Contrary to popular belief, protein shakes aren’t just for those who are looking to bulk up. Even if your intention is to drop the pounds, having a shaker of protein shake is important.
What is this protein shake you are talking about?
For the uninitiated, a straight up protein shake is basically protein powder mixed in with either milk (low-fat or full-cream, it depends on what your ultimate fitness goal is), soya bean or plain water. The protein powder is also not difficult to procure. Most good stores would carry a range of them, and in different flavours too to whet your appetite, no doubt.
So what kind of protein shake works for you?
As mentioned above, depending on what your fitness goals are, you may consider adding on even more protein components into your shake.
For weight loss, the simple concoction will suffice. In fact, add in low-fat milk or non-sweet yoghurt to keep the calories as low as possible while still getting the benefits from the protein. A tip for those trying this for the first time. Try mixing the powder in with something that has a good taste profile first like perhaps low-fat milk. If the protein powder isn’t dissolving, use a blender or a shaker bottle. Take sips first to get use to the taste before you attempt downing the entire thing down at one go. Once you start getting used to the taste of the drink, you can start experimenting with other forms of “mixers” to make it more fun to consume, especially if you are the type who exercises regularly.
For body-building or weight gain, you may like to think about adding protein-rich foods like bananas, oats, seeds and full-cream milk to give you the bulk you require. The consistency of this shake will be alike the milkshakes you get at Swensens or even McDonald’s but will be so much healthier and better for you in the larger scheme of things.
What are the advantages of having protein shakes after our workouts?
As we all should know by now, protein is important for our body to manufacture hormones, enzymes, cellular messengers, nucleic acids, and immune-system components. Without adequate protein, our muscles aren’t able to heal up as quickly and could therefore lead to overtraining your muscle which could lead to injury.
Thus, it is of utmost importance that we consume our protein shakes after each and every workout session we engage in to prevent soreness and also make sure that our bodies get the required nutrition to repair itself before our next workout session.
