The Ultimate Protein Shake Guide: When to Drink, What to Buy, and Best Recipes




How do you make tasty protein shakes like this?

So you wanna start imbibe protein shakes, but don’t know where to begin?

You’re in luck, because I’ve been drinking protein shakes for years and today I’m sharing with you all my confidentials( ah…most of them ).

With Part 2 of our Ultimate Guide to Protein, I’ll teach you 😛 TAGEND

Are protein shakes good for you ? How much protein do I need every day ? What’s the very best protein add-on to buy ? How to use protein powder How to acquire protein shakes taste better Should I suck my protein before or after my workout ?

Make sure you also check out Part 1:” How Much Protein Do I Need to Eat Every Day ?

With this knowledge and an terrifying blender( which we are speaking of right here ), you can establish protein shakes one of the purposes of your everyday routine.

Alright, let’s get ready to shake things up!

Protein 101: Are Protein Shakes Good For You?

Can protein shakes help this LEGO with his fitness goals?

Protein is an essential macronutrient that helps our figure rehabilitate muscle and is an important part of daily nutrition (” duh, Steve ,” “youre telling” ).

You can get protein from any number of real nutrient informants, and you should prioritize real food in your diet( likewise,” duh Steve “).

Here are some examples of protein-rich nutrient 😛 TAGEND

Chicken, duck, other poultry Fish Meat Legumes( beans) Eggs Quinoa Nuts Milk

However, there are PLENTY of instances where you might want to too supplement your food with a protein shake or protein pulverize( now we go ):

You struggle to consume the recommendations of the extent of protein every day( I coating this below !). You are a skinny person that needs to bulk up and need more calories in your daily intake! You are trying to lose weight and want to replace one unhealthy meal with a meal-replacement protein shake. You prayed the accessibility of a protein shake in place of preparing yet another meal.

In these instances, protein adds-on or protein shakes can be awesome!

But don’t just take my message for it. A methodical review of studies revealed: [ 1 ]

“Protein supplementation may ameliorate muscle mass and recital when the training stimulus is adequate.”

Another study showed that among patience jocks: [ 2 ]

” The add-on of protein may help to offset muscle damage and promote recovery.”

What this makes in regular parties periods: If you are strength training accurately and gobbling the right way, depleting fairly protein will help you build muscle and accomplish better!

Look at me all big and strong!

” Enough protein” in this situation can include protein complements and protein powders.

Just remember that protein shakes are not a panacea for all of your ailments:

They are NOT are necessary to being health. But they MIGHT help you lose weight They should only SUPPLEMENT( zing !) a health food , not be expected to do all the “heavy lifting.”

You it remains to 😛 TAGEND

Eat well . Follow a strength training procedure . Getting enough sleep .

Want to reach your fitness goals? Make sure you sleep well like Homer (and perhaps drink a protein shake).

If you’re not sure HOW to strong learn, don’t worry- I got you treated. You can download our Strength Training 101 guidebook when you connect the Rebellion( it’s free) and sign on in the box below 😛 TAGEND Download our thorough usher STRENGTH TRAINING 101!

Everything you need to know about getting strong.

Workout programmes for bodyweight AND heavines course.

How to find the title gym and train properly in one. Kroger

How Much Protein Do I Need Every Day?

How much protein does it take to help this LEGO lift a bike?

This section is taken from our steer” How Much Protein Do I Need to Eat Every Day ?

Despite what advertisings for protein complements will tell you, you do not need to be eating 500 grams of protein every day.

They like to tell you this so that you use their add-on quicker need to buy more.

Here’s the real deal: claims for the amount of protein the human body needs vary wildly from generator to source( and athlete to athlete, and nerd to nerd ). You are a unique snowflake and your protein goals should be aligned with your goals.

You want specific figures, right?

A gif of someone saying

Don’t worry, I got you.

Although the current international Recommended Dietary Allowance( RDA) for protein is 0.4 g per pound of bodyweight( 0.8 g per kg of organization weight ), [ 3 ] this study[ 4 ] shows that this number is too low and should be higher regardless of your torso composition.

You just want me to tell you how much to eat, right? I figured.

Well, you’re in luck, because we have a protein calculator you can play with!

THE NERD FITNESS PROTEIN CALCULATOR

The Nerd Fitness Protein Calculator

YOUR SEX:

*

Male

Female

YOUR WEIGHT( POUNDS)

I AM:

*

A health value

Overweight/ Obese

MY ACTIVITY LEVEL IS:

*

Sedentary

Active

I AM TRYING TO:

*

Maintain my mas constitution

Lose some solid

Gain muscle

ARE YOU AN EXPERIENCED LIFTER TRYING TO BULK UP?

No

Yes

DAILY PROTEIN RECOMMENDATION IN GRAMS( LOW END)

DAILY PROTEIN RECOMMENDATION IN GRAMS( HIGH END)

On the Metric System? Click here.

Let’s explain some of this a little.

As Examine.com points out in their heavily experimented summary on protein: [ 5 ]

If you’re overweight or obese, is striving for 1.2 -1.5 g/ kg( 0.54 -0.68 g/ lb ). You do not need to try to figure out your standard figure heavines or your lean mass( a.k.a. fat-free mass ). Most studies on people with obesity report their findings based on total body force. If you’re of healthy force, active, and wish to lose overweight, aim for 1.8 -2.7 g/ kg( 0.82 -1.23 g/ lb ), skewing toward the higher end of this range as you become leaner or if you increase your caloric deficit( by eating less or exerting more ). If you’re of healthy heavines, active, and wish to build muscle, aim for 1.4 -2.4 g/ kg( 0.64 -1.09 g/ lb ). If you’re an experienced lifter on a majority, intakes up to 3.3 g/ kg( 1.50 g/ lb) may help you minimize solid amplification.

These are starter multitudes that you can start to experiment around as you see your body changes.

As Examine points out in its investigate on protein: [ 6 ]

“Higher protein intakes seem to have no negative effects in healthy people.”

So feel free to aim for the higher end of the range, depending on your goals, and adjust from there.

Long story short: Consuming protein is an important part of life for everybody, both the sedentary and the athlete:

By consuming fairly protein while bulking up, you can ensure muscle growth during a bulk with minimum overweight gain. By exhausting fairly protein while eating a caloric lack and backbone course, you can maintain the muscle mass you have while losing body fat( you might even be able to build muscle while losing solid simultaneously ).

I personally expended a significant amount of protein( 240 g of protein at a bodyweight of 190 pounds) during a recent “lean out” phase, and it allowed me to cut body fat while getting stronger and without feeling hungry.

In summary, a major portion of your slab every day should be a source of protein.

The Rock flexing with

If you are struggling to stumble your target protein destination for the working day through real menu informants, then consider adding a protein supplement.

However, you still need to have:

The right systems . The right nutritional strategy . The right workout in place .

THEN a protein shake might help you contact your goals a bit faster.

To help busy parties like you not consume their time in the gym, and assists them actually get results, we created our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program.

Your NF Coach will build you a tradition workout planned and render nutritional counseling for your specific situation.

Find out if we’re a good fit for each other by clicking on the epitome below 😛 TAGEND

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What’s the Best Protein Supplement to Buy?

Protein powder can be a great way to up your protein intake.When it comes to buying a protein powder or picking a protein shake, you’re going to encounter a few options:

1) Whey protein is the most popular, easily accessible, and cheapest protein supplementation out there. Whey contains all the essential amino battery-acids, and is one of the byproducts of milk that has been curdled and strained. It comes in both “concentrate” and “isolate” shapes. Whey is more quickly absorbed by the body compared to its counterpart casein( next ), which establishes it a great solution right before/ after a forte training workout.[ 7 ]

2) Casein protein is the other byproduct of milk and also contains all indispensable amino battery-acids. Because it’s more gradually sucked by the body than whey, numerous people destroy casein before bunked accepting it’ll result in improved muscle proliferation during sleep! However, this study [8 ] are demonstrating that total uptake of protein during a daytime is more important than protein timing!

3) Egg protein pulverizations are made from, you suspected it, the protein in eggs- which means they may be a great alternative if you can’t use whey or casein for whatever reason.

Quick recap: whey and casein proteins both come from milk, and both can help rebuild muscle. Whey is more readily assimilated by your body and is usually less expensive than casein, which fixes it our wished shape of protein for cost and ease of uptake.

Personally, I wish whey. I find casein protein little appetizing, and it doesn’t mix as well.

A blender can help you obtain more calories for weight gain.

Also, don’t worry about timing whey for post-workout and casein for sleep. In my view, you’re just overcomplicating things.

Pick the one you enjoy and focus on getting enough protein in a era- that will get you 99.% of the highway there to building muscle in the right places!

IF YOU ARE PLANT BASED: these are our recommendations for plant protein pulverizations( from our guidebook to eating a Plant-Based Diet ):

Pea protein. A solid choice for vegan protein gunpowder comes from peas, exclusively the high protein yellow-bellied divide pea. A quarter bowl( 28 grams) will get you about 21 grams of protein, and lead you about 100 calories. There’s some suggestion it might be comparable to whey in structure muscle.[ 9 ] NAKED Nutrition offers a great 100% pea protein pulverization you can check out. Rice protein. A one-fourth bowl of rice protein will contain 22 grams of protein and move 107 calories. Not extremely shabby. Plus, when you combine it with pea protein, you’ll end up with a ended amino battery-acid chart needed for human growth.[ 10 ] A good symbol to look into would be Growing Naturals. Hemp protein. While it doesn’t have as much protein as pea or rice( one cup will have 12 grams of protein and 108 calories ), what it paucities in this department it sees up for in its nutrient sketch. Hemp protein is derived from the seeds of the cannabis plant, but it’s bred in such a way that it won’t have any THC. What it will provide you with though is a decent source of iron, zinc, and omega-3s, which are all things vegans tend to be deficient in. Nutivia sells a good hemp protein if you are interested.

What about Soy Protein? Soy is a complicated beast, though in our opinion the anxieties around soy are overblown.

As Examine points out in its review of soy protein supplementation: [ 11 ]

“Whey protein was absorbed more quickly than soy protein, and stimulated muscle protein synthesis by roughly two times the amount that soy supplementation did. Nonetheless , no variations in overall organization piece was observed between the groups.”

In other terms, you do you, boo. If you expend soy and are struggling to reached your protein aims, downing a soy supplement can help. If you are unsure on soy, consider get your protein supplementation from any of the other sources above!

Now, irrespective of what protein you pick what you need to know about protein shakes on the basis of the collective wisdom of the 15 full-time tutors on Team Nerd Fitness 😛 TAGEND





When buying protein gunpowders, buy a make with negligible other’ stuff.’ Aim for one that starts with “whey protein concentrate” or “whey protein isolate” on the ingredients label, followed by a small number of parts- one of which is more likely to be “artificial or natural flavorings.” Picking a spice that you like! Protein pulverizes generally come in multiple a few spices: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, etc. I’m as plateau as “theyre coming”, so vanilla protein is my jam. See sure to look at the ingredients and were identified from a reputable brand. Ever do your search even if it is one of the most popular brands( such as Muscle Milk ). Some of these have had metals such as arsenic found in them.[ 12 ] Many popular protein powders are just not great in terms of meeting their promises. Check out this lab rating’s review of “high quality” protein gunpowders that match this Reddit protein powder measurement makes strand. There’s a lot of fraudulent substance out there, so make sure you keep your Sherlock Holmes hat on when patronizing!

Steve’s Protein Brand Recommendations

Over the past 15 years of training, I’ve tried dozens of protein pulverizations, and I keep coming back to 2 firebrands that are appropriate my vogue and budget 😛 TAGEND

Jay Robb’s Grassfed Whey Protein: my current favorite and perfectly delicious( I entered into with Vanilla )… but VERY expensive. This comes from grass-fed cows, and thus is much more difficult to come by. I find it to be the best mixing protein powder I’ve ever tried, and likewise the best tasting. Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein: The whey I used for years( my former favorite ). Optimum Nutrition is well known in the fitness room, and I used their make for close to a decade without matter. If “youre on” a tighter budget and can’t afford grass-fed whey protein, go with Optimum Nutrition.

How to use Protein Powder( How Do You Make Protein Shakes Taste Better ?)

How do you make a protein shake taste good? Fruit will help.

The back of every protein pulverization jar will tell you “mixes huge with 8 oz of sea! ”

For some protein gunpowders, this is true.

For others, it’ll taste like you’re choking down recently mixed concrete.

Note: do not consume freely mixed concrete. You’re welcome.

So Step# 1 with your recently acquired protein pulverize is to mix it with spray and see how it tastes.

By mixing time the protein and water, you’re adding minimal calories to your daily intake while also increasing your protein intake for the day.

Win.

Keanu is stoked he now has his own bodyweight workout routine!

NOW, depending on your caloric purposes or if you’re looking to make a meal replacement shake, you can start to experiment and manufacture your own protein shakes by doing the following 😛 TAGEND

Add outcome: bananas, strawberries, blueberries- look for the frozen berry potpourruss in your food market. Compute a serving of veggies: blend in frozen spinach – you can’t even perceive it! Try a different liquid: almond milk, reduced-calorie orange juice, skim milk or whole milk. Healthful calories: peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter. Grain like chia grains or sunflower seeds.

Just pretend like you’re a scientist and you’re creating a different concoction each time. Write down your ingredients and quantities until you find the perfect combination( heyo) of macros and appreciation that are appropriate your goal!

HUGE CAVEAT: your torso still obeys the laws of thermodynamics. Just because you call it a “healthy smoothie” doesn’t mean the 1,000 calories in it don’t count!

If you can’t lose weight, you’re eating too many calories, which means you should be aware of how many calories are going into your quickly-consumed protein shake.

Now, if your goal is bulking up or building muscle– then developing your own high-calorie protein shake is a great way to get extra calories into your day.

I am currently bulking up, so here is my patented post-workout shake that I consume daily( okay it’s not really patented ).

STEVE’S POWERBOMB SHAKE

Ice cold water: 16 oz Quaker Oats: 3 helps( 120 g) Whey Protein: 2 functions( 62 g) Frozen Spinach: 1.5 helpings( 120 g) Frozen Berries:. 8 performs( 120 g)

And because we like to have fun around here, we turned the recipe into a enjoyable graphic.

Here’s an infographic for the protein smoothie recipe 😛 TAGEND

This infographic shows the five ingredients needed for a protein shake recipe.

The macronutrient and caloric disintegration of that shake: 795 calories, 68 g of protein, 106 g of carbs, 13 g of fatty 😛 TAGEND

This picture shows the calorie and macronutrient breakdown of Steve's Powerbomb Protein Shake

SHOULD YOU BUY A BLENDER?

For over a decade, I simply put-upon a cheap blender like this on Amazon!

Depending on your budget, you can also go to your neighbourhood Walmart, Target, Kroger, Publix, Sam’s Club, Stop& Shop, etc ., and buy a blender for 20 bucks.

I will say that as I’ve gotten older and had more disposable income I have become a Vitamix fanboy. They are expensive, but you get what you pay for.

I’ve probably burned the engines out of 10+ cheap blenders, and since switching to a Vitamix it’s been vanquishing my powerbomb shake ingredients twice a period in seconds.

If you have the money, it’s worth the investment.

Your other alternative is to buy a cheap shaker bottle

Someone using a protein shaker

Here’s the category I use.

Personally, I’ve found that these things don’t mix nearly as well as a blender, but if you’re traveling with no blender alternative accessible, a shaker bottle can be really helpful.

Note: if you are using a shaker bottle, pour the ocean in first, THEN lent the protein shake!

Here’s my “stay health while traveling” strategy for protein 😛 TAGEND

Measure out 2 servings of protein gunpowder and applied them in a sealed plastic pocket. Make your closed plastic bag in an vacate shaker bottle. When ready to consume, remove the plastic luggage of protein, then contributed ocean to the bottle. THEN, contributed protein.

If you put the protein in first, I can guarantee no sum of shaking will get all of that protein desegregated into the liquid!

Should I Drink My Protein Shake before or after my workout?

Do you need devices like this to properly time your protein shake?

Conventional wisdom tells us that we need to be consuming our protein shake IMMEDIATELY after our exercising for peak additions.

It too tells us that we need to be consuming protein every few hours for maximum protein synthesis by our muscles too.

But what does the science actually say?

According to this abstract: [ 13 ]

“In general, protein supplementation pre-AND post-workout increases physical carry-on, education session retrieval, lean form mass, muscle hypertrophy, and fortitude. Specific advantages, differ however based on protein type and amounts.”

And in this study: [ 14 ]

“These ensues refute the commonly held belief that the timing of protein intake in and around a practice discussion is critical to muscular changes and indicate that consuming adequate protein in combination with defiance workout is the key factor for maximizing muscle protein accretion.”

WHAT THIS MEANS: The sum of protein you destroy in a period is more important than the timing of your protein when it comes to muscle building. Consuming a protein shake before OR after a exercising will be determined by increased physical action and muscle hypertrophy- rendered you’re training the right way!

If you need to train and then head to work and you can’t eat your protein until last-minute in the day, do what works best for you!

Some beings might dislike grooming on an evacuate gut, so downing the protein shake before the workout is beneficial.

I personally train in a fasted commonwealth( which we deal in our Guide on Intermittent Fasting ), so I don’t consume my protein shake until after my workout.

So, stop worrying about protein timing and instead put your focus on training, total calories, and getting enough protein in the working day itself.

Not sure if you’re training privilege?

Consider working with a Nerd Fitness Coach which are capable of improved you a qualify curriculum and guided by you on your nutrition!

A Nerd Fitness Coach can assist you decide if you even need to supplement with protein!

Get Started Drinking Protein Shakes

You now know how to make a protein shake like this!

Let’s recap some of the key points of imbibing protein shakes for you 😛 TAGEND

Protein adds-on can Complement a healthful diet, but should not replace it. My recommendation is to buy a bathtub of Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein online if you’re on a tighter budget, in whatever spice you like. If “youve had” more coin, consider the Jay Robb’s Grassfed Whey Protein( my favorite ). Consider mixing in a protein shake before or after your workout. Timing isn’t as important as total protein expended during the course of a epoch when it comes to building muscle and recuperation. Consider of a shake as a action to get good protein when you can’t afford/ don’t have time to make a good snack. A cheap blender will suffice if you don’t have other options, but if you have more of a plan I would recommend getting a Vitamix– you’ll have it for the next 30 years.

Hopefully, this should get you started! Feel free to try out different spices and combinations of ingredients in your smoothies to stimulate them something you actually look forward to!

Do you have any favorite protein shake recipes?

Any more questions about protein pulverizations and complements?

Share them with us in the comments!

-Steve

PS: Check out the rest of our protein series 😛 TAGEND

The Nerd Fitness Protein Calculator How Much Protein Should I Eat ?

PPS: Still devastated? Still not sure you’re training right or feeing properly? Wished to know which adds-on are worth it and which ones are a waste of money?

I hear ya.

These questions and parties like you are why we propelled our 1-on-1 Coaching Program : to help hectic parties cut through the sound and merely start build muscle, going leaner, and feeling better.

Click below to planned a call to learn more 😛 TAGEND

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All photo sources are right here[ 15 ]

Footnotes( returns to verse)

You can find the study here You can find this study now Pubmed: Protein for Life: Review of Optimal Protein Intake, Sustainable Dietary Sources and the Effect on Appetite in Ageing Adults Pubmed: Evidence that protein requirements have been significantly underestimated. A extensive look at protein here Examine: is too much protein bad for you? Check out this review from the Austin Journal of Nutrition and Review Pubmed study on day of casein consumption Check out that study on whey vs pea protein right here. Check out this article for an interesting look at rice and pea protein combined. Soy study on Examine.com Check out their respective reports from Consumer Reports. Pubmed: Protein timing and its effects on muscular hypertrophy and forte in beings engaged in weight-training. Pubmed: The effect of protein timing on muscle forte and hypertrophy: a meta-analysis. protein shake, A good Sunday to you, Bicylelifter, Protein Powder Mix, bananas , hourglass, cocktail

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