Whether you choose a ready-made protein shake or concoct one at home, this frothy beverage can have positive or negative effects on your health and body weight depending on how you fit it into your food plan. Protein shakes made with low-carbohydrate protein powder and water may contain as few as 100 calories while those made with full-fat milk, sugar and high-calorie protein powder may contain several hundred calories per serving. Consider the ingredients and your nutritional needs when selecting a protein shake.
Calories and Weight
To maintain your body weight, the calories you consume should equal the number you burn through exercise and normal bodily functions. To gain weight, consume more calories than the amount you burn; to lose weight, consume fewer than you need. Since a pound equals 3,500 calories, you must create a deficit of 500 calories per day by eating less, exercising more or combining both approaches to lose a pound. To gain a pound a week, you must consume 500 more calories a day than you need.
Protein Shakes
Protein shakes come in ready-to-drink form as well as in powdered, ready-to-mix form. Recipes vary widely so consumers should read nutrition labels and recipes carefully to determine the nutritional content. Products suitable for weight loss plans should include at least 20 grams of protein and fewer than 5 grams each of fat and sugar per 8-ounce serving, according to the Highland Hospital bariatric surgery program. High-fat, high-sugar, high-calorie protein shakes increase the consumer's risk of gaining weight if she consumes these products regularly.
Weight
If you drink protein shakes and do not exercise, the effect on your weight will depend on several factors. If you are in caloric balance -- your weight is stable -- and you add a 500-calorie protein shake to your current diet, you will gain a pound every week. If, on the other hand, you use a 500-calorie protein shake in place of a 500-calorie dinner, your weight will stay the same. Cutting 1,000 daily calories from your regular diet plan and adding in a 500-calorie protein shake per day will help you lose a pound a week.
Protein
Most healthy adults need an average of 50 grams of protein per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you need additional protein because of a health issue such as cancer or weight loss surgery, adding protein shakes may help you meet your nutritional needs, according to Linda Aills, R.D., co-author of an article published in the September 2008 issue of "Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases." Athletes who engage in endurance or strength training also need protein to provide energy for workouts and to rebuild muscle. If, on the other hand, you do not have increased protein requirements, adding protein shakes to your diet may increase the load on your kidneys and liver because these organs must process the waste products, according to Mayo Clinic.
References
- CDC: Balancing Calories
- CDC: Nutrition for Everyone: Protein
- Sinai Hospital: Protein Shake Recipes
- Highland Hospital: Liquid Meal Plan
- “Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases 4"; ASMBS Allied Health Nutritional Guidelines for the Surgical Weight Loss Patients; Linda Aills, R.D., et al.; September 2008
- “Journal of the American Dietetic Association”; Nutrition and Athletic Performance; American Dietetic Association, et al.; March 2009
- MayoClinic.com; High Protein Diets: Are They Safe?; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.; June 2010
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