What Are the Best Protein Shakes?

If you really want convenient and high quality post workout supplementation, protein shakes may be the way to go. The number one choice for most people is protein powder, which they turn into shakes, because when you drink your protein supplement it is absorbed a lot faster.

So a shake is really the way to go regardless, but for greatest convenience buying the shake supplements may be the way to go. Along with the convenience though, comes the greater responsibility of ensuring that you’re getting shakes with high quality ingredients.

This is important all the time, but when you’re buying protein shakes or bars its extra important because companies sometimes work harder to make them taste good than they do to ensure they work.

Obviously the major thing is protein. Make sure that your shake has a good amount of protein (20+ grams) and that it’s the right kind of protein for your needs.

If you’re drinking the shake as a post-workout protein supplement, make sure that the protein is whey so that it is absorbed quickly so that you get as much nutrients into your body within the anabolic window as possible.

If you’re using it before bed, try to get a casein protein because these will be absorbed over a greater duration and prevent your body from going catabolic while you’re sleeping. If you’re using it as a meal replacement, a combination of a slow and a fast protein may be best.

The other major thing is carbohydrate quality. A lot of people either think the all carbohydrates are good or they’re all bad and should be avoided. Neither of these is right though. Your body does need carbohydrates. This is especially true post-workout for restoring energy, increasing your body’s anabolic response by spiking insulin, and aiding in protein synthesis.

However, not all carbohydrates are the same. Some companies load their shakes with high amounts of bad sugars like fructose or sucrose, which are poorly digested unhealthy. Steer clear of those, and look for shakes that have carbohydrates like dextrose or maltodextrin because they have a higher glycemic index and are much healthier.

Aside from protein and carbohydrate quality, you might look for added bonuses like creatine. Shakes can have any number of ingredients in them. Ensuring that your shake has a good amount of the right proteins and carbohydrates is the first step, but if you can find a shake with other solid bodybuilding ingredients that’d be a major win.

Also, make sure that your shake tastes good. The healthiest shake in the world wouldn’t be of any use to you at all if you couldn’t stomach drinking it. For this reason, making a minor sacrifice in the nutritional department to ensure drinkability is fine.

Shakes are always convenient, but you need to make more of an effort to ensure high quality ingredients when buying them. Of course, this is important when looking for any kind of supplement, but it’s especially important for bodybuilders buying protein shakes to build muscle.