Do I really need to buy Protein Powder?

Posted on May 25, 2017

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Do I really need to buy protein powder? This is a question we get asked a lot here a Sporty’s Health, and to be honest, there is no right or wrong answer to whether you need to buy protein powder or not. I know this will sound a little weird coming from a store that sell’s protein powders to the masses, but it is a true statement. It comes down to you, what you eat, how you train, your goals, and much more. Everybody is different and has different daily requirements that they need to achieve their set goals. If you are eating enough food to cover your nutrition goal for each day you may only use a protein powder for convenience rather than anything else. You may not want to cook all the food required to hit your daily target, so this is when protein powders can become your best friend.

A few reasons to buy Protein Powders

Some of the reasons for you investing in a protein powder include these points below.
I’m sure there are many other reasons we haven’t listed here too.

• Convenience

Are you not a fan of cooking or preparing 5 to 6 meals a day to keep your body ticking over with the nutrients needed to recover properly and hit your daily goals? Or it may be your job role doesn’t allow you to sit down and eat a meal every two or three hours? This is where a protein powder can help you out and become one of your best friends. It’s as easy as buying the right protein powder for you, putting a serve in a shaker and then mixing it up whenever you are needing a meal.

• Quick digestion after training

Sitting down to have a meal within half an hour of finishing a workout isn’t an option for most people. And also the digestion of the nutrients in that meal may take a little longer too. So by mixing a quick shake and drinking it after training you get nutrients into your system quickly and efficiently. It’s already pre-digested being a liquid so it gets to where it needed, quickly. So by having a protein shake after you finish training, you are helping your body recover more efficiently and quickly.

• Easy to get more calories

If your goal is to gain weight, whether it just is in the form of lean muscle or just plain old on the scales weight gain, then having protein powder shakes is a way you can increase your daily calories. It’s hard to put on weight at the best of times. The volume of food you can fit in at each meal is limited to how much you can stomach in the end. And also the frequency of the meals you try to eat as well throughout your day can increase your calorie intake. These above determine how many calories you can consume in your day. So the aim should be to eat or drink the most calorie dense foods you can get your hands on until your stomach can handle the extra volume over time. By having a weight gain protein powder two to three times a day is an easy way to help you hit bigger calorie goals for your day. All without cooking extra meals for yourself, so you gain a bit of time back through the day too.

• Good quality protein source throughout the day

By having a quality protein powder in your shakes throughout the day you are giving your body a great nutrition source to utilise and help speed up your recovery. It’s no secret that recovery is just as important as training, so it makes sense not to put cheap fuel in a Ferrari doesn’t it? So a good quality protein powder that suits your needs is a great choice for you and your body.

• Tastes great

Hmmm, we all know about taste don’t we, which of the below would you rather do after you finish training?

• Finish your workout, jump into the car, race inside to your kitchen and quickly cook a steak meal and then eat it within the 30 to 40 minute window to optimise your recovery

• Or, add cold water to your shaker cup, shake and drink, then hang around the couches at the gym having a chat to your training partner about the current state of nuclear physics in rural communities

A steak meal tastes great, yes, but does it taste like a chocolate milk shake?
No, it doesn’t.

Protein powders taste great and there are not many these days that don’t taste great and mix well or they wouldn’t have a following and be used.
So great taste and convenience rolled into one with the above Number 2 option.

So should I buy a protein powder or not?

So remember the protein powders you use are called a “supplement” for a reason. They supplement your daily diet which should be filled with nutritious food with the aim of meeting all your daily dietary goals. You still need a solid food base to supplement on for good health and wellbeing. This is regardless of your health and fitness goals you still need to be healthy to achieve them. The benefits of having a protein powder far outweigh the negatives (if there are any), as you can see, so the question should be, “Which protein powder should I buy?” If you need any questions answered about any of the many protein powders we stock here at Sporty’s Health, give us a call on the phone number at the top of this page or come down and see us instore if you live on the Gold Coast.