When is a protein shake necessary?

As a novice athlete, you orient yourself on specific matters that come with the sport, such as building up a responsible sports schedule, but sports nutrition can also raise questions. Because what exactly about food, which food is most effective in building materials for your muscles and bones? And what about protein shakes, do they offer a lot of added value and when is the best time to take them?

Nutrition and protein shakes for athletes

Every athlete benefits from nutrition that is tailored to the activity. Whether you practice power sports or endurance sports, you benefit from food that provides long-term energy, such as whole-grain products, proteins (by means of meat, dairy or meat substitutes), fruit; in short healthy food. Now protein-rich food is a real advantage. Proteins aid in muscle recovery and muscle building. So to achieve extra results as an athlete and to feed your muscles, you take protein-rich food. It is true that an endurance athlete needs slightly less protein per day than a strength athlete.

Protein shakes offer a solution in various cases

For almost every athlete, a protein shake is taken after exercise, and then preferably within 20 minutes after exercise. At that moment your muscles can use the extra nutrition very well. This even applies to non-athletes after activities; some people take shakes to lose weight, these also have a high protein content and feed just at the right time when you can start to feel weak from the appetite.

In addition to a high protein content, protein shakes naturally also contain other important vitamins, minerals and nutrients such as fats and carbohydrates. Such shakes (if of high quality) can also be seen as meal replacements. Because whoever also takes a meal will gain weight.

Nutrition for athletes

Intensive athletes often live according to a sports diet. This includes a protein shake after exercise, but during the day the diet is also often geared to promoting muscle growth and recovery. You will see that strength athletes, for example, eat in between more often than non-athletes. They then take protein-rich food such as eggs, dairy products such as quark, and certain types of fish, for example. By eating something in the meantime, you meet the needs of the changing body. So usually strength athletes do not eat large plates of food during the hot meal in one go, but they do this very consciously throughout the day.

Finally

For example, athletes who do not consume enough protein can suffer from muscle pain for longer (because muscle pain means muscle recovery), but you will also get tired faster if you consume too little protein as an athlete. Proteins are the engine behind your sporting performance, getting them from natural food is always a good thing, the protein shake, on the other hand, can be used at times when you need ad hoc protein-rich nutrients.