You must have come across several magazines where headlines read somewhat like this, “Protein shakes make you stronger and bigger. Make use of our secret formula to get best results!” This is something that every health supplement company will claim to you about their protein powder. But before you decide to buy it, you have to decide whether or not protein shakes will help you in building muscles when you’re a skinny person and whether they can help you lose weight if you’re overweight.
To be frank, protein shakes are just a tiny part of the puzzle and getting that right will not give is not winning the battle. You also require training yourself in a proper manner and eating the right diet so as to get best results. If you eat the wrong things and keep training yourself, do you think you’re going to achieve any goals? Never!
Protein supplements – What should you know before buying?
Remember that a protein supplement should be able to supplement a perfect diet and hence it is clear that you should make it a target to receive the daily protein intake from the actual sources of food. Like for example, steak, chicken, peanuts, burgers, eggs, almonds, milk and fish are few of the foods which supply you with enough protein. It then depends on the total amount of food that you’re looking forward to eat in a day and whether eating all of these can get expensive for you.
At the same time, constantly making new preparations of foods, cleaning up can become a painful task soon and this is where the importance of protein shakes comes in. Here are the few things to remember before buying them.
- To begin with, buy yourself 100% whey protein and isowhey shakes are the best things that you can get. While there are other sources too like hemp protein, egg protein and many more, for the basic beginners, watch out for something that’s 100%. Whey is the best thing to go for!
- Buy a product which has minimum level of other products. When we say other products, we mean low sugar, low carbs, low levels of sodium, sugar and also low fat. When you opt for a nutrition or vitamin store, make sure you even check the label before you purchase the product.
- Choose the best possible flavor as these proteins have no such taste of their own. In order to make it tasty, they have artificial flavors added like chocolate, vanilla or strawberry. You may choose as per your taste.
- If you’re really choosy about what you eat and how it tastes, make sure you get yourself few servings before investing in a pack for 3 months all at once.
- In case you tend to like the taste of a product, you should purchase in bulk whenever that’s possible or whenever you get discounts. There are several online stores which offer you free shipping when you order more than a certain amount. If you plan to take protein supplements even in the near future, buy yourself tubs to save money.
When is the right time to consume proteins?
People often keep wondering about the best time during which they should take their protein powder. Well, the answer totally depends on the person’s individual fitness and health goals. You might think of consuming it at a specific time of the day depending on your goal. Are you eager to build muscles or lose weight or grow your muscles? Check out the best times.
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When losing weight is your goal
Eating a diet rich in protein can boost your metabolism and reduce your appetite. Proteins usually diminish the production of the hunger hormone called ghrelin and they also increase the levels of hormones which are for reducing appetite. Hence, having snacks rich in protein in between meals will make you consume fewer calories throughout the day.
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When you want to avoid losing your muscles
Losing your muscles will increase the risk of fractures. If you can spread the intake of protein evenly through a whole day, you can avoid losing your muscles as you age. You have to eat at least 25-30 grams of protein during each meal.
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When you want to build your muscles
When you have a goal of building strength and muscles, you would require taking in more protein than what your body burns during workout. Fitness trainers recommend taking any kind of supplement 15-60 minutes post workout as this is the best time to get the most out of those nutrients that you eat. As per Society of Sports Nutrition, it is better to consume protein up to 2 hours post workout in order to build muscle mass.
Therefore, whenever you’re wondering about the ways in which you can make the most out of protein supplements and shakes, take into account the above mentioned methods. However, make sure you don’t end up consuming too much protein in a day as that can trigger other damages to your body.