No doubt you’ve heard about the benefits creatine can provide for powerlifting and especially bulking up, it’s pretty cool to see some ancillary benefits to go with it.  The last paragraph is a good point, however:

Long term supplementation with creatine has yet to be declared truly safe as there have been reported effects on glucose homeostasis (the regulation of blood sugar levels) and potential subjects with a medical history of diabetes were excluded from the experiment. In addition taking the supplement can have some antisocial effects. “To be frank taking the supplement can make you a considerably less ‘fragrant’ person,” says Dr. Rae. “However creatine supplementation may be of use to those requiring boosted mental performance in the short term – for example university students.”

As with any supplements I take, I try to cycle out creatine use every few months or so.  If you’re eating a diet high in meats, you should be getting a solid amount of creatine anyway.

Get Big!

well i’m pretty keen to start drinking some protein shakes, but i don’t want to over use it coz i’m scared it will cause me kidney problems now or in the future so i only want to use it a couple of times a week. here’s what i’m thinking.

Option 1. Have it twice a week. Have 1 cup before netball, (which i have wednesday and saturday,) or after, whatevers best.

Option 2. Have it 3 times a week. When i do weight lifting, have half a cup before weightlifting, then the other half after.

Option 3. Have it 4-5 times a week. Get up early in the mornings, have half a cup before weightlifting or cardio then the other half after.
if i do this one. should i still have breakfast??

Just a couple more things.. promise.
is it best to drink the shakes before cardio training, or weightlifting. or can you do either..
how much protein powder should i take.. 15 years old, (female) somewhere between 50-55kg.

and last thing. can someone pleeeeeaase help with a healthy diet to help with the protein shake. one of your ideas, or a cool website.
Breakfast, recess, lunch tea.
Remember i do go to school. so recess and lunch can’t be anything cooked, or that goes soggy in a lunch box and stuff like that.
unless you have something to prevent that from happening. Much appreciated. x

Answer:

First, you need to consider how the protein shakes fit into your overall workout plan.

Are you trying to bulk up? Gain muscle mass? You said you’re a girl and most simply try to tone their muscles, not increase their muscle mass. What are you looking to do exactly?

The point of protein shakes is to supply your body with enough protein to allow it to rebuild (bigger) the muscles you break down from working out. Bodybuilders need a lot of protein because they’re trying to increase the size of their muscles. Your average layperson may not need nearly as much. So keep that in mind. In general, if you WANT to gain weight/bulk up, you want to have no more than a gram of protein per pound of body weight on a daily basis.

It is best to have protein shakes AFTER your workouts. That’s when your body needs the protein most. There’s different types of protein that go through your body as quickly as possible, and there’s slow release proteins. You’re best off having a shake that mixes the two so that your body is never short on protein supply.

If you’re looking to diet, I’d minimize my protein shake intake and cut out any fried foods or desserts. Lower your fat intake and try to eat a lot of fruits.

Breakfast ideas could be cereal with 2% or less fatty milk, low fat cottage cheese, low fat yogurt, fruit, egg whites. Lunch you can eat a banana, apple, yogurt, tuna sandwich. If you’re dieting, try to eat 5-6 small meals a day (your protein shakes can count as one).

Good luck, and if you can provide some more information about your specific goals I can answer your question better.