The benefits of protein shakes when aptly added to a training regime are countless, but can you drink protein shakes without working out?
What are the likely downsides that drinking protein shakes without working out could result in? Is this advisable to go this direction?
These are the questions that this article seek to address and more. But first, what are protein shakes made of?
WHAT ARE PROTEIN SHAKES MADE OF?
Most protein shakes are made of protein powder which you can then mix with a liquid of choice. Most people often go with milk or water.
How much protein powder you add to your choice liquid at a given time depends mostly on how much you weigh. The right calculation is a ratio of 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight.
The protein powder can be embellished with other ingredients as one desires.
Some people love to add fruits for taste and texture, and others also incorporate a range of vegetables for added minerals and vitamins.
There is even the option of adding whole foods such as eggs and chicken into the shake, it really all depends on the direction you want to take with your shake.
PROTEIN SHAKE BENEFITS
EXTRA PROTEIN
Protein shakes are a great way of incorporating extra protein into the diet. Their liquid form makes it easy to take.
They are also more convenient as compared to having to cook, sit down and eat a meal of say, chicken or meat.
If you are in a hurry and need something quick and easy, you can stir up a shake to take while walking or on your way somewhere.
Protein is an important nutrient when it comes to muscle repair and the general functioning of the body. If you work out a lot, your body will need extra protein to help you rebuild the muscles that are torn during particularly taxing types of workout.
GREAT FOR ILL PEOPLE
Most people when ill cannot bring themselves to eat whole foods as normal people would. Thus, protein shakes provide a great alternative for getting protein into their system to keep them strong and help in their recovery.
GREAT FOR THE ELDERLY
As people age more, they experience a decline in appetite and most foods become less palatable. At the same time, there is even greater need for this age group to get more proteins into their system. In this event, protein shakes provide a more palatable alternative.
CAN YOU DRINK PROTEIN SHAKES WITHOUT WORKING OUT?
Before we answer this question it is best to visit why people take protein shakes in the first place. The reasons are varied and dictated by the circumstances surrounding an individual at a given time.
MUSCLE GAIN
For people who work out regularly, protein shakes are meant to help in the process of building muscles. When you work out, your muscles develop teeny tiny tears, that is why you sometimes feel sore after a session. When these tears heal and repair, the muscles grow back stronger.
Protein is the one nutrient that directly helps this process. Thus, most fitness enthusiasts take protein shakes to help the body build muscles.
WEIGHT GAIN
Other people take protein shake to gain weight. After all, proteins are the body builders. If you feel underweight, or for whatever reason want to add weight, protein shakes can help you get there.
Some ingredients added to the protein shakes can also induce your appetite.
WEIGHT LOSS
The other reason why some people drink protein shakes is founded on the belief that it helps people lose weight. Proteins as a food group induce satiety.
So this belief is based on the assumption that you can take the protein shakes in place of extra food, and that they are healthy enough to get away with. High protein intake does reduce hunger, according to this study.
Back to the question on whether you can drink protein shakes without working out, you can do that. This will however depend on the reasons why you are drinking the shakes.
Remember, just because protein shakes are touted as healthy does not mean they are healthy.
It is true that some manufacturers go a long way in ensuring their shakes have been extracted from healthy ingredients.
You can incorporate fruits and nuts in your shake too. However, a lot of what goes by the name of protein shakes in the market are really just milkshakes.
They are laden with sugars and a calorie-count that will overturn even your best gains no matter how hard you work out. It is even worse if you do not work out because now the extra calories will nowhere to go.
If you have to take protein shakes without working out, make sure they have no added sugars, flavors and extra ingredients. Also pack them with fruits and vegetables because a healthy diet requires all types of nutrients, not just protein.
CAN YOU GET STRONGER BY DRINKING PROTEIN SHAKES WITHOUT WORKING OUT?
The simple answer is no.
You will not get stronger by just drinking protein shakes. Protein shakes without a doubt gives your body what it needs to build and repair muscles.
But if it is actual muscle strength you are going for, you have to incorporate some sort of workout on top of plain drinking shakes.
CONCLUSION
Drinking protein shakes without working out will most likely make you add weight. This is a good thing if adding weight is your intention.
If your intention is to lose weight, you may want to look closely into the kind of protein shakes you take, because what people sometimes take in the name of protein shake is really just desert.
A more foolproof way of losing weight is adding exercise into your routine on top of taking protein shakes.
Here is the best part, you will be capable of taking even more protein shake guilty free when you are sure you will burn in all out when strength-training.
ALSO READ: 10 Effects of Drinking Protein Shakes Without Working Out
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