For Goodness shakes

normally after a run of 16 miles or more I struggle to eat food in the first 30 minutes - whereas a recovery drink of some kind really helps - whether it's lucozade sport or milkshake.The more carbs you can get in in that 30 minute window - the better your muscles recover. QED.

Tim

You are right to identify protein as the main component.  Protein repairs muscles, and most of the other components in these shakes are just extras.  Where these shakes are beneficial, is in that they allow very rapid protein uptake and absorption after training.  This is crucial to muscle recovery after training.  You cannot get that with conventional foods containing protein. 

Of course it helps if the run finishes in your kitchen, but there is nothing to stop you from having a shaker bottle containing rego powder, at the finish line of a race. 

From what I've read the protein is what is needed in the first 30mins, the carbs can be up to 2 hours. You can't absorb more than 1g of protein an hour to use to repair muscle but you can use it for energy.

I don't really know I need to read more but I suspect there is a lot of "marketing" behind sports nutrition that people blindly believe.

There is indeed a lot of marketing behind sports nutrition, but this is one of the products that stands up to scrutiny best.  Protein has to be absorbed within 20 minutes of finishing exercise, to obtain meaningful results.  Protein shakes are water based to allow the most rapid absorption possible. 

My colleagues and I don't buy this product because we are impressed by the marketing spiel.  We buy it because  as endurance athletes, it is a product where the benefits are immediately and overwhelmingly obvious.  

I am more than happy to criticise sports nutrition products that don't add up.  For example, the Lucozade high energy jelly beans are just ordinary jelly beans in a different packaging believe it or not!

Ben Davies 15 wrote (see)

Both Rego and For Goodness Shakes are absolutely better than Frigi and Yazzo.  They work on the principle that they are a form of protein that can be absorbed by the body as quickly as possible, to repair damage to muscle fibres. 

Make of that what you will. 

You can not simply state something is absolutely better without being able to present information to support it. Both Frijj and Milk itself has more protein than ForGoodnessShakes as shown below, these are not made up numbers but those claimed by the makers of the products.

Ben Davies 15 wrote (see)

The manufacturer specifically advise against mixing them with milk because it is not taken up by the body quickly enough.

Your information is flawed as ForGoodnessShakes are actually 93% in volume skimmed milk according to the makers website which you state can not be taken up by the body quick enough, either your information is wrong or the product is still not vastly better than milk.
The fact that ForGoodnessShakes products are largely milk based itself supports the fact that the majority of the product is not special and that milk is a product which offers the nutrition and protein required. The other ingredients I suggest can be obtained from a healthy diet

What independent evidence can you present that these products are better?

Frijj
3.9g protein per 100ml
11.4g sugar per 100ml

http://www.frijjtheincredible.co.uk/products/details/chocolate

ForGoodnessShakes
Protein 3.3g per 100ml
Sugar 9.1g per 100ml

http://www.forgoodnessshakes.com/what-is-it.aspx

Semi Skimmed Milk
Protein 3.4g per 100ml
Sugar 5.1g per 100ml

The biggest virtues of this kind of product is convienience nothing more imho, they are expensive and marketed towards runners with little nutritional benifit if any over normal shakes as shown by the manufacturers data.

research has also been done by William Lunn, PhD, an exercise scientist at the University of Connecticut which concluded :- "The combination of carbohydrates and protein in low-fat chocolate milk appears to be "just right" for refueling weary muscles.

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20100604/chocolate-milk-refuels-muscles-after-workout

i am yet to see any independent research which suggests that the products marketed towards runners for recovery have any additional value over products not marketed towards the sports markets... they offer convienience and nothing more.

The title of this thread asks if ForGoodnessShakes is worth the extra cost and given the data presented by the makers, research done on chocolate milk I think you have to conclude that it is not.
If anyone has research information or data which concludes otherwise which I would love to see as I am very interested in this subject.

O.K Squeakz

Again, I have to say that the important factor is not the amount of protein but the speed at which the body can assimilate it.  I was referring to Rego and not FGS with regard to the water vs milk argument.  I can also assure you that I find nothing "convenient" about having to mix up a Rego shake with water when I get home.  It would be far easier to have a bottle of Friji in the fridge, or a protein bar. 

If this topic interests you as much as you say, then I could put your questions to the technical reps for these companies, and give them a chance to respond.   

In milk, about 80% of the protein is casein, which is slowly absorbed, and 20% is whey, which is fast.

Under normal circumstances, this is pretty ideal, but immediately after a very challenging exercise like a hard run or a challenging weights session, a drink whose protein comes from a higher proportion of whey might be better.

The protein which SIS Rego contains is soya protein isolate the biggest advantage of which is essential amino acids which help make this a complete protein however I am not aware of any research which concludes that taking on protein faster by the body is a positive thing.
There is however research which suggest a combination of fast and slow protein is what is desired and yet again normal milk compares very well with the term "superior being usedwhen milk was compared to a soy based protein drink

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/milk-the-new-sports-drink-a-review-research-review.html

Squeakz

I understand it to be fairly well established that rapidly absorbed proteins inhibit protein breakdown and promote protein synthesis.  Rightly or wrongly, elite trainers in all athletic disciplines prescribe protein supplements on this assumption, and sports protein supplements are designed to promote this type of absorption.  The manufacturers of REGO are at pains to point out that it should always be taken within 20 minutes of finishing exercise and must only be made up with water. 

If the idea of rapidly absorbed protein being optimal is erroneous, then it is an error that is universal across all sports.

It depends on what sport you are doing as to what the protien is being used for. If you're doing marathon running (Aerobic)  then you're replacing energy if you're doing 100m (Anaerobic) then you're building muscle.

Too much protien consumption is not good for you at all. According to Doc Martin and wikipedia....

TimR wrote (see)

There is suggestion that the protein from whey is somehow different to other protein and that whey protein is good for refuelling but not for building muscle.

Too much protien consumption is not good for you at all. According to Doc Martin and wikipedia....

bizarre, the guy that sits behind me just quoted Doc Martin's opinion on protein

Ben Davies 15 wrote (see)

If the idea of rapidly absorbed protein being optimal is erroneous, then it is an error that is universal across all sports.

I think it's more to do with getting as much in when it is possible to actually absorb a lot. After training your body is more effiecient at utilising protein to repair muscles. You can absorb more then you might normally, hence more regeneration = bigger stronger muscles. So it is helpful to have a rapidly absorbed type of protein in order to be able to consume what the window of opportunity post training allows