Ideally you want to make sure you get adequate protein pre-workout, but give it enough time to digest. Fo protein shakes I typically drink mine about 90 minutes before my workout. Then post workout I try to get either a whole food protein meal in right after my workout, or you could even have another shake if that's more convenient.

[@user-kb1jv2us4e]

@@JamesGrage Cheers mate. 🫡👊💪

[@taomahNEGEV]

It's called a Supplement for a good reason. The problem is it's hard to find good quality (80

[@JamesGrage]

Yeah I can’t think of one of the top of my head.

[@s1vrbck_fitness]

Thank you for the video James. This is the first time I have heard of protein spiking. My current whey protein is not listed on Informed Choice. So, I am looking for a better whey protein.

[@JamesGrage]

👊🙌

[@guzguzon3310]

What about beef protein powder? Would it be more bioavailable than whey protein powder?

[@JamesGrage]

There’s not a lot of good data out there on the BV score of a beef protein isolate, but since it’s going to be much easier to digest than say a steak, it’s going to have a higher BV score. With that said, I can’t give you a definitive answer without better data but my guess is that it’s still a lower BV score than whey and egg.

[@guzguzon3310]

Thank you 👍👍👍

[@baysick11]

Are whole food sources healthier for your liver? I heard whey protein with fast digesting carbs can really mess up ur liver

[@JamesGrage]

The most relevant study for liver/kidney damage was a 1 year crossover study where participants were taking extremely high amounts of protein (roughly 2g/per kg bodyweight), coming mostly from whey protein shakes, and over that time there were no adverse changes in liver or kidney health.

[@jensschreiner5351]

I really like supplementing with shakes just to keep the volume of food down (220-300g of protein a day) in a bulk. For a diet it keeps it easy on the digestion while still hitting the protein overall target per day. The reason I personally think whey and whole foods should co-exist are things like fibre, secondary plant substances, antioxidants and a few others. These are better obtainable with a well balanced diet in combination with shakes to bolster protein intake.

[@JamesGrage]

Very well said. 👊

[@alphaomega1351]

There's no way I can consume 200 grams of animal protein on a daily basis. Trust me, I tried. It's just much more convenient and easier to get from protein powder. Blend in several smoothies, and I'm done. 😎

[@JamesGrage]

💯 I’ve been there as well. Theoretically you can get all your protein from real foods but it’s just not that practical.

[@soheilmoradi3310]

Is it ok to take my daily protein just from chicken breast and eggs?

[@JamesGrage]

Yes, there’s nothing wrong with that as long as your meeting your total daily protein requirement

[@philipsimmonds1103]

50+ need to injest protein powder ..

[@JamesGrage]

I definitely agree. As we age our body becomes less efficient at synthesizing protein, so our protein requirements go up.

[@hmmmm3094]

​@@JamesGrage wait so if I turn like 30 years old, I would need to up my protein intake from when I was 20?

[@kbuzbee]

⁠@@hmmmm3094from what I read, not your total protein but the amount per serving (to trigger muscle protein synthesis) From 20 g in your 20s to maybe 45-50g in your 70s. If you’re shooting for, say ~150g total. In your 20s you could have 3x meals w/ 30g each and 3 protein snacks 2/20g each but in your 70s you’d want 3x meals w/ 50g each, if that makes sense

[@JDAfrica]

@@hmmmm3094 ur bodies ability to see/sense protein diminishes. So the qty need to increase.

[@jamesTWisco]

Protein supplements allow a lifter trying to make gains to not eat like an idiot. The amount I would have to eat without supplementing protein with whey would be 6 - 7 chicken breasts per day. And then try to keep my overall calories right? That would be really difficult. I would want to eat something with those breasts. I don't like cooking that much either.

[@JamesGrage]

Very true. Protein powders just make it a lot easier to hit those protein targets.

[@gunstah]

Which one is your favorite protein?

[@josephcanaday]

What is a good protein supplement at Walmart that is not that expensive

[@JamesGrage]

So the Optimum Whey that I showed in the video is on shelf at Walmart. Out of all of them there that would be the one that I would trust. They are owned by Glanbia which is a reputable corporation that focuses on nutrition products and ingredients

[@adampetherick6266]

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[@JamesGrage]

🙏thank you for the positive feedback! 👊

[@acela30th]

Why didn’t you include some plant-based protein, like soy, amaranth, or quinoa?

[@JamesGrage]

Mainly because most of the points made in the video don't apply the same to plant based protein. They are typically more expensive per 30g/protein than most whole food protein sources, and they are going to score quite a bit lower on both BV and PDCAAS, due to lower digestibility rates and amino acid content. With that said, they are a great option for someone who doesn't want dairy or animal based proteins, but that's a whole other video.

[@ICEMAN24824]

How about plants base protein

[@JamesGrage]

So plant-based proteins can be a good option for someone who doesn’t want any dairy or animal based proteins, but a lot of the points in this video probably don’t apply the same way. Plant based proteins score lower on both BV and PDCAAS due to digestibility and amino acid content, and they are typically more expensive than other protein powders.

[@ICEMAN24824]

​@@JamesGrage ahh I see that's good to know your right alot of protein can be different thanks that's a good information ❤

[@wellnesspathforme6236]

The plant-based protein sitting in my kitchen is loaded with iron. It is super-concentrated. I think it is organic iron, which is better than fortified inorganic metallic toxic form of iron, but too much is too much. Given the iron fortification fraud, pretty much everyone is iron-overloaded. Too much iron depletes ferroxidase, which then results in anemia due to chronic inflammation.

[@wellnesspathforme6236]

@@JamesGrageJames, look into what Morley Robbins teaches about how magnesium, retinol and bio-copper deficiency, and iron overload impact mitochondrial and endogenous antioxidant function. Muscles are all about mitochondrial function. Dr. Cate Shanahan explains how toxic industrial seed oils are to efficient mitochondrial function.

[@wellnesspathforme6236]

@@JamesGragethe reason the ild school lifters ate liver was for the bio-copper, not the iron. There is 120x more copper than iron i (healthy animal) liver than in muscle meat. Bio-copper basically regulates iron metabolism and recycling.

[@SamSung-jn5fi]

Blend steak with whey. Win-win

[@Clutch6789]

Anyone else get that throw up feeling when drinking protein shakes?

[@THORR-mh9px]

Who eats correctly????

[@efebayndr888]

Yeah some supplements waste

[@davidbrown4271]

Can 220 mg testosterone weekly do the trick ?

[@CacatuaAstuto]

bruh...

[@davidbrown4271]

@@CacatuaAstuto can it ?

[@CodyisKing]

Proteins are not equal

[@ardianjohn7221]

Protien shake is shit eat whole food with fibre train hard rest hard

[@FM-gv7sb]

The problem with protein supplements is all of the crap they put in it like creamer, soybean oil, carrageenan, Stevia, and all the rest. I like avoiding PUFA and seed oils as much as possible. Whey protein has tryptophan, which suppresses thyroid. Hence, I use a clean casein powder and I flavor it myself with OJ, honey, cocoa powder, or whatever. I'm not totally against using whey because of the tryptophan, but I try to limit consuming tryptophan. The problem is many of the wheys are basically like candy. People want the drink to taste good. I've seen brands that are, in essence, liquid candy. Users write "tastes great. I will definitely buy more". A good protein powder, believe it or not, should taste awful. Use natural vanilla, or some natural sugar to flavor it yourself. I get annoyed at protein powder reviews that say, "it tastes amazing". Do people not realize all the just that they put in it to make it taste amazing? What sugar? Yes sugar! Avoid anything artificial or highly processed.

[@Liveeachdaytothefullest]

Tell me my brother did our ancestors got their protein from real food (animal's meat) or did they make protein shakes? Ever looked at the ingredients of protein powders, protein shakes, and protein bars? They are full of artificial things. Real food is just real ingredients. Yesterday I consumed 42 grams of protein shake plus a 30 grams of protein bar. Right after not only was I super hungry but also I felt sick. This never happens with real food. Even if I consume a full can of salmon that has 63 grams of protein I feel full for hours.

[@Redmailnet]

Scam. Try a sub-saharan diet - beans; red meat; rice and roots. There are several cheap foods that do more than protein shakes.