Protein shakes are an excellent option for breakfast especially for people who are busy. Besides being easy, convenient, and nutritious, protein shakes are quite versatile. They can also be adjusted based on your specific preferences.
Furthermore, protein shakes can be beneficial in improving workouts and could help improve weight loss.
In this post, we will look at the benefits of drinking protein shakes for breakfast, including their possible effects on fitness and weight loss.
Consuming protein shakes for breakfast can provide people with several benefits.
Protein shakes are easy to make and are a convenient alternative compared to other breakfast meals. Depending on the ingredients used, protein shakes require minimal preparation, helping save time and energy in the morning.
Additionally, it is possible to prepare and portion the ingredients for it ahead of time. This allows you to quickly throw them in a blender when you want them.
Protein shakes are also portable and make for a great option for people who have a busy schedule ahead of them. A protein shake can be your breakfast on the go.
Having a high protein breakfast is an ideal approach for people who want to curb their cravings and encourage feelings of fullness in between meals.
According to a study involving 15 people, having a high protein breakfast was found to be more effective compared to consuming a high carb meal at lowering levels of ghrelin. Ghrelin is a hormone that causes feelings of hunger.
In another study, subjects showed that having double protein intake resulted in significant reductions in caloric intake as well as body weight.
It is possible that protein could also improve blood sugar control. This improvement could lead to lower symptoms of low blood sugar, such as hunger.
Protein shakes can provide people with a simple way of adding some extra nutrients to their daily diet. Vegetables such as kale, spinach, beets, and zucchinis are rich in vitamins and minerals and can be quickly added to any protein shake.
Fruits such as bananas, strawberries, kiwis, and blueberries are high in fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help boost the nutritional value of a shake or smoothie.
Other quality ingredients that you should include in your protein shake are seeds, nuts, herbs, milk, spices, and yogurt.
Studies have shown that increasing protein intake can help with weight loss through several actions.
As a start, it is said to increase metabolism, which can increase the number of calories the body burns in a day. It could also reduce caloric intake and hunger by adjusting hormone levels involved in controlling appetite, including leptin and ghrelin.
In a study involving 27 subjects, researchers learned that taking higher amounts of protein for 12 weeks resulted in greater feelings of fullness, less late-night cravings, and decreased preoccupation with food, as compared to the control group.
Yet while protein can benefit weight loss, it is essential to consider the ingredients you add to your protein smoothie.
Although ingredients like seeds, dark chocolate, nuts, and nut butter can be healthy, they are very dense in calories. Consuming too much of these ingredients can lead to weight gain.
That is why it is important to have these ingredients in moderation to keep calories from adding up. You could end up making your healthy protein smoothie into a high-calorie shake instead.
Besides promoting weight loss and helping round out a diet, consuming a protein shake in the morning can be beneficial for workout routines. Protein is a necessary macronutrient for repairing tissue and helping muscles grow. It also aids in recovery after going through an intense workout.
Several studies revealed that consuming sufficient amounts of protein in a diet could help maximize strength and muscle gains from resistance training. This makes protein shakes especially beneficial for people who wish to increase their muscle mass.
One interesting study found that subjects who had a high protein shake before or after a workout showed similar increases in muscle strength and size after 10 weeks.
That is why having a protein shake before or after going to the gym in the morning could help achieve fitness goals.
Although protein shakes can be healthy when taken in moderation, there could be some downsides one should consider.
First and foremost, it is essential to be aware of what is in the protein shake. There are many pre-made powders and mixes that contain fillers, additives, and artificial sweeteners.
Some individuals could have a hard time digesting specific ingredients often found in protein shakes, such as whey protein.
Additionally, taking only protein shakes for succeeding meals per day can lower the diversity of one’s diet. This could lead to a higher risk of nutritional deficiencies when not careful.
That is why it is vital to pair a morning protein smoothie with a diverse range of snacks and meals throughout the day. This can help round out a diet and ensure that a person is receiving the nutrients needed by their body.
Adding nutritious ingredients such as vegetables and fruits can improve the nutritional value of a shake. These also provide the body with essential minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and fibre.
Before you decide to replace standard morning meals with protein smoothies, it is important that you understand how much protein you need every day. The general rule of thumb with regards to protein intake is to multiply 0.36 grams of protein by your body weight.
For instance, a person weighing 185 pounds should have 66.6 grams of protein per day. Typically, the average man should have 56 grams per day and women should consume 46 grams of protein.
However, those living an active lifestyle should consider having more protein in their diet. Doing so helps with muscle recovery and also provides additional energy to contribute to their exercises.
Based on your fitness goals, you may want to have closer to 0.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. This is especially true for people who want to build muscle mass.
Figure out the purpose of a fitness routine and then start calculating the recommended daily protein intake according to activity level and your body weight. Another approach in figuring out how much protein is needed is by keeping its intake to around 20 to 30% of your overall calorie consumption.
Calorie intake is also dependent on one’s body weight as well as their fitness goals. For those who want to try losing weight, you want to burn more calories than what you consume. This could entail lowering your overall daily calorie intake.
However, you will still need to meet the minimum amount of calories each day to make sure your body gets sufficient nutrients.
Many people enjoy having a protein shake early in the morning due to how convenient they are. These smoothies are easy to bring around and people can add in a bunch of ingredients that can add to its total nutrition.
Several studies have shown that protein can help in controlling hunger. It does this by moving through the digestive system slower compared to carbohydrates.
When this happens, it results in the stomach requiring food immediately and can help reduce calorie intake, and eventually one’s weight.
Healthy fat is a good addition to any protein shake. Fat and protein can help slow down how easily the body absorbs carbohydrates. If there is no fat, the carbs are going to cause a blood sugar spike and then rapidly fall, making you hungry easily.
Experts note that many people mistake using almond milk as a protein substitute. There are only two grams maximum of protein per cup of almond milk. It is vital to add full protein powder or Greek yogurt if you want to have a full protein shake.
As mentioned earlier, it is important to figure out how much protein you need based on your body weight. The answer should be in grams. Based on this answer, you should get a sufficient amount of daily protein when you have a breakfast shake.
Since you can customize protein shakes with different nut butters, protein flavours, and milks, it is important that you try options that you like and that make you feel good. Some of the go-to choices include almond, cocoa powder, or cashew milk.
Breakfast protein shakes can help give people the energy they need without packing additional calories. However, you should still ensure that you pay attention to how many calories you add during other meals.
It can be easy to accidentally binge at lunch or dinner and consume more calories than needed. You should not ignore the nutritional needs of the body, but you should also take care not to overconsume.
Many fitness experts recommend consuming a protein shake before exercising in the morning as this helps build muscle. Breakfast protein smoothies can help give extra energy and strength in a workout. It also leads to more muscle mass.
However, it is also vital to consume sufficient carbohydrates before a workout since carbs can be converted to glycogen. Glycogen is important in powdering the body.
Having a protein shake for breakfast can be a great and convenient way to add extra nutrients to a diet. Doing so also improves your protein intake, which can lead to many potential health benefits.
Protein shakes could also help support weight loss and improve muscle growth.
However, it is important to add high-quality ingredients such as vegetables and fruits to the shake to make it as healthy as possible.
Despite the benefits we’ve learned about protein powders, not all of them are keto-friendly. Just like any product for people on a low-carb diet, you need to read the label closely to make sure you’re not consuming added carbs and sugars.
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Scott Reid
Author
Scott Reid is a 2 x Britain’s Strongest Man U105kg winner (2007 & 2008) and IFSA World's Strongest Man U105kg Competitor. He is an expert in strength and conditioning and also coaches functional nutrition. Scott’s passion for understanding the human body and how to optimise every aspect of it has driven him to study under legends such as Paul Chek. Scott now coaches MMA Athletes, Strongmen and Bodybuilders to name but a few, helping them to implement a well structured diet and become more powerful, explosive versions of themselves.