To be clear, there's no hard and fast rule about consuming protein shakes, and drinking too many shakes in one day likely won't have any harmful long-term effects. For most people, one to three protein shakes a day should be enough to meet their nutritional needs. It's safe to drink more than one protein shake a day, but the experts we spoke to recommended limiting your intake to three. If you have a normal weight and go to the gym regularly, two protein drinks a day will suffice.
However, if you participate in intense sports activities, fitness routines, or strength training on a daily basis, you may need three to four protein shakes a day to maintain your physique and performance. You should drink 0 to 8 shakes a day. If you're looking for protein powders designed specifically for performance and recovery, choose Beachbody Performance Recover in whey and plant-based varieties, which provide high-quality protein along with amino acids to aid muscle growth and repair. Using this simple formula can help you determine the total amount of protein you should consume daily, both from food sources and from your protein shakes.
If you use protein powder instead of other protein sources, you should opt for those that contain all the essential amino acids. Certain types of shakes, especially those containing whey and casein, are complete proteins (they contain all nine essential amino acids) with a high biological value (the body can absorb and use all of these amino acids), which means that they contain high-quality proteins similar to those obtained from meat, fish and eggs. The usual practice is to consume 20 to 25 grams of high-quality protein at a time to maximize muscle protein synthesis. It's important to make sure you get enough protein every day, either from food or from supplements, such as protein shakes.
This means that you would have to drink two or three protein shakes a day to meet your protein needs. Animal protein powders (such as whey and casein, which come from milk) contain all nine essential amino acids, as do some plant-based proteins, such as pea protein and soy protein. Sure, some people can make protein shakes by blending protein powder with liquids, fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients in a blender, but in reality, that's a shake. This would allow you to consume an additional 40 to 60 grams of protein per day, which would provide you with enough protein to build a strong, healthy body.
A protein shake is simply a scoop of protein powder, which normally contains 20 to 30 grams of protein, mixed with water. Protein shakes are a type of dietary supplement that contains amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Protein shakes are a practical and affordable way to increase your protein intake and can certainly be part of an overall healthy diet.
