Other than, “what should I eat to lose weight?”, whether or not to drink protein shakes is probably the top nutrition-related question I get asked. And before I answer it, a disclaimer…
I’m a personal trainer. Not a nutritionist, not a dietician. The amount of nutrition content that isn’t in the personal training question may shock you. It didn’t surprise me – I didn’t get into this job to be dishing out (sorry) meal plans. I currently have no interest in telling anyone other than myself what to eat and when. “What I eat in a day” videos bore me to tears at best, and make me angry at worst.
To put it simply: personal trainers aren’t by default qualified to advise on nutrition.
If you want a personal trainer who is qualified to give full nutrition advice, you need to look for one with an additional qualification. These people do exist, and there are some fantastic coaches in that category. But the vast majority of PTs in the UK advise beyond their official scope of practice without being upfront about it. Consider yourself warned…
What I am qualified to tell you about protein
Protein is one of three key macronutrients (typically abbreviated to macros) of our diets. The other two are carbohydrates and fats. We need a good balance of all three things to keep our bodies running efficiently as the most basic aim. Nutrition can also be used to support other goals, such as fat loss or muscle growth.
And that last part is why a lot of gym bunnies get so twisted about protein. When we overload a muscle with the intention of working it hard, the gain and the increase in size of that muscle comes from when our body subsequently rebuilds said muscle. It does this by synthesising protein, so the logic is that increasing your protein intake supports the efficacy of this process.
In more practical terms, some people notice that they recover better after a workout if they focus on increasing their intake of high-quality protein. Anecdotally, I’d agree with this. All bodies are different though.
Protein got itself a great PR squad
Remember: if you can sell it, it gets exploited. This is what has happened with protein. The amount of foodstuffs available in the average supermarket that are touted as “high protein” has significantly increased in recent years, as marketers have realised that this is a popular selling point. If you can remember the 90s, you’ll know that the same used to be very fucking true of the label “low fat”. That one’s gone slightly out of fashion, and been replaced by it’s near neighbour, “high protein”.
The first thing to remember is that food labelling isn’t regulated in terms of these claims. The second thing to be aware of is that nobody covers egg boxes in “HIGH PROTEIN!!!” glittery letters, even though it’s true. Take a second to think about those things before we move on…
Timing your protein intake
The other thing that is highly profitable when it comes to nutrition is the sale of rules, and threats about timing. This is one of the reasons that you’ll hear some people insist that protein should be consumed URGENTLY following a training session.
Those people clearly don’t use my menstrual cycle tracker app (Clue, in case you’re interested, highly recommend), which loves to remind me that my body is not a clock. And it is so fucking true.
Just like your kids don’t understand Daylight Savings Time and pets have no idea why some of us put a massive tree in the corner of the living room and cover it in sparkly toys for a few weeks every year, your body does not respond to timing cues in quite that way.
It likes to be fed and watered regularly. It probably prefers to exercise having recently had at least a little food for fuel (and yes, you may notice that it can push a little further if you’ve also shoved some caffeine into the mix – be careful with that one though, sharts are a thing). But it isn’t going to hate you for missing some magical window. Life is different for elite athletes, and the majority of us don’t fall into that category.
Protein shakes: yes or no?!
You’re right, I still haven’t provided a definitive answer. Here you go…
It’s personal choice.
Not everyone likes drinking shakes. Not everyone can. Not everyone can afford a shaker bottle and regular purchases of bags of powder. However, there are more options than ever before in terms of flavour, style (ones which are dairy and gluten-free, for example are now readily available), and price point.
If you’re able to order online, discounts are regularly available and shipping is quick. You want a shake? Have a shake. Don’t want one? Don’t have one.
The absolute golden rule is not to rely fully on shakes as your only source of protein. The body absorbs and uses macronutrients most optimally when they’re consumed in the form of food rather than drinks, so it’s important to ensure that the food part of your diet contains a regular, as high quality as you can afford, mix of protein sources (dairy products, eggs, fish and meat if you eat them, plus pulses).
Enjoy your workouts without getting in a twist about protein. You absolutely can do it.