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So you wanna start drinking 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 secrets (ah…most of them).
With Part 2 of our Ultimate Guide to Protein, I’ll teach you:
Make sure you also check out Part 1: “How Much Protein Do I Need to Eat Every Day?“
With this knowledge and an awesome blender (which we talk about right here), you can make protein shakes part of your everyday routine.
Let’s get ready to shake things up!
Protein is an essential macronutrient that helps our body rebuild muscle and is an important part of daily nutrition (“duh, Steve,” you say).
You can get protein from any number of real food sources, and you should prioritize real food in your diet (also, “duh Steve”).
Here are some examples of protein-rich food:
However, there are PLENTY of instances where you might want to also supplement your food with a protein shake or protein powder (here we go):
In these instances, protein supplements or protein shakes can be awesome!
But don’t just take my word for it. A systematic review of studies revealed:[1]
“Protein supplementation may enhance muscle mass and performance when the training stimulus is adequate.”
Another study showed that among endurance athletes:[2]
“The addition of protein may help to offset muscle damage and promote recovery.”
What this means in regular people terms: If you are strength training correctly and eating the right way, consuming enough protein will help you build muscle and perform better!
“Enough protein” in this context can include protein supplements and protein powders.
Just remember that protein shakes are not a panacea for all of your ailments:
You still need to:
If you’re not sure HOW to strength train, don’t worry – I got you covered. You can download our Strength Training 101 guide when you join the Rebellion (it’s free) and sign up in the box below:
This section is taken from our guide “How Much Protein Do I Need to Eat Every Day?“
Despite what advertisements for protein supplements 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 supplement faster and need to buy more.
Here’s the real deal: claims for the amount of protein needed vary wildly from source 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 numbers, right?
Don’t worry, I got you.
Although the current international Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.4g per pound of bodyweight (0.8 g per kg of body weight),[3] this study[4] shows that this number is too low and should be higher regardless of your body 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!
On the Metric System? Click here.
Let’s explain some of this a little.
As Examine.com points out in their heavily researched summary on protein:[5]
These are starter numbers that you can start to experiment around as you see your body transforms. As Examine points out in its research on protein,[6] “higher protein intakes seem to have no negative effects in healthy people,” so aim for the higher end of the spectrum 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:
I personally consumed a significant amount of protein (240g 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 plate each day should be a source of protein.
If you are struggling to hit your target protein goal for the day through real food sources, then consider adding a protein supplement.
You still need to have the right systems, the right nutritional strategy, and the right workout in place, and THEN a protein shake might help you reach your goals a bit faster.
To help busy people like you not waste their time in the gym, and help them actually get results, we created our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program.
Your NF Coach will build you a custom workout program and provide nutritional guidance for your specific situation.
Find out if we’re a good fit for each other by clicking on the image below:
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, readily available, and cheapest protein supplementation out there. Whey contains all the essential amino acids, and is one of the byproducts of milk that has been curdled and strained. It comes in both “concentrate” and “isolate” forms. Whey is more quickly absorbed by the body compared to its counterpart casein(next), which makes it a great solution for right before/after a strength training workout.[7]
2) Casein protein is the other byproduct of milk and also contains all essential amino acids. Because it’s more slowly absorbed by the body than whey, many people consume casein before bed assuming it’ll result in improved muscle growth during sleep! However this study[8] shows that total consumption of protein during a day is more important than protein timing!
3) Egg protein powders are made from, you guessed 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 absorbed by your body and is usually less expensive than casein, which makes it our preferred form of protein for cost and ease of consumption.
Personally, I prefer wheyy. I find casein protein less palatable, and it doesn’t mix as well.
Also, don’t worry about timing whey for post-workout and casein for sleep. In my opinion, you’re just overcomplicating things.
Pick the one you enjoy and focus on getting enough protein in a day – that will get you 99.% of the way there to building muscle in the right places!
IF YOU ARE PLANT BASED: these are our recommendations for plant protein powders (from our guide to eating a Plant-Based Diet):
What about Soy Protein? Soy is a complicated beast, though in our opinion the fears 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. However, no differences in overall body composition was observed between the groups.”
In other words, you do you, boo. If you consume soy and are struggling to hit your protein goals, consuming a soy supplement can help. If you are unsure on soy, consider getting your protein supplementation from any of the other sources above!
Now, regardless of what protein you pick what you need to know about protein shakes based on the collective wisdom of the 15 full-time coaches on Team Nerd Fitness:
Over the past 15 years of training, I’ve tried dozens of protein powders, and I keep coming back to 2 brands that fit my style and budget:
The back of every protein powder jug will tell you “mixes great with 8 oz of water!”
For some protein powders, this is true.
For others, it’ll taste like you’re choking down recently mixed concrete.
Note: do not consume readily mixed concrete. You’re welcome.
So Step #1 with your newly purchased protein powder is to mix it with water and see how it tastes.
By mixing just the protein and water, you’re adding minimal calories to your daily intake while also increasing your protein intake for the day.
Win.
NOW, depending on your caloric goals or if you’re looking to make a meal replacement shake, you can start to experiment and make your own protein shakes by doing the following:
Just pretend like you’re a scientist and you’re creating a different concoction each time. Write down your ingredients and amounts until you find the perfect blend (heyo) of macros and taste that fits your goal!
HUGE CAVEAT: your body 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 creating 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
Here are the macronutrient and caloric breakdown of that shake: 795 calories, 68g of protein, 106g of carbs, 13g of fat:
For over a decade, I simply used a cheap blender like this on Amazon!
Depending on your budget, you can also go to your local 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 motors out of 10+ cheap blenders, and since switching to a Vitamix it’s been crushing my powerbomb shake ingredients twice a day in seconds.
If you have the money, it’s worth the investment.
Your other option is to buy a cheap shaker bottle (here’s the kind 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 option available, a shaker bottle can be really helpful.
Note: if you are using a shaker bottle, pour the water in first, THEN add the protein shake!
Here’s my “stay healthy while traveling” strategy for protein:
If you put the protein in first, I can guarantee no amount of shaking will get all of that protein mixed into the liquid!
Conventional wisdom tells us that we need to be consuming our protein shake IMMEDIATELY after our workout for maximum gains.
It also 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 performance, training session recovery, lean body mass, muscle hypertrophy, and strength. Specific gains, differ however based on protein type and amounts.”
And in this extract:[14]
“These results refute the commonly held belief that the timing of protein intake in and around a training session is critical to muscular adaptations and indicate that consuming adequate protein in combination with resistance exercise is the key factor for maximizing muscle protein accretion.”
WHAT THIS MEANS: The amount of protein you consume in a day is more important than the timing of your protein when it comes to muscle building. Consuming a protein shake before OR after a workout will result in increased physical performance and muscle hypertrophy – provided you’re training the right way!
If you need to train and then head to work and you can’t eat your protein until later in the day, do what works best for you!
Some people might hate training on an empty stomach, so consuming the protein shake before the workout is beneficial.
I personally train in a fasted state (which we cover 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 day itself.
Not sure if you’re training right?
Consider working with a Nerd Fitness coach who can build you a training program and help guide you on your nutrition!
Let’s recap some of the key points of drinking protein shakes for you:
Hopefully, this should get you started! Feel free to try out different flavors and combinations of ingredients in your smoothies to make them something you actually look forward to!
Do you have any favorite protein shake recipes?
Any more questions about protein powders and supplements?
Share them with us in the comments!
-Steve
PS: Check out the rest of our protein series:
PPS: Still overwhelmed? Still not sure you’re training right or eating correctly? Want to know which supplements are worth it and which ones are a waste of money?
I hear ya.
These questions and people like you are why we launched our 1-on-1 Coaching Program: to help busy people cut through the noise and just start building muscle, getting leaner, and feeling better.
Click below to schedule a call to learn more:
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All photo sources are right here[15]
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