When you hear the word bodybuilding, you probably think about big goons slugging down protein shakes all day.
Although that’s not entirely accurate (not everyone is big), protein shakes are an important staple for many bodybuilders.
I love protein shakes and powders. I have several articles on this site right now about protein powder, so I obviously think they have their place.
That being said, there are a lot of people out there that are a bit confused about the proper and best way to use protein shakes.
I sadly wasted years before I learned how to use protein shakes properly.
I figured that just drinking them whenever or as much as I could, would help me pack on lean, quality muscle like magic.
While it helped, I know that I could have gotten better results looking back if I focused on eating real food instead of drinking the shakes.
If you are a shake addict like I used to be, hopefully this help you to think a bit differently about them. They are a tool in the toolbox however, they should not be the primary tool of choice.
Protein shakes are a tool
Protein shakes and powders are a tool. That’s all. There’s nothing magical about them. Slugging down shake after shake will not help you become Mr. Olympia.
Do you want to hear a dirty little secret about professional bodybuilders? Most of them barely use protein shakes.
I know that may be shocking if you were led to believe they are drinking them all day long. Especially when you realize that many of them have nutritional companies that produce protein powder.
If they’re not using protein powder, then what are they using? They are using real food. They are eating things like chicken, eggs and beef to get their protein.
They do not rely on a processed form of it. Even if a protein powder is all the right things I talk about like grass-fed and cold processed, it’s still a processed source of protein.
Protein powder and shakes are not something you can go out in nature and find. As much as I’d love to have a whey protein shake tree in my yard, it can’t happen!
Protein powder is derived from milk. It goes through a whole process where it’s separated in a factory.
While that doesn’t mean you have to avoid it at all costs, you should understand what it really is.
The vast majority of protein powders on the market are pure garbage. They are filled with toxic chemicals and preservatives. They are far from what I would call real food.
Professional bodybuilders know that the best source of protein is and will forever be real food. I would take real food over a protein shake every time when it comes to building muscle.
Professional bodybuilders understand that protein shakes are a tool, which is what you should use them for as well.
They should not be used in place of real food whenever possible.
They are for your convenience
Protein shakes should be used to make your life easier however, they shouldn’t take the place of every meal because you’re too lazy to cook.
Protein shakes should be reserved for those times that eating a meal just isn’t an option.
Many people do not have the luxury to be able to sit down to eat 6-7 meals a day, which makes shakes valuable to the busy person.
The most popular time for people to have a protein shake is immediately following a workout.
Although the anabolic window theory has largely been discredited, it’s important to get protein in your body after a work to repair the damage you just did by lifting weights.
It likely will be longer than 30 minutes after your workout before you are able to consume a full meal, unless you eat it in the parking lot of the gym like a savage.
In this instance for many, it’s far more convenient to have a protein shake right after they train.
It’s quick, easy and takes away the mental stress of knowing you need to get protein in your system to repair and rebuild your muscles.
If there is one time I would recommend shakes, it would be after your workout.
Even if you are able to eat right after you leave the gym, I would still probably recommend whey protein due to its bioavailability.
It’s difficult to beat whey when it comes to digestion rate, although eggs are very close.
Use shakes wisely
You should not be drinking a protein shake for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
If you plan wisely with your food preparation, you shouldn’t need protein shakes that often at all.
The truth is that real food is going to help you get the best results.
Protein powder works, but it will never be able to replace the power of real food to help you build and maintain muscle.
It just does not work as well.
This is something that you need to keep in mind when you are planning your diet.
If the options are between having a shake or going without any food or protein, I am going to choose the shake.
If the options are between a shake or eating real food, I am going to choose real food every time unless it’s an inconvenience.
When used wisely, protein shakes are a helpful tool. They ensure that you will be able to hit your daily protein requirement, even if you happen to miss a meal that day.
They should be used to fill the gaps in nutrition wise however, they should not form the foundation of your diet.
Once I stopped being lazy and replaced most of the shakes with real food, I saw my results skyrocket.
Keep it real
Protein shakes and powders are great, but they should be used sparingly. It’s become too common to use them as meal replacements.
If you’re looking to lose weight, that’s not a bad option however, if you are looking to gain lean muscle then real food is going to be your best option.
I will likely forever include protein shakes in my diet however, I continue to use them less and less as the years go by.
I’ve found that they are just not as effective as natural protein sources like fish, chicken, beef and the like.
If shakes make up a large part of your diet right now, try replacing them with real food options. Even if it’s just a couple of them.
You don’t have to give up your protein shakes entirely! I felt a bolt of fear even just thinking I may accidentally be passing that message on.
If you do want to get the best results possible though, which I know everyone does, you’d be smart to choose real food over shakes whenever possible.
Stay pumped,
Dan
P.S. What are your thoughts on protein shakes? I’d love to hear your questions, comments or concerns below!
Dan, I agree with you 1,000%. I too fell for the ruse years ago that protein shakes built muscle better than real food, falling for ad after ad in those bodybuilding magazines where companies would put up photos of bodybuilders or guys not in contest shape before taking their product and getting into contest shape.
These days, I barely consume protein powder since I can get all of my protein requirements from real food. I usually take in between 1.5 and 2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight, so between 113 and 150 grams of protein per day. Again, I get most through food, but there are times that I can’t, so every once in a long while, I’ll opt for protein powder.
I’m glad to have come across an article like this that reveals the truth about protein powder consumption.
Hi Todd,
It’s very easy to fall into the trap. They are so good at advertising it and once I really started following some pro bodybuilders, I realized that they were not using shakes at all and many of them talked bad about using them. There are some that definitely use them but it’s sparingly for most that I’ve seen. Sounds like you really got it dialed in. It’s not difficult to get it all through food, but I just found that many people are too busy to do it properly. I am of the same mind set as you for sure. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your comment!!
Great post thank you! Sometimes I get too dependent on protein shakes and just use them out of ease to be honest. I feel like they definitely don’t work as well as regular food though. This post reminded me of that so thanks for that!
You’re welcome! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your comment.
If all you used was shakes or powders for the bulk of your protein intake would you be missing some of the amino acids that you need? Or are most of these shakes considered a complete protein source? Do they have the 9 essentials or is that the biggest reason to eat real food to get the bulk of your protein?
Thanks
Hi Mike,
Yes Whey contains all the essential amino acids that your body needs and is a complete protein source. It definitely get the job done, but it just doesn’t work as well as real food to add muscle. Real food usually has a bunch of other vitamins and minerals that protein powder does not, so you are getting other things with it to help you get big and strong. Thanks for your comment and thanks for stopping by!
I enjoyed your post on protein shakes as I use them myself. Luckily, I love to cook and pretty much have the best combination of protein, carbs, and fat that works best for me. It took 25 years as an endurance athlete to figure things out.
Although I don’t compete anymore, I still run and lift weights twice a week to keep my strength up and it’s working very well. As you mentioned, protein shakes are best taken right after a workout and that’s what I do. As you can guess, my protein powder lasts a long time as I only use it the two days I workout.
There is a much better way to gain amazing muscle very fast. It was something I picked up from a Joe Weider article many years ago. He suggested drinking a quart of whole milk “during” the weight workout. It was amazing. In about two months I gained about 20 pounds of muscle. I actually went from a medium to a large shirt size using Joe Weider’s suggestion.
Hi Ray,
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it. It’s taken me quite a while too and I’m still figuring things out after almost 20 years of lifting and bodybuilding LOL. Wow that definitely sounds like a Weider thing. I have no doubt that it works well but I think I would throw up during the workout LOL. I’ll have to find some of his old postings on that. Love to hear and read about the old school stuff like that. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your comment!
Thanks for the enlightening information. I like the way you explained things, it holds my attention until I finish reading them all. How I wish I could write this good, too.
I recently enrolled in a home-based fitness training where the focus is on building muscles by using body weight. It’s particularly helpful for me because I don’t have equipment here at my home. Aside from the exercises, the trainer is recommending food to take, and one of them is protein shakes. If it weren’t for this article of yours that I have read, I would have misinterpreted the trainer.
There’s one question I have in mind and I’d like to take this opportunity to ask an expert like you. Can overconsumption of protein lead to increase of uric acid and then to rheumatism or gout?
Hi Gomer,
You’re welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. There’s a lot of talk that protein can cause those issues and cause kidney issues, but to my knowledge it’s never been substantiated. You are more likely to have stomach distress and discomfort than anything probably if you eat too much of it. I wouldn’t go overboard but I wouldn’t constantly worry about eating too much. I’ve never had an issue with a high-protein diet. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your comment!
I’m a new high school track coach. getting ready for the season. I’ve have been looking for supplements to help our athletes get proper nutrition. You made a sound case that protein shakes may be advisable, especially after a workout. Given the advice not to overdo it, we would probably limit consumption to post-workout only.
I noticed you didn’t make any suggestion of brands. Do you have any recommendations on brands?
Thanks for this timely information.
God bless you!
Hi Ronald,
I definitely agree with that. High school athletes are usually the biggest abusers of protein shakes. I know I was when I was in high-school. They will get much better results if they focus on real food and use shakes sparingly in my opinion. My favorite whey protein right now is made by a company called Legion. I wrote a review of their whey that you can read here. It’s very high-quality and they have great flavors. It’s the best I’ve found so far. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your comment Ronald!
Hi Dan, nice post.
I also wasted some time with shakes at first. I tried too many powders and supplement ingredients in my shakes before simplifying and going hard on regular foods in the shakes. Namely bananas and peanut butter. I think the right kind of protein shake can include both real food AND protein powder of some kind. That way it’s not all just powder. In some shakes I’ve actually only included non-powder ingredients, with water, bananas, peanut butter (LOTS of it), eggs and ice making a very filling shake.
Glad you included Rich Piana, he did a bunch of cool videos.
“unless you eat it in the parking lot of the gym like a savage” LOL!
Thanks,
Ben
Hi Ben,
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it. The real food shakes are a great option as well. I never got into them as much as I would like to, but I’m planning to try out a few recipes in the future. The biggest thing is quick digestion for me, and I feel like it may make me too full. I’ll never know until I try though. I definitely agree with you! I am going to start using egg whites in my shakes and see how it goes. That sounds like a great recipe that I must might have to steal from you. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your comment!
I didn’t know just how intricate protein shakes can be. This article has opened my eyes.
Hi Brooks,
They definitely can be LOL. I may think more into them than a lot of people but there is definitely a right and wrong way to use them. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your comment!
This is a very informative topic on how to properly use protein shakes for an effective dietary and workout program.
Thank you so much Enrique!!