Introduction
Let’s talk about protein powders. I feel a lot of people confuse them, their use and also when and why you would use them. Depending on who you speak to about this (A lot of Bro’s will voice their opinions on this subject) you will receive different answers, but which one is the correct answer? Are you wasting my money on protein powders? Do you need them? Should you buy them?
There are lots of things to discuss here so let us start by covering what they are and the different kinds of protein you can get and go over the general principle of them.
What is Protein Powder?
Protein comes in various formats. Using different ingredients and formulas. Some use Whey, some use Casin, Pea and various other ingredients, however, the principle for all protein shakes are the same. It is a powder that would be mixed, predominantly, with either water or milk of some kind to form a shake. This would then be consumed.
The average protein shake contains 20-25g of protein per serving. With around 150-200kcals per shake (Depending on Flavour). This makes them a very low calorie but very high protein snack or supplement.
What is often thought is that you need to drink protein powders to look a certain way. Want to build muscle? Need to drink protein powder! Want to shred fat? You have to drink your protein shake. We should all know by now that this is false, and is not how you should use a protein supplement. So how should you use protein supplements?
Why you would use Protein Powder?
Let us get this out the way first. Protein Powder is not a magical substance! Drinking 1-2 protein shakes a day will not magically make you bigger, leaner and stronger. All a protein shake is, as it says, protein. They are a convenient way to consume a high amount of protein whilst keeping fat and carb consumption to a minimum. Remember, It is called a protein supplement, it is there to supplement. Not to rely on!
Another great thing about protein powder is cost. Per gram of protein, it is one of the cheapest forms of protein you can buy. So makes sense to have a bag or tub in your house incase you need to up your protein on day.
When not to use it?
If you have already hit your protein goal for the day, there is no need to have a shake at all. You will find that the more you focus on your macros the less you will need a protein shake. As we said above, they are there for “emergencies” and convenience so you won’t need them every day. Times you may need them is if, for example, you are travelling, in a hotel or have a busy day and can’t reach for a meal. These are the times that you need to consume a protein shake.
You want to aim to get as much protein from whole foods as possible. However, there are situations, like the ones above, where you might need another, simpler way to up your protein consumption and protein supplements are great for that.
When you take them or How you take them doesn’t matter, all that matters is that you hit your daily protein goal. Although a quick reminder is that if you are mixing a shake with milk, it will add on some calories. Just remember that when tracking a shake, mixing it with milk will increase the calories stated on the protein itself.
Conclusion
Some of you may be reading this and thinking, “Well, do they like protein powders or do they not?” Of course, we like protein powders, we have a few flavours laying around here, our favourite brand is either MyProtein (For Price) or Ghost Supplements (For Flavour), but the thing you that everyone needs to remember is that they aren’t a magic substance, they are a protein supplement and should be used as one.
They are a cheap and quick way to consume and get your protein intake up. If you are getting all your protein from Wholefoods, you won’t need protein powder. If you, one day you find you are struggling to hit your protein target, then you can consume some protein powder or a protein supplement of some kind.
Written by Kieran Blacker
Kieran is the CEO and Founder of Sets & Reps. He decided to make an application that helped people get a gym workout when not at the gym. He designed, Coded and built the application himself.