Rotate your protein Bro!
Rotate your protein BRO!
Have you been taking a specific whey or protein powder since the beginning of time? How has that been working for you? Any noticeable differences at all? My tried-and-true comment has always been: “Taking protein long-term won't yield noticeable results, but it will bring you those long-term gainz.” Is this true, am I right? To some degree, YES.
Having enough protein in your diet is VITAL for strength, muscle, and optimal weight. Do you have enough protein in your diet? If you don’t, read my post on protein power HERE.
If your total protein intake is right where it needs to be, and every day you get in your goal amount, GREAT JOB! Pat yourself on the back! Is there anything else to do it? Maybe. If you're like most people, you have been taking that same protein for the last 10 years. Day in day out, protein shake, protein shake, protein shake. Is this necessarily bad? Absolutely NOT! What could be an issue, however, is taking a specific kind of protein shake day in and day out. For most people it's whey. Whey protein is awesome! It tastes pretty good. It yields great results. All good things.
So why should you stray away from that same ol' shake you have been taking since the dinosaur age? Sensitivity. Absorption. Amino Acid Profile.
Sensitivity.
Can whey protein make me dairy sensitive? Maybe. Whey protein is DAIRY. There are different types of whey which contain little or minimal dairy, but always remember, whey = dairy. How many people are dairy sensitive? It seems to be quite a high population, and rising right now. The easy solution? Switch out your protein powder with a different source every 3 or 4 jugs. Here are my recommendations:
Absorption.
How can rotating my protein sources affect absorption. Think of it like this… Coffee or caffeine will vary in effectiveness depending on how much you have been drinking or taking in. Too much of a specific food or food source can lose it's ability to be absorbed and utilized along with it's effectiveness.
Amino acid profile.
Every protein source has a different type of amino acid profile. This is true for chicken, beef, whey protein, paleo protein, pea protein, etc. Different amino acids do different things. Varying your sources can help you get a more balanced and full amino acid profile.
If you're already putting in the work to make sure you're getting your protein in, this small change every so often will help keep you feeling your best and stabilize those gainz!
Thank you for investing in your health!
Joseph Champa, RD, CSCS