Hi David,
Regarding the protein shake; you could try a drink thats marketed more as a "Recovery drink" designed for endurance athletes, that has about 25% of calories from (a high quality) protein and 75% from Carbohydrates. The protein helps repair muscle damage and regrowth, while the carbs replenish glycogen (fuel stores) for your next workout. Experiment with drinks that you mix with water, juice, or skim milk. You will probably find one that agrees with you.
As mentioned above, it is very important to replenish your fuel stores, so you maintain energy for your next workout. You also need to replace fluids and electolytes also lost in your workout. With that in mind a simple sports drink, like Gatorade, that has an appropriate blend of fluids, carbs and electrolytes, combined with a high carb fruit, such as a banana, can be a convenient combination to replenish with, immediately after your workout. You could then consume protien in another form, at your next meal.
Recovery is a very important aspect of your training and nutrition plays an important role. Rate of recovery is not about luck. The faster you can recover from one workout, the better chance your next workout will be of high quality. The more you can learn about recovery nutrition, the more ideas you'll be able to try for yourself and find out what works best for you. There's no one quick answer, that will suit everyone.
I hope the suggestions I've made help you to find a good post workout solution and inspire you to read up and experiment with the many options out there, to find the best one for you.
Best of luck. KC |