Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Libby on May 30, 2008 at 6:19pm

I make a shake with a cup of almond milk, a small scoop of whey and some frozen berries: blueberries and strawberries are my current favorite combo. I find this doesn't spike me at all and it tastes great. I tend to go a bit higher on the fat with less protein, seems to work best for me. I was so happy to find almond milk- the unsweetened kind has only 3g carbs per cup, which is much less than the yogurt I used to use to make my smoothies. Pre-diagnosis I drank a breakfast shake made of OJ, yogurt, pineapple, strawberries and a banana! 100+ grams of carbs. Once I started testing I found they sent me on a BG roller coaster that often left me with a migraine headache. I gave them up until I found almond milk. I'm enjoying one right now.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by saundra barragan on May 30, 2008 at 7:27pm

Hi Dino,
I was drinking the whey protein shake just like you. Except I always added 3 tablespoons of ground flax seed to mine. I also needed the 2 units of Humalog to cover me. I really thought I was doing myself a favor. It was low calorie, low carb, very low sugar, etc. Well, after 2 and 1/2 months on this in place of lunch my doctor asked me why my kidney values kept climbing a little more each time we ran them. We run the labs every two weeks just in case i am in worse trouble. We went over every thing that I normally do, He asked me to stop the protein drink and see if we get any different results. I have gone 3 three weeks without them and my Bun and Creatinine are slowly coming down a little. We will need at least two months to see if it really is the protein drink or something else. All I know at this point is that the edema is improving also. I will see the cardiologist and see if this is coincidence in two more weeks.
I think to see if this is bothering your kidneys, you will have to run blood work to check and see. Wish I had a more definitive answer for you.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by tmana on May 30, 2008 at 8:47pm

There are a couple of different schools of thought on this. First, regarding the whey: David Mendosa has recently suggested we strain our yogurt to get rid of the whey, because he says whey is carbs. (To which I think, "Huh?!") Second, regarding the protein: while a lot of low-carb fans and body-builders suggest that high amounts of protein are ok for the body, there is a lot of evidence that high protein consumption can overtax the kidneys. Those folk suggest we should not be consuming more than 55-60 g protein/day (which for many of us is way too low).

I have read that "excessive" exercise (sorry, 2 hrs/day is what everyone seems to be recommending, and as long as you're eating enough to cover the calories expended, is probably NOT exercise bulimia!) may elevate one of the liver enzymes (either AST or ALT, I don't remember which offhand)...

A couple of other things here:
Are the 3g total carbs, or net/effective carbs? The whole bit about subtracting for fiber and sugar alcohols just doesn't hack it for me.
Is there a non-nutritive sweetener in there? There is some indication that in some people, non-nutritive sweeteners can have the same effect on blood glucose levels as plain ol' refined sugar.

Hope this gives you some ideas...

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Denise Bevard on May 30, 2008 at 10:26pm

I get this typeofspike with whey protein drinks( I am allergic to soy), I think it is because they are low-fat that this occurs for me....I need a fat buffer for the protien almost as much as I do for carbs..I am also one of those who gets spikes with fake sugar---sometimes worse than the real stuf..with the exeption of stevia, which I am having a hard time finding right now :-(

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Nathan Schmittou on June 9, 2009 at 8:30pm

I workout 3-4 times a week with lifting weights and doing carido. I'll drink a protein shake right after my workout as well. I've always been told for 30 minutes of activity you need 10-15 carbs to supplement your BG from all of the work that was just completed. The whey I use has 2g fat, 5g carbs (2g from sugar) and 25g of protein and I'll mix it with skim milk. With the milk its like 37g protein and 14g carbs and I have never taken insulin to cover my post workout shake. How are your BG about two hours after you give yourself insulin for the shake?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by marvin on November 13, 2009 at 1:03am

hey Dino!
came across this discussion while searching for topics involving protein and working out.. i started goin back to the gym for almost a month now and thinking of taking some supplements to gain muscles.. i know proteins is what i needed, a lot of my friends said taking protein shakes helps a lot.. but im scared taking protein supplements coz i know too much protein is not good for my kidneys.. but i dont know if its worth it.. My last visit to my endo last month was really good, doc said my kidneys are fine, no proteinuria..

i dunno, im thinking if you take protein shakes not to the point of overloading while working out i think is ok.. coz at least the proteins are use in building muscles, its not like youre on protein supplements and dont do nothing, then this is when it gets unhealthy... just my two cents..

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Brian (bsc) on November 13, 2009 at 6:30am

I do weight training and have taken protein shakes for quite a while. I have one first thing in the morning and then a post workout shake. I try to get 200 g protein a day. When I looked, I found no evidence that high levels of protein were of any concern for normal kidneys. If you are suffering from kidney problems, there have been some studies that suggest that protein may further stress the kidneys. If you don't have any kidney problems don't worry abou it.

Do note that protein can convert to glucose and if you take in 200g of protein a day, that is like an extra 100g/day of carbs. If you consume more than 20-30g of protein in a sitting, it will have a noticible effect on your blood sugar and this effect will take place over hours. You may need to adjust your carb counting to account for the extra protein.

ps. I also learned that you should refrain from exercise for 48 hours before a urine test. If I squat heavy before a urine test, I will dump protein.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by dino on November 13, 2009 at 8:27am

Hey Corbin. I still use the whey protein shakes just about every day. As diabetics, I believe that our primary source of calories should be from protein. A good safe baseline to start building more lean muscle is one gram of protein for every pound of body weight.

Even on days that you aren't working out, protein supplements are still good, especially for us. Whey protein helps me keep my blood sugar stable and prevents me from reaching for unhealthy snacks. Just remember, don't rely on shakes and supplements for your nutrition. Your body needs to break down "real" food too if you want to maintain a healthy metabolism, so make sure you balance it out with lots of natural protein sources (chicken, fish, eggs) and vegetables.

As far as overdoing it and damaging your kidneys, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Drink plenty of water (I mean plenty, everyday) to keep them flushed and happy. If your checkups are healthy, then you're good to go.

Good luck brother...now go hit the gym, take in plenty of protein and get ripped!!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Noturningback on May 1, 2012 at 1:45pm

I'm a T2/no meds. I use whey protein post workout. Whey is a fast digesting protein and it will raise my BG. Bodybuilders suggest this type of protein post workout with a carb (often fast digesting) because they are looking to raise insulin levels and get the whey protein into the system quickly. I lift in the morning and have dawn phenomenon so, I drink a low carb whey shake post workout and don't bother with the insulin spike since nature has done that for me. Some may have a small amount of simple carbs like 6oz grape juice. I would think covering your carbs from the shake with insulin is just fine. Admittedly, I'm not an expert. If I have a protein shake before bed or just want something slow digesting (maybe to replace a meal) you may want casein or a mix of different proteins or even egg (moderate digesting protein). I add a little fat to my slower digesting proteins (grass fed cream/pure coconut milk) to slow it down even more since most protein powders are also low fat.

As far as kidneys go. If you have no previous condition you should be fine. I personally wouldn't chug tons of protein and I would make sure that you drink enough fluids. I had a kidney stone (calcium) and asked my specialist (well respected in my area)if I should adjust my diet. He said no since it was my first stone, but to make sure I get my fluids. Of course, speak to your physician regarding your own medical history. :)

~Danielle

• ▶ Reply