Why do people drink protein shakes?

For me it's because I need it
1 day a week I don't train
1 day I do 1.5hrs
The rest I do 3-5 hrs of sport.... So yes I have a high protein need- I don't always manage to get it from my food (20g at breakfast 40g at lunch and 30g at tea- but I need 90g on light days and 140g on heavy days)....

I’m not commenting on protein for weight loss, or ultra processed foods. Just why we need more protein and how to get the best fit. Also I’ve had a bit of fun with the maths…bear with me!

The body needs protein to build and maintain muscle. So if you are exercising, want to get fit or do anything more then have a sedentary lifestyle, you need protein. The average person needs 1 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram body weight. It’s quite a lot.
When making dietary decisions we weigh up nutrition and cost- and the marketing guys don’t make it easy for us…

Let’s say you weigh 80 kgs. That means you need at least 80grams of protein a day. Take chicken breast as an example- it’s a v high protein food. It’s 31% protein so you would need 80/31x100 which is 268 grams of chicken. Every day.
A protein powder could have a lot more protein in it -up to 90% protein. So you would only need 80/90x100 which is 89 grams of protein powder. It’s a quick way to build up your daily protein compared to cooking and eating 268 grams of chicken.

But is the chicken cheaper?

A kilo of chicken (310 grams of protein) costs £6 from Sainsbury’s.
For the equivalent protein powder to get 310 grams of protein you would need 310/90x100=344 grams of shake. A brand such as nutri sport 90 costs £19:99 for 908 grams, so that’s 19.99/908x344 which is £7.57 to get the equivalent protein hit- slightly pricier than the chicken.

For even cheaper protein a kilo of peanuts (310g of protein, same as chicken!) costs £4.10. So that’s 4.10/1000x310 which is just £1.27 for your daily dose of protein. But yes you have to eat 268 grams of nuts- it’s a lot!

Ive seen “high protein” soup on the market at 3% protein. This is a joke surely? At 80kg weight you would have to drink 10 litres of soup to get your daily requirement!
Whichever way you look at it we do need quite a bit of protein in our diet- more than is generally realised. Anyone exercising or building up strength eg after an operation- needs protein.

im calorie counting - so i throw a scoop of protein in my porridge sometimes and i would sometimes have a shake for my lunch at work as I know exactly how many calories are in it and then - i find it hard to hit my protein goal most days so this helps with that

So that they can produce smelly farts in the gym 🤢

There are meal replacements and there are protein shakes.
Meal replacements are high UPF. Protein shakes depend on brand and source. Ultimately they're still processed but unflavoured pure whey based protein powders are a by-product of the cheese making industry.

Meal replacements are good for people that don't have the time/energy to prepare nutritionally complete meals. I was on them for 2x meals a day to lose weight whilst strength training as I don't have the time to calorie count. They have their place. As a veggie, I also used to have a protein shake per day. Calorie efficient protein. We also take multi-vitamins and Vegan Omega-3 supplements.

I cannot tolerate either now. The taste and texture are vile and the added flavourings, preservatives and sweeteners make me ill. The lack of fibre also took its toll over time. This is a big issue with a lot of influencer diets (more are now moving to promote fibre though as the latest trend)

A lot of meat-eating gym goers have them to top up their protein, especially as the alternative of lots of chicken and rice can be limiting.

Lots of non-meat eaters gym and non-gym goers take them because complete protein sources are more limited, come with high carb counts in comparison and can be more difficult to track. I use sources like Greek Yogurt, seeds, lentils, and beans primarily and still striking the balance between protein need, carbs and fibre. I feel better though because they're mostly whole-food sourced and go into home cooked food.

Fills you up. Builds muscle. Your body uses more calories to process it, ie accessing fat stores.

DD needs a high protein diet, because she has a metabolic disorder, whereby she excretes protein through the kidneys by mistake.

She’s under a metabolic dietitian, who recommends 90g of protein for her a day - preferably spread equally over the three meals.

The dietitian said specifically DD should not be having protein shakes, bars, etc. People do not get the micronutrients, that occur in normal sources of protein.

My brother has lots 70lbs eating a carnivore diet. Impressive. But I don't think I could follow it. A friend lost the same amount basically , just eating less of everything. You pays yer money I suppose...?

My son has arfid and a very restricted diet. I've been giving him safe foods with added protein such as cereal & milkshakes since he was a child.

My daughter was a professional dancer and now does a lot of sport but she also worked odd, unsociable hours. Protein shakes helped to supplement her diet rather than eating junk food.

Fair enough, carbs is what my DC needs a lot of being a high level athlete.
And that is an incredible weight loss! Hope you’re happy with that.

This isn’t true at all. Your body can burn fat more efficiently that it can burn carbs. That’s literally what ketosis is, and it also reduces insulin resistance etc. At home I literally eat high fat and ultra low carb. Double cream in my coffee x3 every morning, pork scratches, cheese and pickles. Cheese omelette. Meat and veg. I’ve lost 60lb since August

Muscle burns fat. To grow muscle, we need protein. The amount we need is more than we would be able to get from eggs or chicken. To meet this ratio, we have protein shakes. Simple.

For me I have IBD and sometimes struggle with breakfast in the morning, but I'm not convinced they 'have to' be unhealthy. Sure, if you buy a Slimfast, or some pre-mixed chocolate thing full of sugar or artificial sweeteners it's unlikely to be great.

For, me it tends to be a scoop of a plain, unflavoured why in a shake with some combination of fruit / veg / nut butter / chia / oats (depending on what I'm doing and what I've got in) whizzed up with unsweetened almond milk. I struggle to see how that's less healthy than the sort of white bread / juice / cereal / flavoured yoghurt focussed breakfast that many in the UK favour.

Incidentally I think a lot of people are getting fairly hung up on 'processed food' as the cause of all ills. Sure, it's not great, but it's about balance. If your diet is largely UPF free but lacking in key nutrients, that doesn't mean it's 'healthy' as compared to someone who gets a good balance of protein / carb / fat and micronutrients from fruit an veg but chucks in the odd commercial protein shake.

Non UPF diet, Intermittent Fasting 19/5 and use 2 teaspoons of WPI mixed with natural Greek Yoghurt or cottage cheese. Fit and healthy non gym goer.
I find it helps maintain muscle.

You need carbs for energy OP

I think it's always preferable to get your protein from a healthy diet but some need more

I had a gastric sleeve in June and I'm a vegetarian. My calorie intake is very very low because I can't eat normal meals so I do use protein shakes to try and increase it.

I’m a vegetarian so achieving my daily protein goal is an uphill battle without a shake. I run a fair bit each week so it’s important for recovery. I eat eggs and Greek yoghurt as well as lentils, beans, chickpeas etc but nothing is as high as a protein shake. It’s quick and easy for me as well, I just add a scoop to my smoothie for breakfast or I’ll have a shake after a run.

No, not at all. They are very filling. It's quite hard to get 25g protein in other forms I find especially at breakfast so they are very convenient for me

I drink Huel because it is quick, easy and doesn't need me to cook anything. Easy breakfast between the long commute and the busy day at work.

My husband drinks them because he is elderly and in poor health and sipping a shake through the day gets some calories and protein into him plus all the vitamins and minerals that he needs.

When I was a powerlifter I needed to increase my protein intake exponentially, but I needed to be mindful of my other macros. It is hard to eat a lot of protein, especially when you are too busy to sit down for 10 minutes or cook or don't always have food storage facilities.

I absolutely hate protein shakes but they were a means to an end.

I’m with you on the soup.

I have berries, banana, seeds, oats, milk and sometimes yoghurt with unflavoured whey powder. I can’t say how this compares to having just powder and milk/water plus sweeteners/flavourings/thickeners as I’m whacking in extras.
If I was retired and had loads of time I probably wouldn’t bother too much unless I needed to lose weight but I like banana smoothies just as much as I like salad so it’s no hardship to me

I always assumed they wouldn't be filling. Interesting to hear that they are

Good question OP, I'm a PT so for me and many mates who are athletes, it's definitely convenience. You won't need them if you're already eating some decent quality meat. I think in the weight loss community the protein message is more centred around making sure you're not only eating carbs, but getting good protein and fibre too as that helps fat loss and physical health for a whole variety of reasons.

Most protein powders are UPF and full of sweetners and additives- for some reason it's not demonised presumably because it's marketed as a health food. I'm taking Louco now which has vits/minerals and plant protein powder - expensive but I do feel a lot bouncier and it does seem to regulate my sugar/food cravings (rather than keeping me full for longer). I think it was designed for post-partum women but seems to work for me post meno. The rest of them I really wouldn't bother with (and I lift a lot of weights).

I have ARFID and eat a very restricted diet which includes very little protein. I don’t eat any meat or eggs so a protein shake means I at least get some protein in my diet.
If I could I’d have all my meals in liquid form!