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Health Supplements

Do You Need To Take Protein Shake?

More and more people are supplementing their diet with protein powders and shakes as a way to lose weight, build muscles and to enhance their sports performance. So what are the benefits of protein shakes and why you should take this health supplement?

You see, protein is one of the body's main building blocks for muscle, bone, skin, and other tissues and protein shakes come in many combinations of protein, carbohydrates and fats. Protein shakes also come in a variety of flavors in powder form or in ready-to-drink packages, such as in cans, bottles or foil packs.

Protein shakes are used mainly by athletes who need feed their muscles right after their workouts since it may not be convenient for many people to have a well balanced meal immediately after their workouts and that is why these ready-to-drink shakes are so popular.

An endurance athlete may find it easier to train with the help of protein shakes because protein helps the body recover from intensive exercise workouts. For the people who want to build muscles, protein shakes can also help repair damage to muscles that occur during intensive weight training.

The average fitness enthusiast who works out hard but does not want to be an endurance runner or bodybuilder may also benefit because this is the kind of person who might run 4-5 times a week and lift weights 3 times a week. A study of 130 U.S. Marines examined intense exercisers who supplemented their diet with 10g of protein, 8g of carbohydrates and 3g of fat found that these marines had fewer infections, less heat exhaustion and less muscle soreness.

So how much protein do you need?

Well, it depends because almost everybody from a develop country can get the protein they need from foods and drinks in their meals. The recommended daily consumption of protein for healthy adults is about 45 to 56 g of protein a day. For those who want to build muscles need to consume 1g per pound of their lean body weight.

Protein shakes also vary in protein content for different brands. So if you want to build serious muscles and want to be a bodybuilder, you have to choose the brands that have more protein content in them. Endurance athletes are likely to favor drinks with more carbohydrates. If your goal is to lose body fat, then choose a brand that is mainly protein which has fewer carbs and only a little bit of fat.

Types Of Protein Shakes

Protein shakes contain many different types of protein in varying amounts. They may include milk, cassein, egg or soy proteins. The source of the protein and how it's purified during manufacturing may affect how well your body can digest and absorb the amino acids, the building blocks of protein.

Whey protein is a fast absorbing protein found in milk and is to be consumed immediately after an intensive workout. Casein protein is the main protein in milk and is slow absorbing and that is why it is a good meal replacement drink and are also consumed before sleeing as its slow release will feed your muscles through the night.

Soy protein is just as effective as any protein source although some male athletes think of it as a 'girl's protein. Research also does not support the myth that soy protein lowers blood levels of testosterone or reduces lean muscle mass.

So if you workout in a gym, you should definitely consume protein powder supplement to achieve optimum workout results!


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