The Most Detrimental Mistakes When Drinking Protein Shakes

18 January 2016
 Categories: , Blog


Protein powders might be necessary if you are just not getting enough protein to build the muscles that you want. However, with great power comes great responsibility. If you make certain common rookie mistakes when making your protein drink, you might undermine your goals and you may not be consuming a shake that is as healthy as you thought.

Adding Unnecessary Ingredients

In an effort to make a protein shake taste great, some bodybuilders make the mistake of adding ingredients that improve the flavor, but can also turn the protein shake into a fatty, high-sugar drink that will cause you to gain more weight. Stick with ingredients that do not contain a lot of sugars, such as avocado, kale and flaxseed. Choose healthy ingredients that give your protein shake a flavor that you enjoy so you'll be more likely to drink it.

Sweetening The Protein Shake

If you must sweeten the shake, add fruit or honey. Some protein powders contain artificial sweeteners. Research the type of sweetener used to determine whether you would like to ingest it. Watch out for sugars, sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners. Some sweeteners can have adverse effects, such as killing the healthy bacteria in your gut.

Buying A Cheap Shake

Not all protein powders are created equally. Those that are not expensive and that have a long shelf life most often contain fat and carbs. You will need to spend more money to purchase protein powders that are truly healthy and will help you build muscle.

Consuming Too Much

Only add the amount of protein that you need. If you consume too much protein, you won't gain extra muscle, but you will consume unnecessary calories. Find out exactly how much protein you need and measure the amount of protein you are consuming. Also if you consume a high-protein meal, find out how much protein and adjust the amount of clean protein powder you consume accordingly. While your muscles must have protein to grow, anything beyond what they need will be stored as fat.

Using The Wrong Protein Source

Use the right protein for the right reason. Whey is the best protein to consume after a workout. If you need protein as a meal replacement, chia, rice or defattened beef protein are the best options. Research the exact amount of amino acids you need for a specific situation and verify that the protein powder contains those amino acids. If you follow these steps, you will begin to see your muscles grow.


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