Protein shakes are considered dietary supplements because they provide amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. Protein shakes are used for muscle gain and because of this, athletes and gym enthusiasts take this shake so as to increase their muscle mass as well as improve their performance. If you combine protein shakes with resistance training, it will enhance muscle growth and improve physical performance owing to the fact that resistance training stimulates muscle protein synthesis as well as an increased intake of high-quality protein. When protein shakes are consumed there is an increased level of amino acids in the bloodstream and so this triggers the muscle synthesis. Even if you are on a weight loss diet, taking protein shakes will still help you retain and gain muscle. Here are some homemade protein shakes for muscle building:
- Creamy Orange: the ingredients include; Fresh Orange juice, 1 scoop vanilla flavored whey protein, ½ cup fat-free vanilla yogurt. To prepare, pour all the ingredients in a blender and then add water as much as you want and then blend until it becomes smooth. The best time to take this smoothie is in the morning.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter: here are the ingredients for this shake; 2 scoops chocolate protein powder, 2 spoons heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon flax meal, 1 tablespoon peanut butter and water. To prepare: pour all the ingredients into a blender, add enough water to achieve the desired consistency and blend. You can choose to add a few ice cubes too, and the best time to drink this shake is in the morning or pre-workout.
- Hot cocoa: ingredients are; 1 cup fat-free milk, 1 scoop whey protein powder, ½ cup low fat cottage cheese, 1 cup milk chocolate or cocoa and hot water. To prepare: pour hot water into the blender and add all the ingredients into it and then blend until it becomes smooth. Serve it in a big glass cup and enjoy. It is best to take this shake for dinner or post workout.
- Coffee Shake: those who like coffee should be excited about this drink. A study that was published in the international society of sports Nutrition says, drinks with caffeine content helps to improve exercise performance. This is a proof that this shake is very effective. Its ingredients are: 1 cup hot coffee, 2 teaspoons honey, 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder. To prepare: pour 2 teaspoons of honey, and 1 scoop of whey protein powder into a cup of hot coffee and mix together until you are sure the mixture is fine, and then serve in a cup. This should be taken pre-workout.
- Banana Shake: you can add banana to a protein shake in different ways as it pleases you, and one way is to add dark chocolate to the bananas and mix properly to make a richly flavored shake. Ingredients are; 2 scoops chocolate protein powder, 1 chopped frozen medium sized banana, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 teaspoon dark chocolate choco chips, a pinch of cinnamon powder. To prepare: pour two scoops of chocolate protein powder in a cup of almond milk, mix properly until it is smooth. Then add frozen banana to the mixture, you can either chop the banana or blend it with the shake. To enjoy it, dish with choco chips and a pinch of cinnamon powder. This shake is best consumed before heading to the gym.
- Fruity Protein Shake: protein shakes usually does not contain fiber, but a fruit filled protein shake has a lot of fiber to serve as a supplement to the protein. Ingredients used in preparing this shake are; 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or 1 cup apple juice, 2 scoops whey protein powder, ½ banana, 1 cup sliced peaches, 1 teaspoon wheat germ, and 3 strawberries. To prepare: pour all the ingredients into the blender, add water to achieve your desired consistency and blend properly together with the pulp of the fruits. It is advisable to take this drink before your workout.
- Punchy Cocoa Peanut Shake: Ingredients are; 2 tablespoons peanut butter, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, A pinch of ground cinnamon powder,2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder and water.
To prepare: pour all the ingredients into the blender excluding the cinnamon powder then add a considerable amount of water. Sprinkle the cinnamon powder on top to enhance the flavor. The best time to drink this is before workout or after workout.
MUSCLE MILK PROTEIN SHAKE
The muscle milk protein shake is one of the best protein supplements with a great taste that you can buy if you want to build lean muscle mass. Muscle milk has a lot of flavors with great taste that you definitely will not want to miss. This supplement is not milk from muscles, the muscle milk has nutrients like the lean lipids which help to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. This product contains quality products and it also offers other products like cereal, pudding and protein bars.
PROTEIN SHAKES FOR MUSCLE GAIN RECIPE
- Peach and beets shake (for pre-workout): this homemade pre-workout shake will help maximize your performance and boost your results. Ingredients are; 200ml skimmed milk, 1 scoop Impact whey protein( you can use your favorite flavor), 400g tinned peaches, 2-3 steamed beetroots, 5g creative Monohydrate, 1 tsp. instant espresso powder, 6-8 cubes ice. To prepare: pour all the ingredients in a blender; blend all together until it becomes smooth. Take the shake 60-90 minutes before your workout for effectiveness.
- Berry-Vanilla Smoothie (breakfast): this smoothie contains antioxidants and macronutrients which is ideal to energize you in the morning. Ingredients are; 250ml milk (any milk of your choice), 50g mixed frozen berries, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, 1 scoop vanilla Impact Whey Protein, 50g Greek yogurt. To prepare: pour all ingredients in the blender, blend until smooth and serve.
- Strawberries and cream (post workout shake): ingredients are; 1 scoop impact whey protein (strawberry cream flavor), 30g berries of choice, ½ frozen banana, handful ice cubes, 150ml milk of choice, handful ice cubes. To prepare: Gather all the ingredients and pour in the blender, blend until your desired consistency and serve.
- Chocolate brownie bomb: this shake helps to keep you full and satisfied for a long period of time after your workout. Ingredients are; 2 scoops Chocolate Brownie Impact Whey, 1/2 ripe banana, 10 oz. 2% milk or almond milk, 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, ½ tablespoon peanut butter. To prepare: pour all the ingredients in a blender and blend until it is smooth. Serve and drink immediately after your workout for great results.
- Choc Chip and Vanilla Ice Cream: get the following ingredients; 1 scoop vanilla ice cream the whey protein, ½ cup nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt, ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk, 2 teaspoon chocolate chips, 6 ice cubes. To prepare: pour all your ingredients into a blender excluding the chocolate chips and blend until it is smooth. Add the chocolate chips and pulse blend.
WHEY PROTEIN POWDER
Whey protein is a healthy nutrition drink which complements the necessary nutrition that the body requires every day. Whey is gotten from milk, butter and cheese which are rich in protein, vitamins and minerals and this kind of protein have about 70-80 percent pure protein that is why it is considered one of the best and used by many body-builders, dieters and dancers. The whey protein supplies one of the most important nutritional ingredient our body needs and so many people consume it in large quantities, it is more like an energy drink.
Some of the benefits of whey protein powder
- When whey protein is consumed, it supplies you with a long lasting energy and you can use it as a meal replacement when you are trying to avoid eating solid foods.
- Whey protein has the capacity to enhance bone health as a result of its high calcium content.
- Whey protein is lactose free and very good for diabetic patients. It can be trusted.
- Whey protein can add to your daily required nutrients, people who are working out can take whey protein; it can be consumed before or after the workout because it helps the body to regain energy.
- Whey protein powder has some digestive properties, which is one reason why it should be chosen, when whey is consumed, it digests easily than just proteins.
- You can combine whey proteins with fruits for a more effective result.
The whey protein powder is the best powder because it helps to build muscles faster efficiently and it also has the highest biological value ( BV) Which means that the body easily absorbs and utilize it as compared to other proteins like the beef protein, egg protein, and the soy protein. The following are the most powerful protein powders:
- Myotein
- Syntha-6
- Gasparu Nutrition MyoFusion
- 100% casein protein
- True mass
1 WEEK PROTEIN SHAKE DIET
The protein shake diet is a low-carb diet which is used to enhance weight loss quickly. The consumption of protein shakes increases protein intake and it ensures that our body is well saturated and the body is supplied with the most important nutrients.
You can follow this sample meal plan for your protein shake diet:
7AM:
-Protein shake (2 servings)
– athletic greens
12PM
- Protein shake( 2 servings)
- ½ cup of blueberries
- 2 cups spinach
4PM
- Protein shake (2 servings)
- ½ avocado or 1 cup Greek yogurt
7PM
- Protein shake (2 servings)
- ½ cup raspberries
- 2 cups kale
MUSCLE MILK GENUINE PROTEIN SHAKES
The muscle milk genuine protein shakes helps to aid muscle growth, muscle rebuilding, and the maintenance of muscle mass. It is a combination of blended high quality proteins as it helps enhance workout recovery, it also provides a more sustained energy and it helps build strength in a gluten free formula. One muscle milk protein shake contains a combination of high-quality slow releasing and fast releasing proteins in order to provide a long lasting delivery of protein as compared to whey alone to help build your strength.
HOMEMADE PROTEIN SHAKES FOR MUSCLE GAIN
Homemade protein shakes for muscle gain are protein shakes you can prepare at home, and many people who are willing to build muscle have made it a point of duty to meet their different needs. The protein shake helps bodybuilders gain muscle and those who are on a diet take this easy-to-prepare shake as a replacement for whole meals. In order to be sure to get the healthiest protein shake for muscle gain, it would be better if you can prepare your own homemade version so that you will be assured that all the ingredients in the shake are good for you and they are what you want. This is the best because most protein beverages which are available in the stores and supermarket are not very healthy. It is either they have high sugar contents which alter any potential benefits that other ingredients in the shake may have, or they contain preservatives which are not good for your health.
The first thing you should get before you start making your protein shake for muscle gain is your heavy duty blender most especially if you will be preparing this more frequently. Your shake’s main ingredient is protein, you can get good protein shake powders in the market that do not contain too much sugar or fat content, be sure to read the label before buying any. If you want your shake to have a very creamy texture and a great taste, use milk instead of water to mix it. Another thing to bear in mind is what kind of milk to use, you have the whole milk, skim milk or low fat milk- choose based on your calorie needs and your exercise intensity. A vegetarian should go for soy milk and when measuring the quantity of milk, two cups of milk for every scoop of powder is enough.
Add fruits like berries to your protein shake if you are making it for consumption after a workout session, so that these fruits will help you restore depleted energy and help you build muscle. You could use oatmeal if you wish. When you consume protein shakes that have carbohydrates, it can enhance your muscle building. Add a little fat too and the little flax oil will boost the chances of your body producing testosterone which is important to gaining muscle.
You can put nuts like peanuts, almonds and walnuts in your shake as they are other sources of healthy fat. Avocado oil or a little bit of the fruit can help meet your fat requirement. Some people can decide to add fish oil to their shake as a fat source, in case they do not have any other fat source, but they will get a fishy taste in the shake. It is good to add other vitamins and mineral supplements to your shake, they are available in powder form in some stores, but in case you do not get, you can grind them before adding them to your protein shake.
BEST PROTEIN FOOD FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Proteins are very good for quick weight loss and it helps it burn calories, it boosts metabolism, repairs tissues, increases your stamina, it enhances muscle strength and builds strong bones. Best protein foods for weight loss include:
- LIMA BEANS: beans are a great source of protein and lima beans contains 15 grams a cup. When you cook the beans properly, they become really good, you can roast them in the oven, use them in baking and you can add them into soups too.
- OATS: when you eat oatmeal in the morning, it fills you up and makes you satisfied. In a cup of oatmeal, there are about 6 grams of protein in it.
- CHOCOLATE MILK: one ounce glass cup of chocolate milk has up to 8 grams of protein. You can choose brands like Organic Valley.
- CORN: a cup filled with corn contains 16 grams of protein; this is why you should always eat corn if you are willing to lose weight.
- POTATOES: one medium spud contains 4.3 grams of protein which can keep you satisfied throughout the day.
HOW TO USE WHEY PROTEIN TO GAIN WEIGHT
You can take whey protein at any time of the day as it will be very helpful in gaining weight if you abide by the following principles; using whey protein to gain weight will be very effective:
- You need to consume more calories ( you need a calorie surplus)
- You need a lot of protein
- Get good quality sleep
- Get involved in resistance training
Whey protein powder can be used to gain weight this way:
- Take whey protein together with creatine: Creatine is a good supplement you should take and it is also cheap and very effective.
- When taking whey protein, take carbs too: you can add oats to your whey protein shake so as to easily get more calories that you need.
- Add more to your plate: in order to gain weight, you need to eat more protein. Add extra scoop(s) to your shake.
GREEN SMOOTHIE FOR MUSCLE GAIN
Green smoothie for muscle gain is very effective, it is a good post workout smoothie filled with nutrient dense ingredients like chia seeds and collagen powder. The green smoothie is a good post workout smoothie because of the following reason.
- This drink is filled with spinach, spinach is a good source of protein and antioxidants, and it also contains vitamins and minerals.
- The whey protein powder is added to this smoothie, and it supplies you with amino acids and protein.
- Green smoothie has collagen, collagen helps to support the body’s structure like the bones, muscles and ligaments. It also holds them together so that they will not fall apart.
Green smoothie contains apple, banana and avocado (these are fruits and vegetables that provides the exact amount of sweetness and vitamins.
