Protein shakes contain calories. If you consume so many shakes that you take in more calories than you burn, yes, you will gain weight, simply because excess calories in any form cause weight-gain. One belief is that protein drinks automatically build muscle, but this is not true. Exercise builds muscle. Protein enables tissue growth and repair, but it is exercise that initiates actual muscle growth.
Protein Shakes Basics
Protein shakes, whether based on milk, soy, yogurt, whey or nut proteins, also deliver calories, hydration and, when fruit and vegetables are included, certain vitamins and minerals. As such, these shakes can help overall nutrition. However, protein shakes alone do not build muscle. Furthermore, they increase the real danger of consuming too much protein which, as IndoorClimbing.com points out, can lead to ammonia poisoning, calcium loss, vitamin B-6 depletion and kidney stress.
Muscle Building
Protein shakes do provide essential amino acids for protein synthesis, and come in handy if you have difficulty obtaining amino acids from normal food, but shakes do not automatically add muscle weight. As NASA Space Research describes, weightlifting or doing weight-bearing exercise causes muscles to become bigger and stronger through chemical-based adaptations. As muscle fibers are stressed, they signal cell-based chemicals to synthesize protein, building muscle fibers upon existing muscle.
Recommended Daily Allowances for Protein
One protein shake can deliver as much as 50g protein, so you should monitor your overall protein intake. IndoorClimbing.com reports that the recommended daily allowances for protein is 0.8 grams protein per 1kg of body mass. So, a person weighing 60kg, or 132 lbs., would need 48g protein daily. The University of Washington's Greg Crowther states that athletes require more protein than sedentary people because athletes tend to use protein in addition to carbohydrates and fats for energy, and so must replace protein stores or risk protein deficit and possible injury or stunted growth.
Protein Shakes and Weight
Protein shakes with the highest calorie counts are most likely to cause weight gain. It's up to you whether or not that weight is fat or muscle. My Fitness Pal lists several protein shakes and their calorie counts, providing a wide range for reference. Muscle Milk's has 300 calories, and 32g protein; Kellogg's Special K strawberry protein shake has 180 calories and 10g protein. Premier Nutrition's chocolate version has 160 calories, fewer than Special K, but its 30g protein nearly equals Muscle Milk's.
High-Calorie Protein Shakes
BodyBuilding.com lists protein shakes with more than 500 calories per serving, shakes that may be useful to "hardgainers," people who have difficulty gaining weight. Describing quart-sized, sugar-laden, 3000-calorie protein shakes of yore, BodyBuilding.com notes that today's high-quality whey and egg powders mean smaller amounts can be used, in terms of protein. Still, if it's calories you need, protein shakes can help. If you are severely underweight and need to gain both fat and muscle, you would be wiser to tap into low-cost, high-calorie, protein-rich nuts and nut butters rather than expensive protein powders.
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