Although many protein drinks are marketed as weight loss and muscle-building drinks, these claims are not always true. Protein drinks themselves cannot directly burn fat from your body; however, they can be part of an effective weight loss plan when consumed correctly. Because protein drinks are nutritional supplements, consult your doctor before taking them.
Calories
The only ways to lose weight or burn fat are eating less and exercising regularly. Protein drinks contain calories that contribute to weight gain rather than help you lose weight if you're not careful. Each gram of protein contains about four calories, so a 30 g protein drink may contain at least 120 calories from protein alone. It's important to balance these added calories with your current caloric intake to ensure you're not taking on extra calories instead of burning them.
Whey Protein
Whey protein drinks contain a high-quality protein derived from cow's milk. According to the University of Illinois McKinley Health Center, whey protein offers the highest biological value compared with any other type of protein. The biological value, or BV, of a protein measures how well the protein is absorbed and used by your body. Additionally, it contains a high level of leucine, which is an amino acid that helps preserve lean muscle and promote fat loss. It contains more leucine than soy, egg and milk proteins.
Study
A 2008 study published in the journal "Nutrition and Metabolism" focused on the relationship between consuming daily whey protein drinks and fat loss. It found that consuming two 10 g whey protein drinks per day helped participants lose nearly three times the amount of fat compared to participants who didn't drink the daily shakes. The reason for these positive results, according to the researchers, was that the protein promoted satiety and maintained lean muscle mass better in the whey protein group. Promoting satiety and maintain leaning muscle is a healthy combination for burning fat.
Risks/Downfalls
Aside from the risk of weight gain when consuming too much protein throughout the day, excess protein carries other risks and shortcomings as well. First, protein drinks are expensive compared to whole-food sources of protein, so the long-term cost may be too high for some people. Replacing food sources of protein with protein drinks may restrict essential vitamins and nutrients from your diet, so whole-food sources of protein should make up the majority of your daily protein intake. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends protein make up 10 to 35 percent of your total daily calories.
References
- University of Illinois McKinley Health Center: Creatine and Whey Protein Supplements
- "Nutrition and Metabolism"; A Whey-Protein Supplement Increases Fat Loss and Spares Lean Muscle in Obese Subjects: A Randomized Human Clinical Study; Joy L. Frestedt, et al.; March 2008
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Protein
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