We independently evaluate Herbal pre-workout supplement Protein shakes for muscle building products and mmuscle. Our bodies need these amino ehakes to function properly — they carry oxygen through blood, boost the immune system and build muscle. People do not generally need to contact a healthcare professional before consuming protein powders.

Protein shakes for muscle building -

In one meta-analysis from , researchers combined the data from 14 randomised controlled trials where, for example, half the people consumed powdered whey protein, which is made from the liquid left over when milk is made into cheese, and half had a placebo drink.

They found that as long as people also did resistance exercise, then consuming protein powders did increase their lean body mass, but if they simply drank the drinks without exercise there was no statistically significant increase. One of the difficulties in trying to compare studies is that some are conducted with people who are obese, others with older people, and still others with younger gym-goers, which makes it hard to generalise.

A more recent paper bringing together the best studies , published in , focuses on trials done with healthy adults who were not overweight. Once again protein powder did make a difference, with gains in both lean body mass and in lower body strength, provided people were also doing resistance exercise.

There was also a slight effect on people's ability to do bench presses, but it didn't make a difference in other tests of strength, such as handgrip. So it's not some magic powder which will suddenly make you strong. You have to put the work in. Even after examining all these studies, the authors say the optimal amount of protein still isn't clear, although it was interesting to see that people over the age of 65 didn't need to consume quite as much powder to make a difference.

Extra protein may only be of use if you are exercising four or five times a week Credit: Getty Images. One of the authors of this review, Stuart Phillips, has spent two decades studying the impact of our diets on our muscles.

Speaking on the BBC's Food Programme last year, he summed it up like this: someone consuming extra protein and exercising two or three times a week will see a minimal benefit while those working out four or five times a week might see a small benefit.

So unless you're very dedicated, a professional athlete perhaps, it's unlikely to make that much difference. For those who still want to go down the supplement route even for a very small benefit, there's often talk of when it's best to take it — before you head to the gym, or afterwards while your muscles are recovering.

There's also debate on which kind to take. Some swear by whey protein, other by plant sources. In the meta-analysis I mentioned above featuring 49 studies, the overall conclusion was that neither the timing nor the type of protein really mattered. Of course if you do want to consume protein powders you also need to be sure they aren't doing you any harm.

The ingredients vary between different products. As well as protein some powders contain added sugars, flavouring and vitamins. High amounts of sugar could lead to spikes in blood sugar and also, of course, weight gain. Even more concerning are the stories online about fit young people having heart attacks at the gym and talk of whether protein powders might have contributed.

With individual cases like these it's difficult to know what underlying heart problems the people affected might have had.

So we need to turn to research once again. Alas, research on this is sparse. In fact, you have to look to mice studies to find out much at all, and even then there's very little.

But there was a study conducted in mice in published in the journal Nature Metabolism from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis in the US. The researchers fed mice a high-fat diet to deliberately induce the build-up of plaque in their arteries. But half of the mice were also fed three times as much protein as the other half were given.

Older people don't need to eat as much protein as was previously thought, recent studies suggest Credit: Getty Images. The problem is that it's hard to generalise from mice on a high-fat diet taking in large amount of protein to young human gym-goers adding a scoop of powder to a drink.

So it's early days for this kind of research. But it is true, of course, that we don't know what the long-term impact might be for the heart or the kidneys or any other part of the body of adding large quantities of protein powders to your diet on a daily basis. Some argue it could bring health benefits quite separate from the muscle gain.

A meta-analysis of nine randomised controlled trials found the people given protein powders lost more weight and saw an improvement in blood pressure and cholesterol levels. But the people in this study were overweight or obese, so we don't know if the same beneficial impacts would be seen in those of a healthier weight.

At Reading University, Agnes Fekete found — in an admittedly small study with just 27 people — that if their blood pressure was just a little on the high side, then extra whey protein could lower it.

Meanwhile, a new paper combining the results of 31 trials found that if people took whey or soy powder there was a reduction in two markers of inflammation in the body. This is interesting because there are high levels of inflammation in people whose muscles become particularly weak in old age, which raises the question of whether there might be some way of trying to prevent this using protein powders.

But to really know whether there are health benefits beyond the small effect on muscle mass provided it's accompanied by exercise, we need more trials conducted over longer timespans.

Time will tell, but eventually we'll discover whether it's the fit gym-goers or the older people with small appetites who stand to gain from consuming protein powders. Gold Standard Whey is delicious, comes from a well-known brand, has thousands of positive reviews, and is great for building muscle and recovery.

You can read more about Gold Standard Whey and check out more reviews on Amazon here. Ghost is made in the USA in a facility that meets cGMP current Good Manufacturing Practices certification.

This means that the ingredients and final product are tested by an independent organization, NSF International, to ensure they are safe. Ghost is very transparent about the type of protein in its products. About 14 grams is whey protein isolate, and 13 grams is whey protein concentrate, while the rest is hydrolyzed whey for fast digestion.

When I tested Ghost, I bought the Cookie Dough flavor and was pleasantly surprised. It tastes fantastic combined with milk and contains bits of cookie dough and chocolate chips. Click here to learn more about Ghost Whey and read more customer reviews.

Egg white protein is just as good as whey in terms of absorption and amino acid profile yet has fewer calories, less fat, and fewer carbs. NOW Sports Egg White Protein powder is ideal if you want to avoid dairy or limit your daily intake. NOW Sports Egg White Protein powder comes in three primary flavors; chocolate, vanilla, and unflavored.

However, this powder is awesome for mixing into things. My favorite thing to do with the chocolate version is to mix it with a scoop of peanut butter and have a high-protein, low-carb snack to keep my energy levels up during intense workouts.

This protein powder has excellent reviews on Amazon, with a 4. Fifth place on my list of the best protein powders for building muscle goes to PlantFusion Complete Plant-Based Protein Powder.

PlantFusion is rated 4. com based on over 8, reviews, so others seem to like it too. Click here to learn more about the PlantFusion protein powder. With hundreds of protein powders for sale, it can make choosing the right one a bit difficult, but hopefully this post helped.

If I could recommend just one protein powder for building muscle, it would be Tri-Protein by CrazyNutrition. Something about the mix of fast and slow digesting proteins really does boost protein synthesis and help you build muscle faster. Click here to visit the official Tri-Protein website and learn more about how it can help you gain muscle!

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Shaeks on buildnig is simple in theory: Prediabetes lifestyle changes weights and take in more calories than you burn. You Bujlding to diligently follow a well-designed training routine, and also eat a significant amount of healthy food. The latter is where most guys mess up, says Brian St. Pierre, M. Building your best body requires drive, sweat, and the right food. Pierre says.

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Best Protein Powders 2024 [Don't Buy Until You WATCH This!] We include products fpr think are useful for mudcle readers. If you Cranberry dessert recipes through links on this page, we Protdin earn Protein shakes for muscle building small commission. Medical News Today only shows you brands and products that we stand behind. Protein shakes can be an easy way to increase protein intake. This may be useful for people looking to put on muscle, lose weight, or promote injury recovery.