Having a good protein shake filled with essential nutrients is a helpful way to give your progress in the gym, and your overall health, a push in the right direction. As is the case with any practice in life, you want to achieve the right balance. There are right and wrong ways to make protein shakes, and there certainly is such thing as overdoing your protein shake consumption. At Helimix, we don’t just want you to have the right nutritional drink shaker cup, we want to set you up for further success with your workouts. That being said, here are some dos and don’ts about protein shakes.
Don’t Pick the First Protein Powder You Find
Similarly, don’t stick with the protein powder that’s the cheapest. What goes into your body matters, and investing into your health should be a priority. It’s certainly worth it to weed out the options that are less reputable or have low-quality ingredients.
Do Your Research
When you are searching for the right protein powder to include in your nutritional drink mix, look into different types and different brands before you land on a choice. Not all protein powders are created equal. For instance, some powders are made from whey protein, which can be a very effective protein supplement. However it is derived from milk, so if you’re on a vegan diet, or have sensitivities to the casein protein, you will want to stick with a protein source derived from plants. Different brands that make each type of protein powder will also have different standards of quality, so pay attention to reviews and any studies you are able to find.
Don’t Use More Protein Than Recommended
You can’t have too much of a good thing right? Wrong. Too much protein added to your diet can actually lead to unwanted weight gain. In fact, your body is only capable of using 0.91g of protein per pound of bodyweight in any given day - the rest is stored as fat.
Do Consult a Physician and Follow Directions
Each person’s body is different and has needs that are unique. There are surprising things you can find out about your body by scheduling a physical and getting bloodwork done. Your doctor can help you plan what nutrients you need more of, let you know if you have previously unknown allergies, and help you decide how much protein you should be adding to your mix.
Don’t Expect the Protein to do the Work for You
People know protein as the nutrient that helps build muscle, which is true. But most American diets already include plenty of protein and could be improved by adding other essential nutrients, such as complex carbohydrates. Adding protein powder into a sports drink mix without regular activity is really just extra calories, leading to weight gain.
Do Use Protein With Your Workouts
When you are regularly getting exercise in the gym, you are doing wonders for your body in many ways. The extra work creates demand for more protein in order to rebuild muscle fibers. Adding a carefully selected protein powder to your sports mix at a recommended dose will efficiently give your body the replenishment of protein it needs for you to see the result you want.
