Protein Shakes, Why Are They Good?
Nowadays, great importance is given to health and physical activity in a person’s life. For this reason, today we are talking about protein shakes and why it is good to take them.
The information we provide below will help you understand how protein shakes can affect your body weight or increased athletic performance.
In most cases, protein shakes don’t have a good reputation. In fact, many people believe that these drinks are only meant for extremely muscular people.
The usefulness of this product, however, goes far beyond achieving the goal we set for ourselves with the diet or obtaining better results when we train in the gym.
Let’s talk about proteins
Proteins are macronutrients made up of essential amino acids for our body. They are made up of chains known as peptide bonds.
We obtain these molecules above all from food: they play a role of fundamental importance as regards the correct functioning of the organism.
Proteins are responsible for forming and regenerating the tissues of bones, muscles, organs and skin.
They consist of:
- Hydrogen
- Carbon
- Nitrogen
- Oxygen
- Most also contain sulfur.
They represent half the weight of the tissues in our body. Likewise, they are present in every cell that forms the organism and participate in practically all the biological processes that take place in it.
Protein shakes
These smoothies have a high concentration of protein. Their main function is to guarantee our body the quantity of molecules necessary to simplify the production of new muscle tissues.
Nowadays many people train continuously and all year round; they are well aware that to stay and keep fit it is necessary to follow a precise physical training. The latter, however, must always be accompanied by a diet rich in carbohydrates, minerals and proteins.
However, these requirements are not always sufficient to achieve the set goals. Even though the foods we consume are rich in nutrients, sometimes we need to take protein supplements.
It is in this case that protein shakes are very important, as they help us to offer an extra supply of the aforementioned molecules to our body. These smoothies can vary a lot in terms of ingredients and flavors.
Why are they good?
Athletes are the main consumers of protein shakes. This is because the intense training and physical conditions they must adhere to continuously require them to ingest protein as soon as they finish their activity. In this way, they recover the lost energies.
Protein shakes ensure the necessary daily protein consumption, as long as they are included in a balanced diet. In this way they help us to keep under control and maintain the weight that we have set ourselves as a goal.
However, we will always have to write down the exact amount of protein contained in each smoothie drunk. In fact, excesses are always negative.
Also remember that these drinks are not a substitute for food. These are supplements that help us get the extra nutrients necessary for the body to function properly. We must not exceed the recommended doses.
They keep us healthy
According to expert research, protein shakes, especially those made with whey protein, are highly recommended for people suffering from osteoporosis.
But if taken in excess, they could cause the opposite effect, which is to cause bone fragility. For this reason it is always important to take the right quantities.
They also favor the correct healing of any wounds, since the proteins, and therefore the drinks that contain these macromolecules, strengthen the immune system.
In addition to that, protein shakes improve cardiovascular performance and lower cholesterol levels.
This is not to say that drinking these smoothies is enough to solve all health problems; moreover they must never replace the drugs prescribed by the specialist. On the contrary, a correct combination of these elements is a real panacea for health.
Ultimately, these benefits can only be achieved by consuming the correct amounts. If not, the excess protein could even cause cardiovascular or cholesterol problems.
Do they have any contraindications?
We are already aware of some of the benefits of protein shakes for our body. It is equally important to know the contraindications.
If we do not make sure that we take the necessary measures for our bodies or we abuse the ingestion of these supplements, in the long run the levels of calcium in the body can form deposits of this mineral.
This situation results in the formation of kidney stones, organs that will be overloaded by the various elements contained in protein shakes.
Among these, nitrogen stands out, which would require extra work on the kidneys. Why? To completely get rid of the toxins obtained from proteins through the urine.
Likewise, increasing nitrogen levels in the blood tends to reduce the necessary water consumption, a habit that leads to dehydration.
For all these reasons, it is very important to count on the supervision of a specialist who can guide us in the best way. Remember that proper nutrition is the result of a well-developed meal plan.
