Are Protein Shakes Really As Bad as People Say They Are?
Updated: Jan 15, 2022
You might've seen people all over TikTok, YouTube and other social media platforms voicing their opinions on protein shakes, and how they've become completely overused by the general lifting population.
You'll hear quite a lot of influencers and content creators saying that protein shakes are bad choices when compared to eating real and whole foods.
However, in the real world, protein shakes are absolutely fine.
In fact, they're going to be more beneficial for most people to be taking than trying to get in real foods all the time if they're serious about making gains.
We'll get into why that is below.
Contents
Protein Shakes Are More Convenient
The first and biggest bonus of protein shakes is that it's simply more convenient. In just
60-90 seconds, almost anybody could pour themselves a protein shake and have it drank.
However if anybody was to cook themselves a chicken breast or anything like that, it would likely take upwards of 15-20 minutes.
Protein shakes are simply much, much quicker to produce and consume.
Unless your life is completely dedicated to fitness and it's part of your job or you make a living off of it, you're most likely not going to have the time to be cooking and eating whole foods all the time.
We have jobs to go to, family to spend time with and pretty busy lives. It's not very pragmatic for most of us to be spending so much time out of our day to cook and eat the whole foods just to get some additional protein in.
Protein shakes are incredibly convenient, and are the more practical solution to increasing protein intake for the majority of the general population.
Plus it's also much easier to transport your protein powder or shake and carry it around.
For example if you're looking to bring your post-workout meal with you to have right before work, it's much easier for you to prepare a protein shake and carry it with you than it is to bring a cooked chicken breast and some rice.
Protein shakes are simply the more practical option for the vast majority of the population who don't have the time to be cooking and eating food all day.
Protein Shakes Are Generally Cheaper Than Meats
It's also generally cheaper for most people to buy the ingredients to and prepare a protein shake than it is for them to buy and prepare their meats.
This depends on the type of protein powder that you buy, but powders are generally cheaper and more affordable for most people than meats are.
For example, whey protein is usually cheaper than meat options such as chicken and beef. However, egg protein powder is comparatively more expensive and will usually cost more than meats.
Unless you've got a lot of spare money lying around, protein powder is generally going to be the better option when it comes to increasing your protein intake and keeping costs low.
Protein Shakes Have Good Health Benefits
Aside from just helping you build more muscle and burning more fat as a result of consuming more protein, protein shakes have several other health benefits.
For example, whey protein can help you lower your blood pressure.
Unusually high blood pressure is one of the leading causes of heart disease.
Several studies such as this one by Sebely Pal found that consumption of whey protein and other milk based proteins such as casein could lower blood pressure by 4%.
Studies have also shown that whey and soy protein can help to lower cholesterol levels and reduce risk of suffering from heart disease and metabolic syndrome.
And it's also been proven in this study conducted by Douglas Paddon-Jones that protein is by far the more satiating (filling) macronutrient we can consume.
Consuming more protein can help us feel fuller and less hungry throughout the day, which is going to have us eat less and help keep that extra weight off our bodies.
That's why when people want to lose weight, it's generally recommended that you increase your protein intake. You won't feel the need to eat as much and will have an easier time staying in your calorie deficit as a result.
Plus, consuming more protein also causes your body to burn more energy to digest and absorb it.
Studies have shown that proteins use 15-30% of energy for the body to use, whereas carbs use 5-15% and fats use only 0-5% of energy.
Simply eating more protein can help you to increase your metabolic rate and burn more calories throughout the day without additional exercise.
Learn more: 6 simple ways to boost your metabolism.
There are countless other benefits of protein powders and shakes, but we'll leave it at that for this post as it's not that related to the topic.
It's Just Powdered Food
At the end of the day, protein powder is not a bad or unhealthy choice of protein source. it's just powdered food.
Unless you've got allergies or some kind of other condition that causes problems when certain protein powders are consumed, you'll be completely fine if you consume it.
Just make sure to buy the best protein powders from reputable brands that have third party testing so that you know you're going to be safe when you consume them.
Some people will lie and put unhealthy ingredients into their products simply because it's cheaper and they can make more of a profit.
Conclusion
Protein powders are not as bas as some people say they are.
Remember, just because your favorite influencers and content creators are saying something doesn't mean that it's immediately or automatically true.
There is nothing wrong with consuming a bit of protein powder.
If it makes your life easier or you simply enjoy it more, by all means. Go for it.
We hope you found this post helpful and enjoyed having a read through it!
If you did remember to share it with your friends so that we can reach more people and help more reach their goals in fitness!
And if you would like some help with your fitness journey and getting in shape at the most affordable prices, upgrade your account to Gympulsive Pro to gain full access to the site and instant access to all of our fitness goals!
-min.png)