PROTEIN SHAKE BEFORE OR AFTER WORKOUT & HOW TO MEET PROTEIN INTAKE?

Protein shakes are generally made up of protein powders. These are dry and powdered supplements which are actually derived from both the plant and animal based sources of protein, and it can be both flavoured and unflavoured. These protein powders are generally mixed with milk, water or other liquid things to consume in the form of protein shakes or smoothies. Protein is extremely necessary for the human body and so people take it many different ways to meet the requirement, for which protein shakes are quite popular. But people are usually confused whether they should consume protein shake before or after workout. So if you also have this question, then we got you covered through this article.

As you scroll down, you will find out complete details about protein shakes, such as when is it right to consume these shakes, before or after workout?, what are the benefits of protein shake, some other ways to meet the protein requirement and much more. So just keep reading below to check out all the info.

Should you consume protein shake before or after a workout?

It is suggested by a lot of researchers and people from the fitness field that it really does not matter whether a person drinks a protein shake before or after the workout. Because what really matters is to fulfil the daily intake of daily requirements of the protein. Protein is actually an important source of muscle growth and repair. And this is the reason why a lot of people these days consume supplements of protein in the form of shakes along with their workout. However, choosing the best time to take a protein shake is a debated topic. 

So looking at the best possibilities and what’s suggested the most, as protein plays a vital role in the repairing and rebuilding of the muscles after exercising and weight training, it is better to take it after the workout. Another reason to have it after a workout is that it gets digested fast. So whenever you decide to take it, ie. protein shake before or after workout, according to your body and its needs, what matters the most is that you complete your daily requirement!

What are the benefits of consuming protein shake?

The benefits of protein shakes are mainly focused on functional abilities like improving the recovery of muscles, increasing satiety and adding up lean mass.

Following are its main benefits:

1. Protein shakes can help you to lose weight- When your diet is high in protein, it helps to preserve mass and targets fat loss. Protein also slows down the process of digestion so you feel full for a longer duration which avoids overeating and so helps in weight loss.
2. Protein shakes support muscle growth- Either having protein shake before or after workout, one of the main benefits of these are that they provide a fuel that helps in building muscle tissue after weight training. Protein helps the muscles to rebuild and become stronger.
3. More benefits of protein shakes are: It helps to speed up the recovery of the body, boosts the metabolism, preserves muscle mass and are very convenient.

What are the ways to meet your protein target?

Both the animal and plant based foods contain a good amount of protein, which can help you to meet your daily requirements of protein intake. Some high quality sources of protein are dairy, fish, poultry and meat, while nuts, legumes, beans and products that are soy based are known to be good sources of plant based protein.

It is suggested by a lot of researchers that the animal based protein is higher or superior to the plant based protein for building the muscles. But of course, it is more beneficial to consume both of these. Protein shakes are one of the most convenient ways to increase the intake of protein, and especially when you are not able to complete it through food alone.

So whether you take protein shake before or after workout, some of the most common types of powders of protein which are available in the market are as follows-

1. Casein Protein- This is a milk based protein which is digested by your body much slower than the whey protein, which actually makes it an ideal option during periods of fasting like sleeping. And you might be surprised to know that a lot of brands of casein protein offer up to 60% of the RDA per scoop of calcium.
2. Whey Protein- Whey is another milk protein which is quickly absorbed by the human body. This makes the protein useful, both before and after the workout. This also contains bioactive protein which might offer some other health benefits as well.
3. Rice and Pea Protein- This rice and pea protein is known to not contain all the important amino acids, and so combining them makes them a complete or proper protein. They are quite low allergenic, which makes them favourable for people with soy, dairy or egg allergies.
4. Soy Protein- Soy is considered to be one of the few plant proteins which contain almost all the necessary amino acids, thus making it a complete and good source of protein for vegetarians specifically.
5. Egg Protein- The powders of egg protein are generally made with pure white protein of egg. This digests at an average or medium rate in the body. These are also one of the costliest supplements of protein available in the market.

Conclusion

Protein is considered to be very necessary for the repair and growth of the muscles in the body. This is actually one of the major reasons why a lot of people take it in the form of protein shakes to fulfil the requirement of protein. But as people are usually confused on whether to drink protein shake before or after workout, we have discussed above when it’s better to take it and what are the general beliefs of taking protein shake. So check them out and do it the right way!