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Protein for just cardio?

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So my regimen consists of 3 visits to the gym per week for weight training AND cardio. I'm trying to squeeze one more day of just cardio. My question: is whey protein necessary for a purely cardio workout?

Currently, I take 5g of creatine everyday but only use protein on the 3 gym days that I do weights.
 
The short answer is: protein is still important on cardio days.

But there's nothing inherently special about taking a whey protein supplement on weight days or any other particular day. It's a supplement, afterall, and thus an easy way to get a big dose of protein (and the calories that come with it). The important thing to look at is how much protein you're getting on a daily basis. Your muscles make all their improvements while they're recovering from the workout, which can take 2+ days depending on your workout intensity and other factors. Therefore, people recommend 1 - 1.5 grams of protein daily for every pound of body mass (some will say for every lb lean body mass) for folks who train decently hard and want to build/maintain muscle.
 
tedrodai said:
The short answer is: protein is still important on cardio days.

But there's nothing inherently special about taking a whey protein supplement on weight days or any other particular day. It's a supplement, afterall, and thus an easy way to get a big dose of protein (and the calories that come with it). The important thing to look at is how much protein you're getting on a daily basis. Your muscles make all their improvements while they're recovering from the workout, which can take 2+ days depending on your workout intensity and other factors. Therefore, people recommend 1 - 1.5 grams of protein daily for every pound of body mass (some will say for every lb lean body mass) for folks who train decently hard and want to build/maintain muscle.
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I've heard about the 1/1 ratio but I find it nearly impossible to do. On work out days, I do a protein shake before and after, which is about 50gram, and 2 protein bars during the course of the day, which gives me another 40. Let's say I get another 40-50 from other sources during the course of the day, that's about 150 g for my 190 pounds of body weight.

On non work out days, I doubt I get more than say 85g (.5g per pound).
 
I admit it takes some work. You gotta eat a decent amount of protein with each meal in order to get that much. Anywho, that's just the suggestion for something closer to optimal results. With weights 3x a week and cardio 4x, that ~85g is probably the minimum you want to get to help with your recovery and muscle maintenance.

Again, for your specific question: it's not necessary by any means, but it can only help. And if your cardio is very intense, then definitely use some whey on that extra cardio day.
 
tedrodai said:
I admit it takes some work. You gotta eat a decent amount of protein with each meal in order to get that much. Anywho, that's just the suggestion for something closer to optimal results. With weights 3x a week and cardio 4x, that ~85g is probably the minimum you want to get to help with your recovery and muscle maintenance.

Again, for your specific question: it's not necessary by any means, but it can only help. And if your cardio is very intense, then definitely use some whey on that extra cardio day.
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thanks for the reply. One of my concerns in taking whey on off days is that its more calories...I'm trying to tone muscle but drop some weight too! Isn't that a concern as well?
 
Cut back on carb sources and add in more protein. I'm an advocate of proper cardio training, but some food for thought:

"Never attempt to train yourself into a caloric deficit. Don't spend hours on the treadmill. Diet comes first, cardio second. The dumbest fat loss strategy ever devised is used by people that wake up early in the morning before going to work to do cardio and follow that up with "recovery shake." Congratulations, you just wasted two hours of your life." Martin Berkhan
 
mple said:
Cut back on carb sources and add in more protein. I'm an advocate of proper cardio training, but some food for thought:

"Never attempt to train yourself into a caloric deficit. Don't spend hours on the treadmill. Diet comes first, cardio second. The dumbest fat loss strategy ever devised is used by people that wake up early in the morning before going to work to do cardio and follow that up with "recovery shake." Congratulations, you just wasted two hours of your life." Martin Berkhan
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Thanks. I do 30 x 30 minutes sessions of Cardio per week so I don't think the caloric deficit is an issue 🙂
 
To answer your question: whey protein isn't even necessary if you're lifting heavy. It's a supplement. It's there to be in addition to your normal, well-planned diet. If you plan your meals out better, you can get plenty of protein in through your regular meals. The 1g protein per 1lb of body weight that people throw around is not supported in research. The whole saying is directed toward individuals lifting or trying to gain weight while lifting. It's very bodybuilding oriented. With that said, you probably want to get more than what you're getting. Just because you lift one day doesn't mean your body is done repairing that day. People who are bulking have to eat a caloric surplus every day, even if they only lift 3 days per week. That's because the body is recovering to days on end. You need to supply it with nutrition accordingly.
 
I use half the recommended serving after any workout, whether it be a run or a strength session. So that would be one scoop for me. And the stuff I use is cheap EAS stuff with a 2:1 carb/protein ratio. My running has improved since I began supplementing with it, I feel like I recover much more quickly.
 
Megatomic said:
I use half the recommended serving after any workout, whether it be a run or a strength session. So that would be one scoop for me. And the stuff I use is cheap EAS stuff with a 2:1 carb/protein ratio. My running has improved since I began supplementing with it, I feel like I recover much more quickly.
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I use 1 scope (24g) and 1 after...I didn't even know the recommended was 2. I'm pretty sure mine said 1 scoop.
 
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