No, don’t panic, I’ve not suddenly decided I need to follow in my uncle’s footsteps and become a body builder.
Body Building Warehouse are not only a local supplier of protein shakes, whey and supplements, they also do their own branded products and asked if I’d sample some of them.
Of course when it came to what to choose, I was torn. Whey protein? Fat burners? Where to start? What I ended up with filled two of my loves – coffee, with their coffee protein and food, with their protein pancakes.
For those of you who’ve never thought to add extra protein to your diet, or even whether you need protein or not, it can be a confusing subject. If your diet is full of good protein – lean meat and fish, dairy and soy – you may not need it. But, as someone whose diet can be erratic and for muscle building, a protein shake used within 35 minutes (optimum) or 2 hours (still effective) can help repair muscle tissue and build it.
You see, when you workout you’re stretching and tearing muscle fibre. Gentle tears and stretches are normal and nothing to worry about, that’s where we get aches from and DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) where you feel a bit achy at the time, but the next day…! Adding a little extra protein can help speed up that repair and that’s where shakes come in, and indeed protein bars, cookies, muffins and pancakes.
They can also, though I personally don’t really believe in it, be used as a food replacement. Whilst I’d much prefer to have real food prepared myself, it’s not always possible and I understand that sometimes a quick shake might be a better option than nothing at all.
I’ve used shakes for a while – especially when in distance training, coming home and downing a quick shake before I hop in the shower, is often a better option than waiting until I can hit the kitchen – especially as I don’t tend to eat before I exercise. And on a weights day, if it’s still going to be an hour or so before I get into work and can eat properly, it’s a much better idea than feeling a little woozy afterwards.
So, enough waffle. What are they like?
First up, let’s get caffeinated. Adding caffeine to these products is no new thing. Coffee before a workout (around 30 minutes before) is proven to boost your workout and I can honestly say, having tried it personally, it’s very true. Even my trainer has seen improvements on the days where I’ve had a cup of coffee before heading to the gym.
Afterwards, it’s proven that caffeine can significantly reduce your recovery time too – this, added to the protein, should improve recovery overall.
Personally, I’m a total caffeine addict anyway, so for me, it’s more about giving myself a kick up the backside after my work out and, generally, getting myself washed, dressed and into the office. And some mornings, I really need that kick.
Whatever your reason, taste wise, it’s pretty good. It’s always going to be hard to get the balance right on shakes, some have a sweeter palate than others and I’m still struggling to find a chocolate flavoured one I can actually get along with. This is quite sweet, but if you think about it as a coffee flavoured shake, you’ll be more than happy chugging this down after your workout.
For me, it’s all about the pancakes. I love pancakes and have often make protein ones myself for after a distance run. There’s nothing nicer than a couple of pancakes and some fruit and yoghurt or even some bacon and maple syrup to recover from a cold and miserable run.
Even better, these pancakes keep pretty well too, so I’ve been able to make them, pop them in a tub and take them to work for after a gym workout.
I chose the lemon zest flavour, given my love of citrus and whilst sweet, they are really good.
A couple of pancakes, dollop of Greek yoghurt and fruit and I’m in a very happy place. Making these is incredibly easy too, you don’t even need to use a whisk, like I did, you can use your protein shaker, heat up a tiny bit of coconut oil in the pan, pour the batter out into little piles, and wait until it starts to firm up. Flip, give it a couple of minutes, job done.
Price wise too, they’re excellent value. The original flavour is a bargain at £8.99 and holding 20 servings, the flavoured versions coming in at £14.99. The protein coffee too is £14.99 with 20 servings per 500g bag.
So, whether you’re thinking of trying protein for the first time, or looking for a little variety, Body Building Warehouse just may be worth a look!
These items were provided free of charge for review purposes. I’ve enjoyed using them so much, I’ve run out of the coffee and intend to purchase more items from this supplier.