Shelf life of Protein Powder, getting back on the horse finallly!

[STR8UP]

Okay, so it's been YEARS since I have posted in the health and fitness section, but I'm getting back on track and have vowed to be RIPPED by the end of the year.

Back when I was working out I finally had it down right......I was bulking and doing a high protein diet along with weight training.

It's been a few years since I hit the weights, but fortunately for me I retained a fair amount of the muscle I put on back then.

So I'm 5'8, about 188lbs right now, which sounds like I'm pretty fukkin fat, but i have broad shoulders and a fair amount of muscle mass, so I'm not exactly a tub of lard.

My goal is 175lbs by my birthday (end of October) with a 30-40 minute 5+ day a week cardio regimen (just bought a recumbent bike that sits right in front of my 52" LCD...so I have no excuse) and a 1700-1800 calorie per day diet. By New Years I wanna be about 165 which would be close to 10% bodyfat.

So the question is, I have quite a bit of protein powder left over from my lifting days, 4-5 years ago.

I know that sounds like a long time, but I was wondering if this whey protein needs to be thrown away and replaced, or is it still a viable source of nutrition? I have a couple of gallons of it so it would be a shame to toss it, but I don't want to be consuming useless garbage.

What's the verdict?

 

[wolf116]

Dump it, most protein powder only lasts a year or so.

Congrats on committing to getting back in shape.

 

[Warboss Alex]

Dump it, most protein powder only lasts a year or so.

If it's a commercial powder with additives (which themselves have a expiry), maybe. But plain whey isolate say doesn't have an expiry date, so to speak. It should last practically forever, but if it's 5 years old it'll taste stale. If it tastes sour or upsets your stomach then bin it, obviously.

A 1800 calorie a day diet may sustain a 5'8" woman, it is not enough for a 5'8" ~190lb muscular man who presumably will be doing weight training as well.

Losing 20lbs by the New Year is not impossible but you'll have to be on point with your nutrition and fairly strict about it (the less fat you have the harder it is to get it off). Start a journal.

 

[Quiksilver]

Good stuff mate, we can motivate each other. I'm roughly 5'9 187lb, doing 7 cardio sessions a week and 3 heavy weight training days(5 of those cardio sessions are before breakfast).

It's not easy during the first few weeks by any stretch of the imagination but once you get that juggernaut moving, it's unstoppable.

As Alex said, start a journal so we can help you(and poke holes in your pride).

cheers

 

[wolf116]

If it's a commercial powder with additives (which themselves have a expiry), maybe. But plain whey isolate say doesn't have an expiry date, so to speak. It should last practically forever,

Must be because I get plain whey concentrate.

 

[Warboss Alex]

Must be because I get plain whey concentrate.

then it really shouldn't expire. the taste might become stale or 'flat' but unless it's exposed to high temperatures or damp conditions it should be fine for several years.

DC explained a while ago how protein doesn't (or shouldn't!) really have an expiry date.

 

[STR8UP]

It isn't pure whey.

I'm more concerned about the nutritional content being diminished.

So you are saying that if it tastes fine it should be ok? I don't see how you could get any kind of food poisoning or anything from a dry product that has been stored cool, dark, and airtight.

I'm not planning on hitting the weights until I get the bodyfat off. When I lifted i never did "true" bulking/cutting cycles, and this time I want to do it right, starting with cutting.

I figure maintenance calories should be between 2300-2500 since my job isn't very physical. Is 1800 still too low? That would be 500-700 below maintenance which would equate to a weight loss of about 1.5lbs per week when you factor in the cardio, which would put me right on track to lose the 13 by the end of October.

I used to be pretty clued up about this stuff but it's been awhile so please, throw some wisdom my way fellas. I want to do this as quickly as possible but at the same time I don't want to sacrifice the fair amount of lean mass I do have.

If i get a chance I will post a current body pic to give you an idea of what I'm working with.

 

[Fuglydude]

This is the only forum you need on this site!

I'd strongly recommend you incorporate some form of resistance training and high intensity cardio into your program. Check out sites like:

www.crossfit.com
www.defrancostraining.com
www.rosstraining.com

I'm 5'8" - 165 when I'm in what I consider "acceptable" shape, and I don't do any low intensity cardio. Just weights and high intensity cardio.

How are you organizing the rest of your diet? I'd suggest you keep your calories at 2000-2500 w/ 225-250 g protein/day. Post your diet/supplements so we can help you out.

Listen to WBA and the rest of the guys...we got a good crew here. Good luck!

 

[Aenigma]

I know that sounds like a long time, but I was wondering if this whey protein needs to be thrown away and replaced, or is it still a viable source of nutrition? I have a couple of gallons of it so it would be a shame to toss it, but I don't want to be consuming useless garbage.

The building blocks of protein (and thus muscle) are amino acids. While proteins are relitavely unstable compounds, the building blocks are. So, you'll be fine since your body will break down the proteins down into their compoment amino acids once you ingest them anyway. As long as you kept them dry there is no reason to assume they've gone bad.

 

[Mr.Positive]

I'm more concerned about the nutritional content being diminished.

So you are saying that if it tastes fine it should be ok? I don't see how you could get any kind of food poisoning or anything from a dry product that has been stored cool, dark, and airtight.

I'm not planning on hitting the weights until I get the bodyfat off. When I lifted i never did "true" bulking/cutting cycles, and this time I want to do it right, starting with cutting.

Str8up, great to hear about your fitness goals...

Regarding the protein, I don't see how the nutritional content could be diminished because it's dried, but like Warboss said, it may taste "stale" or "a bit off". Try a shake, if it tastes funny, invest in getting new protein. If you dread drinking it, you won't...so it's better to have a shake that you enjoy, or look forward, to drinking after a workout.

Regarding cutting, I'm personally a big fan of high-intensity cardio. Like sprints, running stairs, because it really shocks the body. Forces you to push yourself to the max. Also, sprinting is actually a good way to workout muscles too, getting stronger in the process. Compare sprinters bodies vs. marathon runner body types...the sprinters are usually ripped, with good muscle tone. To start a sprinting program, try sprinting 1/4 mile, then walking a 1/4 mile, then sprinting again, etc.. Keep adding the distance the more your body gets used to it, and gets in better shape.

Good luck!! If you feel like it, post your workout and I'm sure you'll get some excellent advise. Remember, everyone's body type is different, so what works for one person, may not work as well for another.