Should You Drink Protein Shakes On Rest Days

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Yes, drinking protein shakes on rest days can support muscle recovery, maintain muscle mass, and ensure you meet your daily protein needs.

Key Takeaway

Muscle Recovery: Drinking protein shakes on rest days supports muscle recovery and growth, providing essential amino acids for tissue repair.

Muscle Maintenance: Protein shakes help maintain muscle mass, preventing muscle breakdown during rest periods when protein intake might otherwise be low.
Convenient Nutrition: Protein shakes offer an easy and efficient way to meet daily protein requirements, especially when dietary intake may fall short.
Appetite Control: Consuming protein shakes can help manage hunger and prevent unhealthy snacking, aiding in weight management and muscle preservation.

Should You Drink Protein Shakes On Rest Days

If you’re new to the world of fitness, chances are that you’re inundated with information about the importance of drinking protein shakes in order to build muscle.

It’s true that a high protein diet, supplemented with shakes can be an incredibly easy way to build up strength in the gym, and can benefit you immensely in terms of progress.

But there are still so many unanswered questions when it comes to protein shakes. For example, should you drink these before, during, or after your gym session?

Should you drink protein shakes on your rest days away from the gym? If you’ve found yourself asking these questions, then don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Below, we take a look at some of these questions in depth, providing you with all of the information you need.

To find out more, simply keep reading below, as we take a closer look.

Should I Drink Protein Shakes On Rest Days?

So, why not jump straight in and answer the titular question? Should you be drinking protein shakes on your rest days, or should you wait until your next workout?

The simple answer is yes, you should still consume protein shakes on your rest days if this is a part of your regular diet.

There should be no major changes in your diet from rest days to days that you’re working hard in the gym.

Time away from the gym can be just as important as the hours that you’re putting in there, as this is when your muscles will repair and strengthen themselves after a heavy session.

Therefore, your muscles are going to need all the support that they can get, and this means consuming plenty of protein on off days.

This doesn’t mean that you should be consuming your protein purely in the form of shakes, however, as you should be eating a balanced diet with protein-based whole foods such as fish and meat.

Protein shakes are merely a good supplement to help you to achieve your quota for the day.

When Should I Drink Protein Shakes?

So, when should you be aiming to consume your protein shakes?

There has been some level of debate regarding whether it’s best to drink your shake before or after you’re done with your workout, with some even saying that it’s best during. But, what’s the real answer?

The evidence suggests that it’s actually best to consume your protein shake after you’re done with a gym workout.

As we mentioned briefly above, after you’re done working out, you’re going to need as much protein as you can get to help rebuild your muscles. This makes a post-workout session the optimum time to drink your protein shake.

The fast-absorbing proteins will help to deliver amino acids into your bloodstream, and this will help you to recover at a faster rate, and prepare yourself for the next session.

We would actually recommend that you consume your protein shake approximately 30 minutes after your workout, as this will give you the very best results.

Will Protein Shakes Make You Gain Weight?

This is one of the main questions that we receive in regard to protein shakes, can they actually cause you to gain weight?

The answer to this question isn’t so simple to answer and will depend on your individual macros.

You’ll need to work out your macros, consisting of carbs, protein, and vitamins and minerals before adopting any kind of diet.

You can use various different calculators that will tell you how much you need for each according to your own unique BMI.

You can input your weight loss goals, and this will then determine how much you should consume on a daily basis.

Pay close attention to how much protein you’re being told to consume, and if you need to, you can use protein shakes in order to reach this goal.

If however, you’re drinking heaps and heaps of protein shakes every day, and you’re exceeding your macros and calorie intake, then this will cause you to gain weight.

But, if taken into consideration alongside calorie intake, protein shakes can be a fantastic food source for shifting unwanted weight.

You can purchase ones that don’t contain any sugar, which is even better for supporting weight loss, such as Atkins protein shakes, which are naturally lower in carbohydrates.

Do I Really Need To Take Rest Days?

We know what it’s like. Once you’ve caught the gym bug, it can be hard to stay away, and you find yourself wanting to take a trip there every day.

We can’t stress enough how important it is to take rest days, however, as they’re essential when it comes to rebuilding and replenishing your muscles.

After your muscle has been broken down in the gym, it needs an adequate amount of time to come back stronger than before.

If you train too regularly, you can trigger certain hormones in your body that can make it difficult to lose weight and build muscle long-term.

Final Thoughts

To sum up, you should continue to consume protein shakes on your day off if this is a part of your regular routine. This will help your muscles to repair and replenish themselves.