How to Take Whey Protein

Whey protein is a nutrient-rich form of protein that has been extracted from whey and removed the fat. ^{[1] X Research Source} Whey protein is usually sold in powder form and is easy to use. This article will walk you through a few different ways to consume whey protein. However, be aware that whey protein is not as good as egg protein and is not suitable for people with lactose intolerance.

Table of Contents

Calculating protein requirements

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Find a protein needs chart online or from a nutrition store. Too much protein in the daily diet can backfire and is especially harmful to the kidneys. Therefore, the protein requirement chart is an important tool when you want to add whey protein to your diet. ^{[2] X Research Source}

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Calculate the amount of protein your body needs, based on your weight. Experts recommend that adults (both men and women) consume 8 g of protein per 10 kg of body weight (ie 0.8 g per 1 kg of body weight) per day. For example, a person weighing 70 kg needs to supplement 56 g of protein per day. ^{[3] X Research Sources}^{[4] X Research Sources}

In general, speed and strength athletes should supplement with 1.2-1.7 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight; Meanwhile, endurance athletes need about 1.2-1.4 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight. ^{[5] X Trusted Source EatRight.org Go to Source}
For example, a 79 kg athlete needs to consume 94.8 g of protein per day to reach a minimum of 1.2 g/kg body weight.

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Determine how much protein you eat. With the help of a nutrition calculator, you need to calculate your calorie intake per meal and per week (if necessary). This helps determine the amount of protein to supplement with Whey protein.

There are many online resources that help determine the amount of protein in the food that you eat each day or each week. You can find a useful example here.

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Determine the amount of protein to add from Whey protein. If, based on the protein needs chart, the amount of protein you need is higher than the amount of protein you are getting through your diet, you can make up the difference with Whey protein. After using the nutrition calculator to determine your protein intake, subtract the required amount of protein (based on the chart) from the result. This difference is the amount of protein you need to add from whey protein.

Besides, if you are a man who exercises regularly, supplementing with Whey protein can bring additional benefits to you, helping to recover from exercise faster.

Make a protein shake or smoothie

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Use a blender. Mixing ingredients together is the most convenient way to create a shake. Follow the instructions on the Whey protein container to measure the amount of powder to use. Then, blend together with the recommended amount of liquid and other ingredients until a smooth paste is obtained.

If you don’t have a blender, you can use an electric mixer, shaker, or use a fork or whisk to blend the ingredients together in a glass or bowl.

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Choose the Whey protein flavor you like. You can buy whey protein in a variety of flavors and it affects the taste of the smoothie. Popular flavors include vanilla, strawberry, blueberry, banana, chocolate, and more.

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Combine fruit or other ingredients. Whey protein shakes can be combined with fruit and other ingredients to vary the flavor and nutritional content. You can find many recipes in books or online that show you how to prepare a variety of whey protein shakes. To make it easier to blend or blend fruit with your whey protein shake, it’s a good idea to add the liquid first. ^{[6] X Research Source} Depending on your preference, you can add 1-2 cups or more of the following ingredients: ^{[7] X Research Source}^{[8] X Research Source}

Juice
Banana
Dig
Pear
Mango
Succulent fruits, including oranges, pineapples and watermelons
Milk, soy milk, almond milk, coconut water or other low-fat milk

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Add ice cubes. Pureed ice helps thicken and cool whey protein shakes, creating a smooth texture for smoothies or shakes. Or you can freeze bananas, raspberries, or other fruits (or buy frozen fruit) before adding them to your drink. Besides, you can even make ice cubes from milk and use it instead of regular ice. ^{[9] X Research Source}

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Add ingredients to enhance the taste. Whey protein shakes can benefit from added ingredients to improve flavor. Add these ingredients to your liking to improve the flavor of the shake. Some ingredients that you might consider adding include: ^{[10] X Research Source}^{[11] X Research Source}

Honey
Vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon
Yogurt
Dried fruit, including raisins, dried apricots and dates
Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry or other powders for milkshakes

Use Whey Protein to Build Muscle

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Use whey protein for breakfast. Add 1 tablespoon of whey protein powder to breakfast cereal, preferably oats. Use a spoon to mix well and eat immediately. Adding whey protein to food in this way helps increase protein intake without having to adjust the diet too much.

You can add 1 tablespoon (14 g) of peanut butter to the mixture to increase the protein content.

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Load up on Whey protein before a workout. Drink a whey protein shake 30 minutes before exercise. When you exercise, muscle fibers are broken down and stored carbohydrates (glycogen) are depleted. ^{[12] X Source of Research} Drinking a whey protein shake before a workout helps prevent muscle breakdown and gives you extra energy.

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Load up on whey protein after a workout. You need to feed your muscles right after you exercise to help your body recover. There is evidence that consuming whey protein immediately after a workout enhances protein synthesis and therefore increases muscle strength. ^{[13] X Research Source}

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Mix whey protein with your last meal of the day. Sprinkle some whey protein powder on the dish at the last meal of the day. This helps increase the amount of amino acids in the body while you sleep, thereby supporting the process of building muscle.

In addition, you can take whey protein before bed to prevent protein breakdown that occurs naturally while you sleep, and increase protein synthesis in the muscles at night. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Whey protein weight loss support

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Determine the amount of Whey protein to incorporate into the diet. There are many weight loss plans available for people who want to take whey protein to lose weight. In general, however, experts recommend using whey protein only as a dietary supplement rather than replacing meals with whey protein shakes. Using whey protein to support your diet will help you feel fuller, eat less, thereby stimulating weight loss. ^{[15] X Research Source}

Combine whey protein with a low-calorie diet. Whey protein works best when combined with a healthy and balanced diet. ^{[16] X Research Source}
Be aware that a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet can have negative health effects. ^{[17] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to the source} So you should always aim for a healthy and balanced diet.

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Use a Whey protein shake to support your diet to stimulate weight loss. When you want to lose weight, you need to increase fiber and avoid consuming too much sugar. You can boost your fiber intake with less sugar by incorporating more vegetables into your shake. The following suggestions may help:

Add blueberries or raspberries. Both of these fruits are rich in fiber and low in sugar
Or you can add spinach (spinach) or cucumber. Both of these vegetables are rich in fiber and do not have a strong taste like some other vegetables. Thanks to that, you can combine them with shakes without worrying about the drink having a strange taste. ^{[18] X Research Sources}
Avoid honey, maple syrup or sugar. These ingredients contain high amounts of sugar and are detrimental to the diet plan. The fruit that you add to your smoothie will naturally sweeten it. ^{[19] X Research Source}

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Drink a whey protein shake or smoothie before a meal. Whey protein shakes can quench hunger and provide energy, helping to reduce cravings for other foods. ^{[20] X Research Source} One study gave people a Whey protein shake before a buffet and found that they ate less than others. ^{[21] X Research Source}

Although not recommended, replacing the highest calorie meal with a whey protein shake or smoothie may result in the fastest weight loss. Replacing snacks with a whey protein drink also stimulates weight loss, but at a slower rate. ^{[22] X Research Source}
Drinking whey protein shakes also helps reduce blood glucose levels after meals and improve insulin levels. ^{[23] X Research Sources}

Advice

There are 3 types of whey protein: skimmed, concentrated, and a combination of both. Split whey protein is the purest and best form for the body, but is more expensive; Whey protein concentrate, on the other hand, contains more fat. ^{[24] X Source of Research} Of course, separated and concentrated whey protein is both healthy at an acceptable level, and good for people on a budget.

Warning

A list of potential Whey protein side effects can be found here.
Like most things, too much protein can be harmful. The extra protein intake will be broken down and excreted, but they can put extra strain on the kidneys. There is still much controversy on this issue. ^{[25] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to the source} Therefore, you should talk to your doctor or dietitian about using whey protein in your diet. Also, be sure to look at the protein chart to determine the recommended protein intake based on weight.

Things you need

Whey protein powder with spoon included
Blender or shaker
Milk, water or fruit juice
Fruit, yogurt and oats
Ice
Spoon
Container to keep shakes cold during workouts

Steps