Protein shakes are blended drinks similar to milkshakes that consist of high protein. It is typically taken to help in muscle gaining and rising energy levels. A woman can also take protein shakes for weight loss but females will not be muscular like men because your body is designed that way. Consuming protein shakes will improve metabolism, prevent hunger pangs, and enhance muscle strength. Remember, protein shakes are suggested sufficient protein from whole foods. Therefore, here is all you need to know regarding protein shakes for weight loss, best shakes brand, and protein shake recipes.
What Are Protein Shakes?
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Humans require 0.8 g of protein for every kg of body weight every day.
But research indicates that most of us lack enough amount of protein, which means the dietary protein consumption is not satisfactory. Moreover, you may not get the time to cook the right meal because of the fast-paced lifestyle. But the body required protein to function properly and efficiently. This factor has made protein supplements or shakes famous.
A protein shake is a protein powder of soy, whey, hemp, or casein consisting of important amino acids. These powders are mixed with milk, water, or included in smoothies or breakfast bowls.
How Protein Shakes Help Weight Loss?
Image SourceIf you are not getting enough daily protein dose, then you must consume protein shakes to help the body to:
grow muscle
enzymes
hormones
function properly
manage proper cellular
produce immune system components
biochemical functions
muscle contraction
wound healing
enhance cardiovascular functions
All these functions are directly or indirectly linked to weight loss. Directly, protein consumes extra energy to metabolize thereby producing a negative energy balance, and protein increases satiety and lowers ghrelin -hunger hormones level, and prevent hunger pangs.
Indirectly, proteins help weight loss by helping in gluconeogenesis and controlling blood sugar levels. Proteins also help in weight loss by synthesizing biomolecules that take part in different functions of the body and cells.
When To Take Protein Shakes For Weight Loss?
Image SourceThe best time to consume a protein shake is the time when you are eating more snacks. For example, if you like to snack before lunch or during the evening time, consuming a protein shake instead, will help you remove the flab.
Some people also take a protein shake before exercise to help rebuild the muscles. Therefore, if your exercise routine is rigorous and you are looking for refiling protein in the muscles, you can get a protein shake after doing exercise.
10 Protein Shakes for Weight Loss
Gold Standard 100% Whey
It is one of the best protein powders found on the market. It consists of 24g of whey protein, 1g fat, and 1g carb, every serving. It also consists of 5.5g branched-chain amino acids and more than4 g of glutamine and glutamic acid every serving. You can drink it first thing in the morning, before exercise, or just as a meal replacement. Ensure to mix it using milk or water according to directions on the label.
Pro JYM
The next most suggested protein powder for building muscle and weight loss is Pro JYM. Every serving of Pro JYM provides 24 g high-quality protein and consists of high-quality micellar casein, whey protein, milk isolate protein, and egg albumin. If you are looking for any protein powder that helps to tone up and grow muscle, you must get Pro JYM.
Nitro-Tech
Want to enhance your muscle performance or wish to prepare yourself for an upcoming competition? Choose Nitro-Tech protein powder. It consists of whey protein and is improved with creatine and is necessary for amino acids.
It helps in speedy recovery and stops fatigue and muscle soreness. It is good to drink it post-exercise.
Calcium is important for female, and this protein powder, Gold stand with 100% casein, offer you 60% of the everyday value of calcium. It also offers 24g slow digestion micellar casein protein, 5g natural BCAA, and 5g glutamic acid. You can consume this between meals if you get a tendency to snack in between main meals.
Syntha-6 is a common combination of fast, medium, and gradually digesting proteins and it also provides 5g of fiber every serving. It also consists BCAAs, nonessential amino acids, and peptides, and glutamine. Consume it post-workout as it helps in muscle healing and is also aspartame-free.
Garden-of-Life-Raw-Organic-Fit High Protein For Weight Loss
These protein shakes are best for weight loss. It is a plant-based protein shake that provides 28g protein every serving. It is formulated with raw organic ashwagandha to fight the cravings. Cinnamon, green coffee bean extract, and chromium help to burn fat for weight loss while enzymes and probiotics help in easy digestion. It is a vegan drink that also helps to manage healthy blood sugar levels and is free of soy, gluten, and dairy.
Organic Vegan Nutritional Shake
It is a GMO-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free protein shake. It offers 16g protein every serving, the protein being taken from chia, flax, organic brown rice, hemp, and organic veggies and fruits. It is the best protein supplement used as a meal replacement.
SlimFast Original Meal Replacement Shakes
These shakes are available in a pack of 8 individually and bottled shakes. Every bottle offers 10g protein, 180 calories, 5g fiber, essential minerals, and 24 vitamins. It makes up for 4-hours of hunger control and syncing correctly with fast-paced lifestyles. It is found in different delicious flavors to make lower weight as an easy process.
This grass-fed protein consumption offers 4g fiber and 20g protein every serving. It is non-GMO, lactose-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and artificial ingredient-free. It is also sweetened with affordable organic blue algae.
BSN ISOBURN Fat Burning Protein Powder Matrix
This fat-burning protein powder provides 20g of whey protein in every serving. It consists of Lepticore, L-carnitine, and green coffee extract to balance the fat burning and decrease weight effectively. Free from caffeine, it is excellent to drink any time of the day for a body with lean muscles.
Homemade Protein Shake Recipes
Strawberry, Almond Milk, Chia
Image SourceIngredients
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 cup strawberries
- 2 teaspoons chia seeds
How To Prepare
- Blend the strawberries, chia seeds, and almond milk.
- Drink it for breakfast or before a workout.
Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Banana
Image SourceIngredients
- 1 banana
- 3 tablespoons of softened dark chocolate
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
How To Prepare
- Blend all the ingredients
- Include some milk if the blend is very thick
- Add it into a glass and enjoy the chocolate feast.
Raw Egg, Honey, Milk
Image SourceIngredients
- 1 raw egg white
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 cup milk
How To Prepare
- Add egg white, honey, and milk.
- Drink it before a workout or after working out.
Oats And Berry
Image SourceIngredients
- 2 tablespoons oats
- 5 strawberries
- 1 cup warm milk
- 4 blueberries
- 4 blackberries
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
How To Prepare
Blitz all the ingredients to make a delicious protein smoothie.
Yogurt, Flaxseed, Kiwi
Image SourceIngredients
- 1 cup yogurt
- ½ cup kiwi
- 1 teaspoon ground flaxseeds
- 1 teaspoon honey
How To Prepare
Flex yogurt, ground flaxseeds, kiwi, and honey together to make a thick protein shake.
These tasty homemade protein shakes and protein powders will help you in different ways for weight loss.
Other Ways To Add Protein To The Diet
Here are some tips on how to prepare a diet rich in protein.
Add some protein to each meal.
Include seeds and nuts into the diet.
If you are a vegan or vegetarian, consume protein shakes
Try different recipes to prepare your protein-rich food more innovative and fun.
Benefits of Protein Shakes
Protein Shakes May Lower Hunger And Appetite
Image SourceProtein is the main thing to feel satisfied in the stomach for a longer time than the other micronutrients. It is because of the release of satiety hormones PYY and GLP-1. Research also shows that more consumption of protein may cause low hunger all day.
According to one small study of 2005, a high protein breakfast helps older woman participants take 13 fewer calories later in the day, compared with a low protein breakfast or avoiding breakfast.
Get Enough Protein
Image SourceWhile protein is present in a variety of foods, for everyone with a dietary restriction such as veganism, getting the right quantity of protein can be difficult to get in the body. A protein shake can be easy to provide rich amino acids.
According to Rachel Paul (from College Nutritionist.com), the bodies create amino acids, but others are taken from the diet, which is known as essential amino acids.
Amino protein sources offer essential amino acids called complete protein sources. However, plant-based food does not offer any amino acids called incomplete protein sources.
Including protein supplements like high-quality collagen, protein powder, and protein bar is a good way to get all 20 types of amino acids. It can be difficult to get all of you the 9-essential amino acids in every day especially if you are plant-based, so adding a high-quality protein supplement is necessary.
Protein Grows Muscles
Your muscles require protein to grow and keep strong, which is essential for complete longevity. Protein is important for life. It helps to build muscles and organs. Protein also develops hormones, enzymes, and neurotransmitters. Protein (amino acids) is necessary for the development and growth of tissues and muscles, helps to offer structure, maintain the right pH balance, and fluid balance, transmit chemical messengers that help communication between your tissues, cells, and organs.
You Could Be Ingesting Toxins and Heavy Metals
While protein shakes help in muscle growth and can be an easy source of protein for those who eat fewer amino acids. Most protein powders consist of heavy toxins and metals, including lead. It is because of the way the protein is manufactured and grown, and if you eat more, you can feel high levels of toxins in your body.
Everyone who consumes a protein powder, or any supplement, require to do their research and choose another tested supplement.
It can help to lower the risk that protein powders and supplements are laced with different ingredients than what is on the label. While it may not be a 100% guarantee, it is near and weeds out those supplements at more risk.
Boost Post-Workout Recovery
Image SourceA protein shake is good for muscles, but it can help in post-workout recovery. Getting protein at least 30 minutes after doing a workout helps to feed muscles and repair tissues of the muscle.
Foods like protein or protein bars or readymade shakes can be the best options for snacks, especially post-workout snacks to help assure you take the protein you need to begin your exercise recovery. It is necessary after doing a workout to fuel your muscles. It is best to feed your muscles under 30 minutes of workout. Additionally, protein plays an important role in creating antibodies required for enzymes, immune function, and hormones that promote mood.
It Will Help Curb Hunger
Image SourceEating the right amount of protein from your diet will help to satisfy complete satiety, which means getting a protein shake will help to feel full stomach for some hours.
Protein also slows down digestion, so it helps get you full quickly, keep full for longer and manage normal blood sugar. Protein does more for your body like maintaining healthy body composition, preventing hunger.
Protein Shake Side Effects
Image SourceSome people consume protein shake even when they are over high protein diet there is they get enough protein from complete foods. In this case, they may damage the kidneys for the long term and may feel painful joints.
You may suffer from digestive problems.
If you do not work out regularly and eat well, you will look bulky.
You may feel hair loss if your diet becomes dependent only on protein shakes.
Hormonal balance may feel disrupted.
Drinking more protein shakes may hurt your liver.
Protein shakes may get negative interactions with some drugs.
To conclude, protein shakes are best when it comes to weight loss. But you must first understand if your body requires a protein shake at all. Moreover, you must exercise and eat healthily in the right balance to help protein shake perform its work.
Does Anyone Need Protein Powder?
Image SourceThe fact is protein powder is loved by everyone. It is popular for good reason for each cell in the human body, this macronutrient is integral to functions like our immune response and hormone creation, mentioned by
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It builds and restores the cells and tissues of the body.
How Much Protein Do Most People Need?
If you are consuming protein shakes, you are most likely doing it because you think you need extra protein in life. Therefore, you should know how much protein you need.
The protein amount you should be receiving each day differ based on factors like gender, age, and health said to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. But for a baseline we can utilize the RDA, which is based on the average amount of protein determined to meet the nutrient need of 97% – 98% of healthy individuals: 0.8 gm of protein every kg of body weight every day. That is approximately 0.36 gm every pound.
That means a 150-pound person requires around 54 gm of protein every day, while a 200-pound person requires around 72 gm of protein every day. Based on those guidelines, most people already have sufficient protein from their diets, as per the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
If you get around 0 ideas of how much protein you commonly eat every day, here are some examples of the quantity you get in some common foods: a 4-ounce chicken breast provides 27gm, one cup of lentils has 17-gm, 2-large eggs provide 12 gm, and 2-tablespoons of peanut butter provide 7-gm.
How Much Protein Do You Need Every Day for Gaining Muscles?
Not everyone needs the same amount of protein. Protein requirements depend on the individual requirement on their lifestyle and biology but the goals also.
More people who consume protein shakes do so because they heard it is best for making your gain good weight at the gym or managing protein synthesis of muscles. People who are trying to manage and grow muscles in diet and workout benefit from having more protein than the RDA.
According to the the-American-College-of-Sports-Medicine (ACSM), reached a consensus, after analysis of sports nutrition research, that the optimal everyday protein consumption for an inactive person and athletes is 1.2 to 2 gm per kg of body weight or 0.5-0.9 gm of protein every pound.
The International-Society-of-Sports-Nutrition (ISSN) came up with some numbers. It suggests 1.4- 2gm of protein per kg of body weight a day or 0.6-0.9 gm of protein per pound for most people who are working out to build and manage strength and muscle mass.
For example, you are someone who works out to grow muscles and you wish to assure your protein consumption helps with that. Adding those two suggested ranges, a 150-pound adult should be getting around 75-135 gm of protein every day, while 200-pound adults should be having anywhere from 100-180 gm of protein a day. The more intense and long your exercises, the more restore your muscles require to rebuild and develop, and higher in the suggested range.
For a 150-pound person, that is an extra 21-81 gm of protein every day. It is impossible to get all of that from the diet, but it might not be the easy or most palatable thing for some people.
What Matters More- The Protein Powder Or From Food?
Choosing whether your legit requirement for protein powder is very simple.
How Much Does Your Diet Meet the Protein Needs?
It depends on the need for protein powder, what your diet already has. Most people can indeed have sufficient protein (powder-free).
The average healthy person who is strong athletic and consuming a balanced and diverse diet is probably getting sufficient protein from their food already.
It is possible to eat enough protein from real food. Fish, meat, eggs, poultry, beans, eggs, lentils, soy products, seeds, nuts, and whole grains all provide dietary protein. Real food also provides some benefits over powder. It can certainly cost less, given some protein powders can be expensive. It depends on how much you would like to spend on your diet.
It is important if you are consuming a high protein, and low other things shake to replace a well-rounded meal that would commonly fuel your body with fat and carbs with that protein.
For example, if you are feeling it difficult to get sufficient protein from food. That is where protein powder can be handy. If you are not getting sufficient protein already, a protein supplement can be helpful.
Protein powders can be the best way to include more protein into the diet if you cannot meet that requirement from food.
People who find it difficult to get enough protein from food alone can be older adults, competitive athletes, and people recovering from illness or surgery, or people on vegan diets.
If you are a vegan athlete and not getting enough protein, then soy protein powder can help. Protein needs always depend on food choices and other factors like health and age.
Is It Matter When to Take Protein?
Image SourceIf you are someone who consumes protein shakes to get sufficient protein to boost your gym gains, you likely take one right after doing your workouts. That is not a bad idea, there is an even more essential rule when it comes to protein intake timing. It is important to space out your protein consumption in the day.
Protein is necessary after exercise. The amount of protein your muscles can absorb after exercise differ, depending on factors like how much you work out and your body composition.
The Academy/DC/ACSM all suggest consuming 15-25 gm of protein that is 0.25-0.3 gm per kg of body weight within 2 hours after your exercise to lower MPS, while the ISSN suggests getting 20-40gm or 0.25 gm every kg of body weight.