What Are They?
Protein shakes are protein supplements and are commonly used by body builders, athletes or those trying to loose weight. They usually come in powdered form and are then mixed with water or milk and sometimes added fruit to give them a milkshake or fruit smoothie taste. They can also come as a ready-to-drink package.
Protein shakes come in many combinations of protein, carbohydrates, and fats depending on their use. Protein diet shakes for weight loss will usually contain high protein and low carbohydrate and fat. The best Protein shakes for body builders will contain high protein and sufficient nutrients and amino acids, required by the body to build muscle after exercise. Protein and amino acids are essential for body builders wanting to build muscle mass and speed up muscle repair. Amino acids also a role in burning fat and reducing appetite. Protein supplements found in a protein shake are usually either soy protein, whey protein, casein, egg or dairy protein.
Where to Buy Protein Shakes
There are so many different protein powders for sale both offline and online it can be confusing knowing if your getting the right one and for a good price. Before you buy protein shakes in powder form you should be aware that it is the amount of protein that is the overriding factor in determining the price - carbohydrate is cheap in comparison and fat even cheaper. You should also have an idea of how much protein you will need per serving size and make sure you are getting a protein content that is between 80% and 90% with sufficient nutrients and amino acids if you plan to burn fat and build lean, strong muscles during exercise.
I buy my protein powder online which I discovered is cheaper than buying from a local store. A good brand and the number 1 selling protein powder in America (or one of the most popular) is called Designer Whey Protein and is sold from netrition.com who's prices are very reasonable.
Benefits of Protein Shakes
Protein shakes offer benefits for endurance athletes, body builders and those trying to loose weight.
They can help an endurance athlete recover from intense exercise by restoring muscle glycogen, a fuel source for exercise, which gets used up during workouts. It can benefit muscle builders by helping to build new muscle and repairing damage to muscles that occur with bodybuilding and there are benefits for those trying to loose weight by replacing a high calorie meal with a high protein, low fat and carbohydrate drink.
Case Studies
Rehydration - A concern that has prevailed for a long time is that too much protein consumption can cause dehydration. If a post-workout protein shake caused dehydration it could slow down the recovery process.
The truth is that protein consumption, particularly protein and carbohydrate together improves your body's ability to re-hydrate itself.
In a study presented at the 10th Annual congress of the European College of Sports Science, in Belgrade Serbia/Montenegro, Dr. John G. Seifert presented research on the effect of protein on fluid retention.
Subjects were subjected to vigorous exercise in warm conditions until 2% of their weight was lost in water. They then ingested one of three fluids with different compositions of protein and carbohydrate.
They discovered that Carbohydrate plus protein may be a preferably choice when fluid retention is a concern. Fluid retention for Carbohydrate plus protein was 15% greater than carbohydrate alone and 40% greater than water!
According to John Seifert "results indicate that a carbohydrate-protein sports drink may actually be preferably to a conventional sports drink or water when rapid re-hydration and maximum fluid retention are needed to help the body recover from the stress of exercise."
Drinking a sports drink with added protein can therefore improve your body's ability to rehydrate itself more than water alone.
Dr Jose Antonio, chief executive officer and co- founder of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) suggests you take your favourite sports drink and spike it with a touch of protein (about 5 g).
Protein Supplementation - Another study on protein supplementation on male US Marine recruits from six platoons showed that a protein supplemented group had an average of 33% fewer total medical visits, 28% fewer visits due to bacterial and viral infections, 37% fewer visits due to muscle and joint problems, and 83% fewer visits due to heat exhaustion. Also soreness immediately post- exercise was reduced by protein supplementation vs. placebo and control groups.
These studies show that protein supplementation enhances muscle protein deposition as well as positively impacting health, decreasing muscle soreness, and improving tissue hydration during prolonged intense exercise training.
Protein Shakes for Weight Loss
Amino Acids and Weight Loss
More research is needed to demonstrate the link between protein shakes and weight loss. However the amino acids found in protein shakes are known to alter how much food your body craves, stores and burns for energy. Amino acids can help keep your blood sugar levels stable. This reduces your craving for food which can occur if your blood sugar levels drop. L-Carnitine is responsible for transferring fat to cells for burning, Tryptophan helps lessen the craving for carbohydrates which are often stored by the body as fat and phenylalanine suppresses appetite by increasing the production of a transmitter called norepinephrine.
No Fat or Lactose Sugar
Protein diet shakes often contain Whey protein which is derived from milk protein. However, unlike ordinary milk Whey protein does not contain fat or lactose sugar. If your looking to loose weight or build muscle mass Whey protein offers one of the best forms of protein.
Meal Replacement Shakes
A protein shake low in carbohydrates and calories but high in protein is a preferably alternative to a high carbohydrate, high calorie meal. When loosing weight, low carb protein shakes can be taken as an alternative to a meal and they are best when used in combination with exercise. The aim is to avoid fatty foods and soft drinks and spend at least 30 minutes a day exercising. Replacing a calorie packed meal with a low carb protein shake and exercise provides a healthy and balanced option for loosing weight.
When to take a Protein Shake
When is the Ideal Time to Take a Protein Shake? If you are looking to build muscle mass then ideal times are, just after a workout, just before sleep and in the morning.
After a workout your body goes into a stage of repair and muscle growth. Since amino acids are crucial to building up proteins, a protein shake just after a workout can facilitate the process of muscle renewal and repair. During sleep protein breakdown occurs and your protein metabolism slows down. If you are trying to build muscle mass you should consume a protein shake before sleep to maintain high protein levels. Also in the morning when your protein levels are way down and need replenishing. Muscle repair and growth will continue in the morning so maintaining optimum protein levels is important.
If your aim is to take protein shakes for weight loss then it is common to drink a protein shake when you would normally have a meal. This would act to replace a meal high in fats and carbohydrates with a low fat, high protein drink.
The Different Types of Protein Shake
Whey protein shakes
Often used by bodybuilders and athletes Whey protein shakes contain high quality proteins that come from milk. During the process of turning milk into cheese, Whey protein is seperated out.
Whey protein benefits:
- Used by athletes and bodybuilders to repair and build muscles after a tough workout
- Contains many essential amino acids required for good health.
- Contains similar ingredients found in mother's milk and is a key ingredient in baby formulas.
- Gets into your system fast to feed those depleted muscles.
- Scores higher in biological value then any other protein
- Increases lean muscle mass due to high absorption
- Enhances immune function by increasing glutathione levels
- Useful for fat loss
- Helps prevent cancer
- Benefits the immune system
- No documented side effects
- Fast absorbing
Soy Protein Shakes
An important ingredient in many vegetarians diet soy protein closely resembles meat protein and has a number of benefits:
- Great Substitute for meat protein as it contains all the amino acids required by the body
- Studies show soy protein reduces cholesterol levels in many patients.
- Reduces the risks of heart related diseasesKnown for its antioxidant capabilities
- Has the highest Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS)
- A good supplement for meal replacements
The FDA has approved health claims that soy protein helps reduce heart related diseases and research from 27 studies show soy protein's abilities to lower cholesterol levels.
Soy proteins is also believed to reduce the risks of illnesses such as colon and prostate cancer and osteoporosis.
Casein Protein Shakes
Since casein protein moves through the digestive tract more slowly than Whey protein, it is likely that the body is able to absorb and use the protein more efficiently. Casein protein has the following benefits:
- High glutamine content which benefits bodybuilders and athletes by helping preserve muscle mass
- Digested more slowly by the body providing a steady stream of amino acids to the muscles and more thorough absorption due to the longer digestion time.
- Has anti-catabolic properties thereby slowing the breakdown of protein and making it easier to put on new muscle.
- Contains dairy calcium which is important for bone health
Whats the Best Protein Shake?
The best protein shake for you will depend on what you are trying to achieve. A body builder will require a high protein drink. Endurance athletes would be better suited to a drink with higher carbohydrates. A person trying to loose weight would be better off drinking a protein shake that's high in protein with low carbohydrates, and only a little bit of fat, such as Slim-Fast. For someone who just works out a popular protein shake such as Muscle Milk is adequate and fits somewhere between high-protein and high-carbohydrate shakes.
If you wish to build new muscle fast then my recommendation is Whey protein or a combination of Whey protein and Casein protein. Whey rapidly increases protein synthesis and casein blocks protein breakdown so a combination of both is ideal.
Whey protein is very effective just before and after a workout and first thing in the morning. Consuming a meal containing protein 20-60 minutes after drinking a post-workout Whey protein shake is great for muscle anabolism.
Casein is a perfect protein before bed because it promotes a sustained anti- catabolic environment while you sleep.
Requirements and Sources in Food
Milk, Fish, Cheese, Eggs, Chicken, Tofu, Soy and Lentils are great sources of protein.
The recommended daily allowance for a normally active adult is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. The average adult requires 45 to 60 grams of protein a day.
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