Of all the supplements in the world, after multivitamins the most popular and commonly used is a protein shake. Look at gyms the world over and you’ll see people mixing their post-workout shake, shaking bottles and glugging it down.
But is it actually doing anything, or are these people just wasting their money?
In this article we’re going to look into protein shakes, taking an overarching view to see if they’re actually worth it. We’re going to look at the science of protein requirements, find out if there’s an optimal time for taking these shakes, and more fundamentally… should we bother with them at all?!
Protein - what’s the score?
Let’s start by explaining what protein is and it’s important to us.
Protein is one of the three main macro nutrients. The others being carbohydrate and fats. It’s most prevalent in animal sources such as meat, fish, eggs, offal, milk, cheese etc.
It’s also present in vegetable and legume sources such as nuts, beans, pulses, tofu. The animal sources are a ‘complete’ protein (they contain a complete amino acid profile), whereas the vegetable proteins don’t contain a complete amino acid profile. That means you have to combine different types of vegetables to consume the complete protein.
Protein is responsible for the repair and regeneration of tissues. It’s why people who exercise a lot need more of it, because they’re breaking down their muscles with exercise, which then rebuild themselves bigger and stronger.
Protein also acts as a secondary energy source when carbs (stored as glycogen in the body) run low.
Finally, a high protein diet is very helpful when it comes to weight loss, because high protein foods are usually very filling, and protein only contains 4 calories per gram.
What are our protein requirements?
We need to look at the science here, because much of the nutritional information that makes the mainstream comes from supplement companies, who have an agenda to sell you more protein powders!
Instead of looking at what the supplement companies suggest you should be consuming, let’s look at what the nutritionists and scientists are saying. Research published in 2016 by Wu made the following protein intake observations…
Recommended Dietary Allowance of protein for a healthy adult with minimal physical activity is currently 0.8 g protein per kg body weight (BW) per day. To meet the functional needs such as promoting skeletal-muscle protein accretion and physical strength, dietary intake of 1.0, 1.3, and 1.6 g protein per kg BW per day is recommended for individuals with minimal, moderate, and intense physical activity, respectively. Long-term consumption of protein at 2 g per kg BW per day is safe for healthy adults, and the tolerable upper limit is 3.5 g per kg BW per day for well-adapted subjects.
So these suggestions show that the recommended protein intake varies depending on your goals, activity levels and protein intake history. If you are training hard and are looking to build a lot of muscle, you can hit 2g per lb of bodyweight.
If you are generally active, stick to around the 1-1.5g per lb of bodyweight mark.
How much protein exists in popular foods?
Not all protein is created equally, so when a food label says ‘30g protein’ on the back, it doesn’t mean you’re going to get all of that 30g. It depends on the quality of the protein, the way it has been cooked, the source etc.
Here’s a table outlining some protein quality rankings from protein research published in 2004…
You’re looking for two things…
The protein digestibility corrected amino acid score. This is a rounded measure of the quality of the protein. The score is capped at 1.00, so the closer to that figure, the more protein is used by the body.
The net protein utilisation score - this is how much of the administered protein is used by the body. The closer this figure is to 100, the better.
A combination of these will give you the best overall proteins.
If you can eat protein, why supplement with it?
There’s a couple of reasons why people will supplement with protein…
Convenience: It’s far easier to drink your protein straight after the workout than it would be to eat it. You don’t need to warm a protein shake like you would a meal. It can also be consumed much more easily when on the go. It’s easier to drink a protein shake whilst driving that it would be to eat protein in another form.
Protein type: The vast majority of protein sold is whey protein. You can see from the table above how good a protein it is - arguably the best of the lot. However, you’re very unlikely to eat whey, so the best way to consume it is via a supplement.
So, are protein shakes worth taking?
The million dollar question…
A short answer would be yes, absolutely. They’re convenient, they offer additional vitamins and minerals, plus research shows they help with performance, recovery and muscle synthesis. There’s zero doubt in the research whether or not they benefit you by now. The answer is a resounding yes, they do.
However…
You don’t need to take them. If you’re able to consume enough protein in your diet then there’s no absolute need for protein shakes. They’re just really beneficial and easy to consume. If you have the time to eat your protein in food form though, that’s every bit as good. Arguably cheaper too!
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