If you’re working out to the max in the gym to get the muscles you dream of, it’s important to know that the diet you take also plays a huge role in supporting your workout. One of the nutritional supplements that have gotten extremely popular is protein powders. Before using any kind of supplement, you should know the benefits of it and how it works, and here in this article, we’ve talked about everything you need to know about protein powders!
What is Protein Powder?
As the name implies, protein powder is basically a condensed form of protein from sources such as animals or plants. Majorly, it is created from Whey, Casein, egg, or peas. There are a lot of different varieties available, which include added flavor, sugar, and much more.
Protein Powder can be mixed up in shakes or smoothies so that you get a good taste while building up your muscles. It’s also a way for people who don’t have an intake of adequate protein to get the required amount in their bodies.
What Are the Additional Ingredients Present in Protein Powder?
Besides containing the main protein component, other added elements that may be present inside a protein powder depending on the brand include:
- Probiotics: in some powders, probiotics or enzymes are added as well to help your stomach with breaking down certain compounds.
- Creatine: This helps in boosting energy during a high-intensity workout.
What Are the Benefits of Protein Powder?
We all need protein in our body as it acts as one of the main elements to make hormones and neurotransmitters. Apart from that, it also helps in maintaining the repairing of damaged muscles and hairs along with providing good gut health. Of course, the perfect way to get protein is to have food that contains it, but in certain cases, added protein dose from protein powder can work its charm too. This includes situations such as:
- Athletic people need more protein in their diet than regular people.
- If your end goal is building a lot of muscle mass
- For those who have a hard time having meat or other food that contains protein
- To increase the fullness factor hence, there will be no craving for fatty food.
Ways to Consume Protein Powder
You can mix up protein powder with water and drink it, but most people don’t prefer that because it doesn’t taste as good unless it has added flavor. So instead of plain water, you can add the powder to a fruit smoothie or shake, which turns it into a healthy, nutritious, and filling drink.
What’s the Right Time to Take Protein Powder?
Your muscles need protein the most after exercise, so it’s no doubt that it should be consumed 15-60 minutes after a workout. If you intend to lose weight, then the perfect time to take it would be between a meal so that you ingest lesser calories later on.
Are Protein Powders Safe for Use?
Every protein powder is made differently, consisting of various ingredients, some of which can be harmful to the body. The harmful ingredients include artificial sweeteners, sugar, and much more. However, that being said, protein powders are considered to be generally safe as long as you’re taking them in moderate amounts and are careful of the ingredients present.