Should You Really Be Drinking Protein Shakes

What is a Protein Shake?
To understand what a protein shake is made up of, and whether or not you should really be drinking it, we first have to look at where it comes from and how it is made. Whey is actually a byproduct of milk, milk is made up of two different forms of protein, a slow digesting form called Casein (which we will cover in a future article) and a fast digesting form called Whey. Whey can either be separated from the Casein in milk, or formed as a byproduct of the cheese making process.

Protein is further broken up into smaller forms, known as Amino Acids. There are 20 Amino Acids, 11 of these are known as non-essential, as the body can synthesize them itself, and 9 are known as essential Amino Acids, the body cannot produce these itself, therefore you have to be consuming them in your diet. Whey protein is what is known as a “complete protein” as it contains all 9 essential amino acids, this alone makes it a great source of protein, especially for vegetarians who will find it harder getting all the essential Amino Acids from their diet.

“I don’t want to take protein shakes as I don’t want to look bulky”
We hear this almost on a daily basis, especially with our women clients. Whey protein alone will not make you bulky! Yes it will aid in building or maintaining lean tissue (which is a good thing!), as will consuming any other form of protein, but the only way to get that bulky look for men is by consuming excess calories, a high carb intake and training heavy, often and consistently for a long period of time. Women won’t even need to worry about it, as long as they follow a reasonably sensible diet, their bodies just don’t have the hormone levels to achieve the big bulky look. So put that question out of your head right away.

The Health Benefits Of Protein Shakes

There are numerous positive health benefits consuming whey protein will have on your body, and researchers are constantly finding new and exciting reasons to start adding extra protein into your diet. Some of these include;

1. Increase in lean muscle mass.
2. Decrease in body fat.
3. Promising findings have been published on the anti-cancer properties of whey protein.
4. A significant reduction in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.
5. An improved immune response to asthma.
6. Significantly reduced blood pressure in patients with hypertension.
7. A reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes.
8. Better overall body composition.

OK, Now For The Side Effects…

In moderate doses there are generally NO adverse effects of consuming a whey protein shake! That’s right NONE!

So with all those benefits, why not try adding them into your diet today! Most of them on the market now are even very tasty, see what a difference it makes your body composition!

Article Written by www.feelgoodpt.co.uk