How Many Protein Shakes Should I Drink Per Day?

How Many Protein Shakes Should I Drink Per Day?

People take protein shakes for a variety of reasons. They can help you to build muscle, lose weight, gain weight, or recover from injury, but just how many protein shakes should you drink per day to achieve optimum results?

How Much Protein Does Your Body Need?

This depends on what you are trying to achieve. A healthy body requires around 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, so it depends on how much you weigh. However, this formula is only for the average healthy person.

If you are an athlete, you will need between 1.3 and 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight based on the frequency and intensity of your training. It will also depend on your chosen sport. Endurance sports such as long-distance running, football, or tennis should stick to about 1.3 grams. If your sport is strength-based, such as bodybuilding or rugby, your protein intake should be nearer to 1.8 grams.

Your Existing Diet

Don’t forget to consider your existing diet when planning how many protein shakes to have per day. A lot of the protein you have will already be in your food, especially if your diet is based on proteins such as chicken or eggs. You may want to use protein shakes, such as these Plant Based Protein Shakes, to top up the amount of protein you have, but this should not be where all the protein in your diet comes from.

Using Protein Shakes for Weight Loss

Adding protein shakes to your diet will not make you lose weight alone. You will need to take them alongside a healthy diet and use an exercise program to maximize your weight loss potential. However, there are three ways they can assist you if you embark on a weight loss program.

1) They help to reduce your appetite and can take the place of unhealthy food.

2) They can boost your metabolic rate, which means you may burn the calories you consume faster.

3) They enable you to retain leaner mass.

Studies also show dramatically greater weight loss results when individuals get at least 25 to 30% of their calories from protein. However, this should not just come from protein shakes. Food that is naturally high in protein, such as eggs, lean meat, and nuts, is necessary to keep your diet healthy when you are trying to reduce your weight, and protein bars, such as these Organic Plant Based Protein Bars, can be great as a snack as they help to reduce your food cravings.

Many weight loss diets suggest that drinking a protein shake in the morning will give you a lot of the protein you need and set you up for the day. You can then top up by having another protein shake at lunchtime. Your evening meal should consist of some healthy protein and vegetables as this helps to vary your diet and fills your stomach.

Using Protein Shakes to Build Muscle

Another popular way of using protein shakes is to build muscle. Bodybuilders will often use this method to build lean muscle and to help repair their bodies more quickly and effectively after a training session. Studies have shown that using whey protein for this is effective because it boosts muscle protein, enhances your recovery time, and makes sure that you hit your daily protein requirements.

The most popular way to use protein shakes to build muscle is to take it after a training session. Between 25% and 30% of your daily food intake should come from protein if you are trying to build muscle, but don’t forget to factor the other food you eat into that percentage, too.

What Happens If You Take Too Much Protein?

There isn’t a harmful effect of taking too much protein. However, there is a point at which taking protein stops being beneficial to you. This could lead to you wasting a lot of money and effort to take in more protein than you really need to.

A balanced diet is always going to be a lot better and healthier for you than just concentrating on one food group so don’t forget about your carbohydrates, vegetables, and essential fats and plan a balanced diet. This will be beneficial to you whether you are using protein shakes for weight loss or building muscle.

Drinking two or three protein shakes per day should be sufficient to give your body as much protein as it needs to ensure that you continue to be as healthy as possible.