Consumer Reports: Alert Protein Drinks

My Uncle Frank emailed me an article from Consumer Reports yesterday about the hazards of Protein Drinks.  Click Here to read the article or just sit back and continue reading and I will briefly summarize the finding for you .

This is an interesting piece because both my wife and I supplement our diets with Whey Protein Shakes.  We wake up and have 48G of delicious protein shake each morning.  The reason being that we both are athletes and need to take in about one gram of protein per pound of body weight per day.  We have stuck to this theory and have had success with both weight loss and muscle recovery with this diet.  I figured since mostly endurance athletes read this blog you may find it interesting too.   So when Consumer Reports comes out with an article titled:

Alert: Protein drinks

You don't need the extra protein or the heavy metals our tests found

This was disappointing. Darn Consumer Reports why do always have to ruin everything?  I still remember the dark day they came out with a report that said the Mashed Potato Fried Chicken Bowl from KFC was "not healthy".

Seriously Consumer Reports, you crusher of joy ... what is next?  You going to tell me puppies are bad for my health?

Anyway, As any lover of protein shakes and committed blogger would do I sat down and read the 4 page article in it's entirety.  Yes, I am  that committed to excellence over here at the Carrot!

Here is an excerpt from the first page:

Okay, so the title says "Alert Protein Drinks" and then you go onto to report, "For most drinks we tested, levels of those contaminants were in the low to moderate range, when we could detect them at all. "


Hmmm..... so most of the drinks are not that bad but you still felt the need to title your article with "Alert"?  And then CR continues with, "Nutritionists and trainers say they commonly see people who consume three servings a day."  


Okay Consumer Reports, let us have a little talk.  You are telling me that you are going to base this entire report on the assumption that Nutritionists and Trainers say they commonly see people consume three servings per day?  Wow, that is some crack reporting if I have ever seen it.  Way to really delve in to this one guys.  Oh, Consumer Reports, Nutritionists and Trainers have been known to advise people to follow the Atkins Diet too. But I digress ....

Now to continue on with the rest of the report.  Basically if you read the next 3 pages the article goes onto say that "some" people may abuse these drinks and that the manufactures do not have warning labels that say taking too much could be harmful.  They also fear that teens maybe abusing the drinks based on the marketing   by the manufacturing companies.

The take away from the article is don't over do it.  Really that is it.  These drinks have small levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury and if you drink a crapload of Protein Drinks per day you will be exposing yourself to these heavy metals.

Here is a breakdown of the actual lab tests for each of the 15 drinks that CR tested:

In my opinion, Consumer Reports was driving the sensationalism bus down the exaggeration highway.  But by today's media standards I guess that is pretty much par for the course.

If you are using a drink a day to help supplement your protein intake because you are an athlete then this report is all smoke and no fire.  If you are the parent of a teenager who is drinking six Muscle Milks a day then this report has some use.  If you are heavy and trying to lose weight and drinking these shakes as replacements for all of your meals you need to stop and eat whole foods.

Really, just like everything in life, Protein Drinks should be used in moderation.  Consumer Reports could have saved the trees this article was printed on and just Tweeted:  Use Protein Drinks in Moderation.


Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

**Disclaimer:  I am not a nutritionist, trainer, doctor, nurse, chemists or employee of a protein drink company.  Everything said here is my opinion and could be completely wrong, but since I am an American that is cool.  If you use protein drinks do your own independent research on that product..**

Decreased Training Promotes Increased Productivity ...

Did you ever see the Episode of Seinfeld when George decided not to have sex anymore? With his brain no longer being preoccupied with sex he becomes extremely productive and downright brilliant. Of course he ends up having sex and is back to the same old George by the end of the episode.  Well, replace "have(ing) sex" with "training" and this basically sums up how the off time has been for me.

It has been a little over 3 weeks since my last race and I have been on a self-prescribed recovery period.  My main goal was to take some time off from the day-to-day grind of following a specified training program.  The thinking was this would allow both my body and mind to relax and be ready to tackle the next training program with laser-like focus and intensity.  Being that I have either been doing P90X or Triathlon training non-stop since the Fall of 2008 I find myself with a lot of time on my hands.  Now I have not cut out training altogether.  Still running 15-18 miles per week and spending a day or two on the bike and in the pool.  But compared to my previous volume I still have time to spare.  So, I have been doing a lot of "other" things to keep myself occupied and here are a few of them:

-  I've read 3 novels and 2 Triathlon Books.  On June 21st I will begin training for the IronStar 70.3 and one of the books I read was The Essential Week-By-Week Training Guide.  I've decided to use the Phase 10 Half Ironman Training plan from this book to do my training.  It is going to be intense and I am in the process of creating a spreadsheet (which I will link on Google Docs) for reference and tracking but if I follow this plan as intended I will be more than ready come November 7th.

-  Along with playing with the wheelset on my TT bike, a lot of time has been spent sitting in the garage with a cold beer "tinkering".  I've basically taught myself how to service and maintain the bikes using mostly Annie's Trek 1000 of course.  Now the reasons for learning about the How-To of Bike Maintenance is because it is expensive and time consuming to take our bikes to the local bike shop.  But the main reason is that I am a typical dude who just likes to know how things work.  The benefits from this is the I really learned again how to appreciate a cold beer on a hot day and that I should be able to handle most of our future bike maintenance issues.  Also, it is just fun!  

-  I've briefly tried out a new product called, Anti Monkey Butt Powder.  First off, has there ever been a product name that better fits the personality of a blogger?  I think not!  I went on a quick 12 mile bike ride yesterday in 94 degree heat and used the Anti Monkey Butt Powder on my bike short chamois.  All I can say is that it was glorious and I will never ride a bike again without the Anti Monkey Butt Powder.  On Saturday at least 30 miles is planned so I will give a thorough review of the product (and get a chance to type:  Monkey Butt a bunch more times ...hehehe).  EVEN BETTER is that on Tuesday a Give-A-Way will be held and one lucky guy and gal will each receive a bottle of Anti Monkey Butt Powder and you too can also have a chance to experience the joy of not having Monkey Butt!

- I have also been watching a lot of baseball.  Last night I watched the Washington Nats battle the Pirates and last seasons #1 Draft Pick, Stephen Strasburg, made his Major League Debut.  Now if you do not follow baseball just know that this kid is probably the most hyped prospect in the last decade.  Heck, maybe the most hyped since A-Rod.  He is a 6'4" 220lb 21-year old that throws a 100 MPH fastball and has off speed stuff that will make your knees lock.  Well, he did not disappoint:  7 innings pitched, 14 strikeouts and the hype is legit.  I've never seen a pitch make throwing so hard look so effortless.  He is going to be a fun one to watch.  If you want to see video of his performance Click Here.

-  On the political front, I have been actively following the Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie.  I am enamored with this guy for the way that he is governing with common sense and fiscal responsibility.  As far as     taxation of states goes NJ is taxed more than any other state in the union. Because of this the population is declining and the state is on the brink of bankruptcy. If tough decisions are not made NJ will soon be lining up for yet another Federal Bailout.  Since Christie has taken over as Governor he is cutting wasteful spending the same way a lumberjack takes down a tree - fast, efficient, and forceful.  This guy is the Anti-Politician! If you have not heard anything about Gov Christie than take a look at these two YouTube clips and you'll understand why I'd love to see this guy in the Oval Office in 2012: 

Christie Smacks Down a Journalist

Christie Smacks Down Teachers Union

- And speaking of Governors -- Our Texas Gov, Rick Perry, shot a coyote that was about to attack his puppy while he was out running (BTW, Perry is a Triathlete).  It was all over the media and of course some animal rights groups were appalled and blah, blah, blah.  So when I receive this email this morning it cracked me up (No offense Patrick ..hehe):

California vs. Texas Governor of California is jogging with his dog along a nature trail. A Coyote jumps out and attacks dog. #1. Governor starts to intervene, reflects upon the movie "Bambi" and then realizes he should stop; the coyote is only doing what is natural. #2. He calls animal control. Animal control captures coyote and spends $200 testing it for diseases and $500 upon relocating it. #3. He calls veterinarian. Vet collects dead dog and spends $200 testing it for diseases. #4. Governor goes to hospital and spends $3,500 getting checked for diseases from the coyote and on getting bite wound bandaged. #5. Running trail gets shut down for 6 months while wildlife services conduct a $100,000 survey to make sure the area is clear of dangerous animals. #6. Governor spends $50,000 of state funds implementing a "coyote awareness" program for residents of the area. #7. State legislature spends $2 million investigating how to better handle rabies and how to possibly eradicate the disease. #8. Governor's security agent is fired for not stopping the attack and for letting the Governor intervene. #9. Cost: $75,000 to train new security agent. #10. PETA protests the coyote relocation and files suit against the state. Texas :  #1. Governor shoots coyote and keeps jogging. Governor has spent $0.50 on a .45 ACP hollow point cartridge. Buzzards eat dead coyote. Any wonder why California is broke???? Thanks for Reading, Jeff

Random Pug PIc ...

My baby girl pug, Bailey, enjoying the new pillows in the bedroom!

Jeff

Wheelbuilder.com Disc Cover ...

Rear Disc Cover from Wheelbuilder.com

Last week  I posted pics of my Quitana Roo Tequilo with a new Zipp front wheel and a Disc Cover on the rear. Since then many emails have been sent asking how it is working out and how was it to assemble?

Yesterday morning a long ride was scheduled but my stomach had other plans!  The alarm squealed at 5:45am and all my gear was already laid out and ready to go.  Unfortunately my stomach was very loudly protesting my departure and felt this early morning time could be much better utilized in say the upstairs bathroom.  Needless to say my ride did not happen yesterday and I am still a little queasy today.  So the first question of , "How is it working out?" is not going to be answered until probably tomorrow or Wednesday.  BUT we can go over the, "How to assemble?".

First look at the image from Wheelbuilder.com on how to measure the size of your wheel so it can be customized:

Then watch this video from the Wheelbuilder.com website:

For months I have been agonizing over a race wheels solution without breaking the bank.  After reading Jon's excellent review - Nerd  Report: Aero Wheels vs Regular Wheels, I decided that spending gobs of cash on carbon wheels is not the prudent thing to focus on at this time.  But I still wanted something, just something about $1500 less.

After researching alternatives the decision made was to find a cheap front on Ebay or craigslist and then get a disk cover for my current rear wheel.  I found a front Zipp 440 on Ebay for $95 so my next steps was to order the Disc Cover - it cost $89.

Now once the Disc Cover arrived installation needed to happen.  Being that I am still rather new to cycling and bike maintence this required some more research.  The above video tells you how to install the Disc but does not tell you how to remove the cassette.  I used this video to figure that part out:



Ok, that looks easy enough but I needed two additional tools:

1)  A Chain Whip:

2) A Cassette/Lock Ring Removal Tool:

I spend about $20 on these at my LBS and they were extremely easy to use.  I have a socket set that worked with the Lock Ring Remover but if you do not you can just grab hold of it with a wrench.  

After the cassette was removed it was as simple as can be in placing the Discs.  First place the non-drive side disc and then flip the wheel over and place the drive side Disc.  The Discs come with 8 male and female retention screws.  These screws are engaged once the discs are lined up correctly.  Then just carefully place your cassette back, tighten the lock ring, and Viola -- you have a perfectly mounted disc cover!

Now I have took the QR for a spin around the neighborhood and placed it on the trainer and both the Rear Disc and the Front Zipp seem to be functioning extremely well (knocking on wood).

That is the pretty simple steps to adding a disc cover to your rear trainer.  If you have any questions send me an email (jeffirvin @ gmail DOT com) and I will be more than happy to help you out.  

Overall with the cost of this wheel solution ran me about $250.  This includes the Rear Discs, Front Zipp, Tubular Wheel for Front Zipp, and the Cassette Tools.  Now I did get an extremely awesome deal on the Front Zipp on Ebay so it may cost a little more, but if you watch closely other deals like this are available. 

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

(Disclosure:  This review/How-to is my opinion and mine alone.  The products in this post were paid for by me.  All information was generated by me or from the Wheelbuilder.com website or YouTube.)

Things I Have Been Digging ...

Thanks for all the feedback on the new wheels!  On Sunday morning I am going for a nice long ride and promise to report back on how both the Zipp Front Wheel and the Disk Cover Rear perform.

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I was just in my office and was looking around at some things I have been liking over the last few weeks and figured I'd snap a few pics and put them up on the blog followed by a little commentary on each item:

This is the newest, "Jack Reacher" novel by Lee Child.  I am only a few chapters in but can already tell it is going to be a good one!  If you like are looking for a good fast-paced page turner with a badass lead character then pick up some of the Reacher books.

This is the beIRONfit training book by Don Finks.  He is an advocate of the time efficient Heart Rate training and has a couple of nice IM Training plans in the books.  A very solid and informative read for the Triathlete with a busy life.

Just picked up this Triathlon book!  It has over 42 Training plans in it for Sprint, Olympic, Half and Full Ironman Distances.  It also has individual plans from "Just Finish" to "Competitive".  I wish I had found this book before my first Tri and will probably use the training plans for my next Half IM.

This is a KONG.  You fill it with Peanut Butter and give it to your dogs.  It provides countless hours of entertainment for the Pugs and they leave me alone.  Parents use TV for the same purpose!

This is "The Stick" and it is AWESOME.  You basically grab it by the handles and rub it up and down your legs while applying pressure.  It works just like a foam roller but you can get to those hard-to-reach places much easier.  Last night I rubbed it on my calves, quads, shins, hammies, neck and back.  This will travel with me to every race from here on out and be used immediately after.

These are Push-Up handles.  Just stick them on the ground and do a push-up.  They let you get deeper which gives you a better workout and also they are very comfortable on your wrists. If you have wrist issues these are for you.

This is a Glock 33 with an added pinkie rest on the magazine.  The BlackBerry is next to it so you can see the tiny size.  It is extremely light and accurate.  I have a Concealed Carry license (I am legal) and have been carrying this with me a lot lately.  It is so small that I barely know it is there but easily accessible if ever needed.  Yes, this is very common in Texas!

This is a CamelBak Hydration System.  When I was in PA my Father gave this to me.  He used to be an avid Bass Fisherman and bought this for himself.  But he recently gave up the sport and had no use for the Camelbak and figured I would like if for my long runs/rides.  I tried it out last week and it is pretty darn cool. Thanks Dad!  

That is about it!  There are a ton of blogger Peeps racing this weekend and I wish you all the best of luck.

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff