Protein powders, consumed whichever way you like or made them into a typical protein shake, are becoming increasingly popular for many gym-goers and workout enthusiasts. These days, you can purchase meal replacement, post-workout, and pre-workout protein powder supplements virtually anywhere. You can even buy ready-to-drink and premixed protein shakes. But what exactly are protein powders?
Protein Powders: What Are They?
Protein powders come in different types, with the most common being whey, casein, and soy protein. Among these three popular forms of protein powders, people tend to use whey protein since it is basically a water-soluble, easily digestible milk protein. It is also considered a complete protein, meaning that it has all nine types of amino acids required by humans for their dietary needs. Those who are vegan can opt for soy protein.
Under specific circumstances, supplementing with protein powders could be very beneficial. They’re a convenient and easy source of high-quality, complete protein. On the other hand, the average individual can benefit from everything that protein powders have to offer by consuming proper amounts of protein such as meat, dairy products, chicken, and fish. Hence, when might someone need them, and does the average gym enthusiast really need protein powders?
Why You Might Want to Supplement with Protein Powders
There are certain reasons why average workout enthusiasts might need more protein, such as:
- When starting a workout regimen, particularly one that involves weight lifting. If you’re new to working out, especially lifting weights, and you’re looking to bulk up and build muscle, you will need more protein in your diet.
- When you are looking to amp up your workouts. For instance, if you typically exercise an hour several times a week but then decide that you want to run a marathon, you’ll definitely need more protein.
- If you’re a growing teenager. Teenagers will require more protein for fueling their workouts since their body generally utilizes more protein because they’re still growing.
- When recovering from illness or injury. Individuals recovering from illnesses and/or sports injuries will require more protein in order to speed up their recovery.
- If you are vegan or transitioning into one. In this case, you will need an alternative source of protein since going vegan means that you can’t eat typical sources of protein such as meat, fish, chicken, and sometimes eggs and dairy products.
- These are all valid reasons that will require you to add more protein to your diet, and one of the best and easiest ways to do that is supplementing with protein powders.
Simply changing up your diet, like eating Greek yoghurt with fruit and muesli for breakfast instead of just cereal and milk, would add more protein to your meal. Once you’ve taken this step, you just need to up your protein intake with a reputable protein powder supplement. Keep in mind, though, that while supplementing with protein powder could definitely help you achieve your fitness goals, there’s really no substitute for dedication and hard work. Building strength and muscle could take years, done safely that is. It is a real feat of discipline that you can only earn through a healthy diet and proper and regular training.
