Protein shakes are a great way to supplement your diet, whether you want to build muscle or lose weight. However, is it possible to have too much of a good thing?
We’ll be taking a closer look at how many shakes you can drink in a day and why you should stick to the recommended intake.
How Many Shakes Can You Drink In A Day?
How many shakes you should drink daily will depend greatly on your lifestyle. If you regularly go to the gym and have an average build, you should only need around two shakes daily.
If you’re more involved in athletics and strength exercises, you might need to drink around three or four a day to sustain yourself.
You might only need one or two if you don’t go to the gym regularly. Generally, the rule is to stick between one and three, depending on your lifestyle.
Knowing how many protein shakes you should drink in one day can be difficult. We recommend checking with a dietician or expert if you’re curious about how much you should drink.
After all, they can identify the best amount for your lifestyle, and you can consider this as you plan your diet. But why should you drink protein shakes, and why shouldn’t you drink too much of them?
Why Should You Drink Protein Shakes?
Protein shakes are a great way to supplement your diet. When you finish a vigorous workout, some protein tissues within your muscles get damaged.
After tearing, they grow as they heal, which is how you can build muscle mass. But healing is a much slower process as you get older, so protein shakes can help speed up the process.
By drinking protein shakes, your muscles will not only grow quicker, but your body will become healthier, and you will have a lower risk of injuring yourself. After all, your body will heal quicker, so you won’t be injured as much.
While you can get protein-rich foods, we’ve noticed that they take longer to prepare. You’ll be spending more time in your kitchen than in the gym. Sure, you can have protein-rich foods, but protein shakes are generally easier to prepare after a long workout.
After all, the downside of focusing on preparing a protein-rich meal after a workout is identifying how much protein is in the meal.
It’s much easier to measure the amount of protein you need in a bottle. There are also a variety of flavors available, so they’re not unpleasant to drink either.
What Happens If You Drink Too Many In A Day?
The good news about protein is that there’s no way that you can overdose on it. However, we can’t say that you won’t experience any discomfort if you drink more shakes than you’re supposed to.
Unlike carbs and fats, your body won’t store the excess protein in your body. Instead, your body will excrete it or convert it into fat.
If you’re trying to lose weight, then drinking too many shakes might negatively affect your goals, especially if you don’t have a workout routine that matches the amount of protein you drink.
You might also find that you have other negative side effects depending on the type of shake you drink. Some people experience bloating, cramping, and excessive gas. There are also some risk factors if you continue to drink too many shakes in the long run.
Studies have shown that otherwise healthy people who have too many protein shakes usually have decreased liver function and are at more risk of coronary heart disease.
While this might not happen to everyone, it’s important you keep these studies into account. After all, you don’t want to risk having too much of a good thing.
We should also note that if you’re drinking more protein shakes, you might not be getting access to other foods in your diet. After all, your protein shakes shouldn’t be a replacement for meals, as a diverse diet is much better to help you lose weight.
How Can You Incorporate Protein Shakes Into Your Diet?
Many people misunderstand the importance of a healthy diet when they’re trying to lose weight. You don’t want to replace all of your meals with protein shakes; instead, you should casually incorporate protein shakes into your diet.
If you’re not sure how to add your shakes to your diet, here are a few times when it’s best to drink one.
Let’s say that you need to have some protein, maybe you’ve just finished a workout, or you have a limited amount of time to get ready for work. You don’t always have time to prepare a meal, especially when you have things to do.
Preparing an entire meal can be challenging with a time limit, and you need to have some protein. So, you can have a protein shake to help maintain your protein intake.
Having a protein shake when you’re on a limited time frame is a great way to ensure you still have your daily intake.
Another way you can add your protein shake to your diet is by using it as a tool to control your hunger when you’re between meals.
Everyone feels hungry during the day, but you don’t want to snack too much. You don’t want to have too much if you’ve just had lunch.
Instead, we recommend you have a protein shake to fill you up while you wait until your next meal. You can control the number of calories you have, and you won’t feel hungry.
Don’t Make A Habit Of Replacing Meals With Shakes
Occasionally replacing one meal with a protein shake isn’t the end of the world. It’s more dangerous when you begin to do this regularly. You need more than protein to remain healthy, so you need carbs and your five a day.
We recommend only having a protein shake as a replacement meal when you need to meet your protein intake and are in a hurry.
Conclusion
As a rule, it’s best to identify how much protein you need by calculating how often you go to the gym and how much you weigh.
If you have any concerns, see a local dietician, or if anyone at your gym can help you identify how much you should have each day. After all, each lifestyle is different, and you should find the right balance for you.
If you would like to know more about protein shakes, then consider checking out some of our other articles to find out more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Bad To Drink Protein Shakes Every Day Without Working Out?
If you drink a protein shake on a rest day, you won’t have any adverse effects. However, if you drink high protein shakes when they don’t supplement your intake when you’re working out, you could end up gaining weight.
How Many Protein Shakes Can I Make A Day?
When you have an average build and exercise at the gym, we recommend having one or two protein shakes each day. You should also focus on the types of food you eat for your meals and supplement your diet that way.
Other Articles To Read
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