Does Protein Shakes Make You Gain Weight

Types Of Protein Powders

How Many Protein Shakes A Day To Gain Weight 2022

Updated on Medically reviewed byKathy Shattler, MS, RDN

If youre trying to gain weight, adding protein shakes to your diet may help. Supplementing with protein shakes is a convenient way to consume more calories and protein. How many daily protein shakes you need to gain weight will depend on your calorie requirements and current intake. Incorporating protein shakes into a healthy diet and exercise program can help maintain and build muscle mass.

If You Dont Work Out Do You Need A Protein Shake

Although protein can help your muscles recover after a workout, protein shakes are not just for those who exercise regularly, says Morris.

Protein is a macronutrient, which means your body needs it to function.

So yes, you need protein regardless of your activity level.

That doesnt necessarily mean you need a protein shake, though. There are plenty of other protein sources, from poultry and seafood to tofu and buckwheat.

But even with ubiquitous protein options, its not always easy to meet your daily quota through meals and snacks alone.

Thats where a protein shake comes in handy, suggests Morris, because its a convenient way to supplement the protein youre getting through whole foods.

You can quickly whip up a shake and take it on the go, making it super accessible for even the busiest people.

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Too Much Protein Can Make You Fat

Notice I said too much protein can make you fat. I did not say too much protein powder makes you fat.

If you need 200 grams of protein to maintain your current body weight but youre consuming 250grams of protein youre going to be in a 200 calorie surplus.

If youre wondering how many protein shakes a day you should be having, then drinking 2 protein shakes a day is a good number to aim for. If youre having more shakes than this as well as meals, youre going to be in a calorie surplus very quickly.

Helps With Maintaining Weight

Besides helping you gain weight easier, high-calorie shakes are useful if youre having problems maintaining your weight due to increased caloric needs.

People who lose weight fast usually have medical problems, are receiving nausea-inducing medication, or have a high metabolic rate.

To maintain your weight, you must consume the same number of calories as you consume each day, and weight gain shakes can help you achieve this objective.

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Is It Bad To Drink Protein Shakes Everyday

There are no harmful side effects to protein shakes, so it is not bad to drink protein shakes every day. Protein shakes simply provide additional protein to your diet if you want to increase protein intake or build muscle.

But while protein shakes provide a convenient source of protein in liquid form, protein shakes are not to be substituted for a healthy, well-balanced diet. This is because protein shakes do not contain all the nutrition necessary for the body to function optimally.

How Often To Drink Protein Shakes For Weight Gain

Its best to increase calories moderately for weight gain, up to about 300-500 extra calories per day. Adding too many calories too quickly or being sedentary can result in fat gains rather than lean body mass. Adding a protein shake to a meal or snack will give you a significant calorie boost without making you feel overly full.

While you should add your protein shake to the meal or snack you prefer, its best to space high-protein meals or shakes throughout the day, at least 3-5 hours apart, to maximize muscle gains. If youre using the shakes to build muscle, it may be most effective to add your protein supplements within two hours of a workout.

While adequate protein intake is critical for overall health and lean body mass, its also important not to get too much protein. Drinking too many protein shakes can provide more protein than your body can use. Some research indicates that a protein intake of over 1.6 g per kg may not support further gains in muscle mass.

A very high protein diet, especially those high in animal proteins, can even be detrimental to your health over the long term and may lead to kidney damage. Using too many shakes can also replace healthful whole foods in your diet that provide valuable micronutrients and plant-based antioxidants. If weight gain is your goal, focus on making your shakes high-calorie by adding calorie-dense foods.

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Adding Too Many Ingredients

In reality, its highly unlikely that the protein powder itself will cause you to start gaining weight. However, the way you are using it might.

Just mixing whole milk with your protein powder can add an additional 160 calories. If you choose to blend it with high-calorie ingredients like peanut butter, bananas, and rolled oats, it can quickly grow in calories and result in weight gain.

You’re Not Measuring It Properly

Your protein powder may claim it has 15 grams of protein per serving on the front of the container, but you have to be careful to make sure you’re actually getting what you’re looking for. Oftentimes, brands will provide you with smaller scoopers , and they write on the nutrition label that you’ll need two scoops to get that 15 or 18 grams of protein. If you don’t catch this, and you’re only using one, you’d be reaping 7 grams of the muscle-building stuff.

While that’s by no means a bad thing, it can be troublesome if you’re making a protein smoothie and were relying on protein to balance out the carbs and sugars. Less protein means you’re not going to reap the same digestion-slowing benefits of protein as you would with touble. As a result, you could be misled into thinking you can drink a larger smoothie with more carbs and sugar, which may actually make you gain weight.

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How Many Calories Will You Get From Protein Powders

The calories in different protein powders vary depending on the ingredient. Here is the calorific value of various protein powders per 100 grams , , , , :

• 3 tablespoons of nutmeg powder
• 3 tablespoons of saffron

What You Need

Protein shakes may be a healthy addition to your diet. However, you should be careful about the frequency of consumption. It is always advisable to have protein shakes according to the need and weight goals.

How Do You Know If Youre Eating Too Much Protein

While there is no exact recommendation for what constitutes too much protein, most current research suggests keeping it to no more than 2 grams per kilogram of body weight to avoid any long term, negative side effects, Sheth says. For a 185-pound man, thats 168 grams of protein per day.

Although theres some concern about excessive protein intake causing kidney damage, no significant research studies have been able to prove this link, so its probably not something to worry about.

The biggest worry about getting too much protein isnt really about protein, but about the things you might be missing out on if youre pounding whey shakes and steaks all day.

Specifically, eating a diet thats very high in protein might mean youre not getting enough fiber, a compound found in plants that helps digestion and is important for overall health. Without adequate fiber, which the Dietary Guidelines for Americans cite as about 38 grams per day for men, you might feel constipated, experience diarrheayes, fiber helps prevent both!or feel bloated throughout the day due to poor digestion.

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Can Protein Shakes Cause Belly Fat

Shakes have become a very popular way for people wanting to get fitter and trimmer to top on protein. So it would be an unhappy irony if you were to end up with a “protein belly” through drinking them too enthusiastically. To avoid weight gain from protein shakes you need to use them wisely.

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Diets with plenty of protein appear to be linked with lower belly fat and may make it easier to control your weight. However, you could experience weight gain from protein shakes if drinking them means your overall calorie intake is too high for your needs.

Are Protein Shakes Good For Weight Gain

In theory, yes protein shakes are good for weight gain, because they can help you to build muscle.

More muscle mass, after all, means more weight. So, if you are looking to put on muscle size, protein shakes, which are packed with protein content, can help you to do that.

At the same time, if you are looking to bulk up , the protein and calorie content of protein shakes will help you to gain weight and size.

For bulking in particular, the added calories of protein shakes together with a daily caloric surplus will prove to be highly effective for weight gain.

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What Kind Of Shake Do You Need

Depending on their diet and needs, different people may need more or less protein from their high-calorie shakes. The same goes for the other macronutrients, namely carbs and fat.

Therefore, if you need more proteins on a certain day, prepare yourself a high-calorie protein shake. Otherwise, you may want to go for an energy shake or a meal replacement shake.

Here are the three main types of high-calorie shakes for weight gain:

• Protein shakes
• Energy shakes
• Meal replacement shakes

High-calorie protein shakes are nutritional shakes that have over 400 calories and contain at least 20 grams of protein, much of it coming from protein powder. A study from the University of Birmingham showed that 20 g of protein is enough to help muscle growth.

Before making a high-calorie protein shake, dont forget to estimate your daily protein needs, says registered dietitian nutritionist Dora Okos-Rigo.

High-calorie energy shakes are nutritional shakes with at least 400 calories that contain mostly carbs and fat while featuring less than 20 g of protein.

Meal replacement shakes are weight gain shakes that have at least 400 calories and a minimum of 20 g of proteins while containing mostly carbs and fat.

What Is Whey Protein

Whey is a protein derived from dairy foods and is sold as a protein powder supplement.

One reason whey protein is the most popular protein supplement on the market is that it is a complete protein source, says Kelly Jones, RD, a dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics.

Complete proteins contain all nine essential amino acids your body needs to function normally. There are around 20 amino acids, but these nine can’t be produced by the body itself, meaning you have to get them through your diet.

Medical term: Amino acids are components of proteins that play a role in digestive, hormone, and brain function.

In addition to being a complete protein, whey is also rich in leucine. Leucine is an amino acid known to help build and repair muscles, which is why many athletes tend to opt for whey protein supplements over other protein powders, Cassetty says.

While you can find leucine in some plant-based protein supplements, these supplements are less likely to be complete protein sources.

Here is a nutritional breakdown of your daily value of calories, protein, fat, and carbs in one serving 30 grams of whey protein.

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Muscle Building And Metabolism

Protein helps with muscle building and repair. It also helps preserve muscle that may be lost during a weight loss diet. If you consume more protein, you may also increase your metabolism. This increase occurs in part because muscle is metabolically active tissue, but it also may be impacted because of the thermic effect of food.

Protein takes more energy than carbohydrates or fats to digest, meaning it burns more calories simply to process it. While this effect is slight in the overall picture of calorie balance and metabolism, it has an impact on your overall calorie expenditure.

What Is The Best Weight Gainer

While you can resort to a weight gain protein powder , you can actually increase calories even more, by choosing one of these calorie dense yet healthy options.

• Avocado Adds heart healthy fats, along with fiber. Per one medium avocado, there are approximately 245 calories.
• Full fat yogurt Adds extra protein and creaminess. Per one cup serving, there are 220 calories.
• Coconut flakes Add some coconut flakes to one of the chocolate based smoothies. A 1/2 cup serving provides 150 calories.
• Ice cream The more indulgent option, but transform your weight gain smoothie into a milkshake! Choose good quality ice cream and a scoop can easily provide around 300 calories.
• Chia seeds Add extra fiber and protein and healthy fats. Per 1/4 cup serving, there are 200 calories. Be sure to add an extra 1/2 cup of milk to the shake so it will blend properly.

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Why Is Homemade High Protein Shake Popular

A typical premium high protein shake at a supermarket can cost you over $1 to $3, whereas homemade protein shakes cost you only around $1.

Homemade protein shakes made using ingredients such as whey protein, oats, etc. are cheap and easy to prepare most people prefer these shakes over ready-to-drink protein shakes in supermarkets.

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Protein shakes are an easy way to have your macros in a short time. A typical protein shake has milk, bananas, protein powder, oats, etc.

You can take a protein shake anywhere, and itll take no time to prepare a high-protein shake to gain muscles and prevent any muscle loss.

You can have a high protein shake in your breakfast, after a workout, or snack.

Banana Peanut Butter Shake

Nickname: White Gorilla Shake

High-carbHigh-fat

The Banana Peanut Butter Shake is the high-calorie shake with the most calories, so its one of the best choices for people looking to gain weight.

However, while this shake is both energizing, due to its content full of carbs and fat, and good for building muscle, due to the over 100 g of proteins in its composition, it is best served in two equal portions.

This way, your body will make better use of the sheer number of macronutrients found in the Banana PB Shake.

Talking about the ingredients in this high-protein shake recipe, whole milk and Greek yogurt form the base of this homemade drink while being responsible for the largest part of proteins.

However, peanut butter is the second most caloric ingredient in this shake, offering a solid number of proteins and plenty of fats along with its classic flavor.

Because they are rich in carbs, bananas, oats, and maple syrup are the ingredients that make the Banana Peanut Butter weight gain drink one of the most energizing high-calorie milkshakes.

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup oats
• 2 medium bananas
• 4 tbsp peanut butter
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 cups full-fat Greek yogurt

Nutrition facts

• Carbs: 34 g
• Fat: 32 g

Note: we attributed labels like high-protein, high-carb, and high-fat to weight gain shakes that have at least 20% of a certain macronutrient.

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What Body Type Are You

Endomorphs are people who have the easiest time gaining weight. They tend to store fat relatively quickly but have a difficult time losing it, and have the slowest metabolism out of the three body types. Just like endomorphs, mesomorphs have an easy time gaining weight but their weight tends to be in the form of lean muscle. Mesomorphs can also burn fat relatively easy.Ectomorphs have a light frame with a small bone structure and long limbs. Ectomorphs have a very difficult time building muscle and gaining weight due to their metabolism. Out of the three body types, ectomorphs have the fastest metabolism.

Eating enough to gain weight for your body type may not only be expensive, but time consuming as well. Individuals who have a tight budget or simply dont have enough time to cook will definitely benefit from weight gainer shakes. By making your own weight gain protein shake, you can put on a decent amount of weight while saving money.