You Asked, I Answered

Filed under: General Health, Nutrition, Training

Before we get started today I have a few announcements.

Eric Cressey is having a phenomenal sale for the next week. From today through midnight on Thursday, February 25, you can get 30% off on The Ultimate Off-Season Training Manual, The Truth About Unstable Surface Training, and The Art of the Deload by entering the coupon code FEB2010 at checkout from his Products Page.

This is actually the first time that The Truth About Unstable Surface Training has ever gone on sale since its release, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to pick up some first-of-its-kind research and the practical applications associated with it. Check it out HERE.

I also want to mention that I added a whole bunch of new and exciting stuff to my Resources page, and it is about time! I get asked by clients all the time what chia seeds I get, or what cacao nibs or protein powder I like, as well home gym equipment and books, it is all there, so check it out HERE.

If liked by you guys, I would like to make You Asked, I Answered a weekly post. I get a lot of questions, comments on new posts, and comments on old posts. This gives me a great outlet to answer these questions and comments, and actually gets the answers seen by the most amount of people, which I think is vitally important as it allows for even more discussion. I won’t include names of the people asking the questions, so just let me know what you think.

Q. Brian,

For those not taking in any casein from any source, would combining something like Whey Cool with either a fiber supplement from DFH (or other brand) or fibrous vegetables along with some quality fat essentially make up for choosing straight whey over a whey/casein blend?

Obviously casein gets touted before bedtime and you have noted that a whey/casein blend PW is likely superior to either one as a standalone, but would the above options also potentially provide a happy medium in those contexts?

A. Casein does get touted as a pre-bed protein source, which I think is kind of ridiculous, but it certainly is not going to hurt. Whether it is actually any more effective is certainly up for debate. It might be, but it might also be a little obsessive-compulsive. Just eat.

As for post-training, a whey/casein blend has been shown to be superior to either one alone. Now there still is not an answer as to whether a whey/casein shake is actually any more beneficial than solid food, especially if proper pre-training nutrition needs are met. The data on it is just lacking. Having said that, if you choose not to have any source of casein, then I think a blend of whey with some fiber and healthy fat (like my smoothie recipes) is not a bad idea, but I still might add a slower digesting protein to the mix if you are really concerned about it.

Personally I usually just recommend a whey-based smoothie before training and some real food post, as that seems to work best for most of my clients schedules. I really think in the long run the difference between a shake, a whole-food meal, or even a whey/casein shake in the context of a solid overall diet is minimal to negligible. It might make a difference, it really might, but it might not. If every little pound counts for you, then by all means do what you have to do, but if you train to be healthy and fit and are not worried about getting as absolutely massive as possible, then a whey/casein shake immediately post-training is not completely necessary.

Q. Brian do you find the hemp seed butter tasty or just “passable” but willingly included given its stellar nutrient profile?

On the topic of borage oil, I have read that this tends to be quickly converted to nervonic acid (which is supposedly good for myelin production), but that evening primrose oil, while a less concentrated source of GLA than borage oil, is potentially a better source. As far as you know, is there any truth to this?

A. I personally find the hemp seed butter to be “passable” by itself, but when put on a warm Ezekiel English muffin with a dollop of some organic fruit spread on top, then I think it is actually quite delicious. It does have an absolutely stellar nutritional profile and that certainly does not hurt. (I wrote more about the awesomeness of hemp, HERE)

I have read quite a bit about borage and evening primrose oil. The research I have seem has shown minimal side effects with either one, and they both have some research showing their benefits for decreasing blood pressure, atopic dermatitis, rheumatoid arthritis and more. As far as I know they are both fine options, the choice is simply up to you.

More reading on benefits and side effects of borage oil.

More reading on benefits and side effects of evening primrose oil.

Have a great weekend everybody, and let me know what you think about the weekly post!

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Posted on February 19th, 2010 by Brian St. Pierre

1 Comment

  1. Alex Says:

    Brian, here’s my 2 cents: I think it would be great to see more Q&A blogs, though I think that every week might be a little too often as it would leave you with less time to blog about other things. Maybe every other week?

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