Does Drinking Protein Shakes During a Workout Make a Difference? | Exercise.com Learn: Your Fitness Business Resource

Does Drinking Protein Shakes During a Workout Make a Difference?

Tyler Spraul is the director of UX and the head trainer for Exercise.com. He has his Bachelor of Science degree in pre-medicine and is an NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist. He is a former All-American soccer player and still coaches soccer today. In his free time, he enjoys reading, learning, and living the dad life. He has been featured in Shape, Healthline, HuffPost, Women's...

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UPDATED: Aug 25, 2020

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  • If you drink a protein shake within 45 minutes of completing a workout, you will get the best results possible.
  • Exercise is what causes your heart to get stronger and stay healthy.
  • You should never embark on an exercise routine without a doctor’s permission.

Drinking protein shakes in the middle of a workout will produce different results.

Some people may feel as though they gain more energy so that they can work out harder, while others become extremely nauseous. Science shows that the human body is better able to burn calories and make use of protein when food or supplements are consumed directly after a workout.

While it is possible to drink a protein shake while exercising, it is important to remember that your body also needs water. You might unknowingly cause yourself to become dehydrated if you become too dependent on protein shakes. When the body isn’t properly hydrated, it cannot properly store nutrients.

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When Is the Best Time to Drink Protein Shakes?

If you drink a protein shake within 45 minutes of completing a workout, you will get the best results possible. This is because your metabolism is at its highest level after you complete a vigorous workout.

You can drink several protein shakes every day if you want to build more muscle tissue, but you also need to consume carbohydrates and enough calories to sustain your energy levels. Protein shakes can also be consumed when you first wake up.

As long as you develop some type of routine, your body will be better able to digest and make use of your protein supplements. Try to avoid drinking protein shakes before you are about to go to sleep.

It is harder for the body to digest anything while in rest mode, which may cause the protein that you consume to be processed into fat instead of converted into muscle.

What Are the Best Ingredients to Combine With Protein Shakes?

Protein powders need to be added to some type of liquid or another solid food in order to be digested. As long as you use healthy ingredients, there is no limit to the types of protein powder infused drinks and foods that you can make.

Since protein powder has a high concentration of protein in each dose, you really don’t have to add a lot of it to your shakes or meals to receive the benefits. When using protein powders to make a protein shake, you will want to use liquids that are low in calories and sugar. This is why sodas and juices are not normally used.

Plain water, soy milk, and low fat cow’s milk are among the top choices for use in protein shakes.

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Which Protein Shakes Are Good for Workouts?

There are two different kinds of protein shakes you can consume. Either you can purchase a loose protein powder and use it to make your own protein shakes, or you can purchase protein shakes that are already mixed.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Store-bought protein shakes are convenient to carry and store, but you can also add more healthy ingredients to homemade protein shakes.

Should you choose to buy pre-made protein shakes, make sure that you know what all of the ingredients are. Many of the most popular brands of pre-made protein shakes are marketed towards bodybuilders that want to gain weight and people that are not able to meet their daily nutritional needs through their normal diets.

If you just want to use protein shakes to increase energy during workouts, you might want to stick to using loose protein powders. Eating a healthy breakfast is always recommended because it will help you to naturally increase your metabolism over time.

Can You Drink Protein Shakes Prior to Working Out?

Protein shakes can be used before, during and after workouts, but this is not ideal for all people. Working out on an empty stomach can help you to boost your metabolism.

If you want to lose weight, you will want to drink your protein shakes within 45 minutes of ending your workout. If you find that you have difficulties starting your workout, it may be because you don’t have enough energy.

Eating or consuming a protein shake before working out can help to make you feel more energized. Be careful about eating or drinking too much before exercise as this can cause nausea or even lead to vomiting. Some people even opt to drink half of their protein shakes prior to working out, then they finish the rest of it after completing a workout.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Do I have to take supplements?

Unless your doctor has instructed you to take certain supplements, you do not have to take them.

Are supplements safe?

Whether or not dietary supplements are safe to take depends on a number of factors. Learn more about the safety of supplements here.

What supplements do I need to take?

No one can answer that aside from your doctor. To learn more about the various supplements that doctors commonly recommend, check out this article.

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