Sometimes gaining weight and building muscle from our meals could be very expensive, and hard to achieve. It is all about buying a lot of ingredients and preparing our food which takes away a bit of our time. We are fortunate that we have supplements to help us to achieve our goals and to perform better when we are having difficulty attaining it from food. For this article, we will focus on different Protein Shakes To Gain Weight for a better body.
Product Name | Quality | Price | Our Rating |
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A+ | $$$ | ||
A+ | $$ | ||
A- | $$ | ||
B+ | $$$ | ||
B+ | $$ |
** Below, you'll find more detailed reviews, but you can click links above to see current prices and read customer's review on Amazon
BENEFITS OF PROTEIN SHAKE
The leading protein shake source for supplements that every company produces would always be Whey. In a nutshell, it is the fluid or liquid part of milk that separate during cheese making. It is believed that Whey is categorized as a fast-digesting protein source, and it is why a lot of companies and bodybuilders rely on it. From my experience, it is also a great supplement to use for building leaner muscle, and very versatile to mix into your diet. There are some advantages that we can get from drinking Whey Protein shakes besides taking your high-protein food.
1. Improved Immune System
It may be hard to believe, but it is associated to boosting your body's immunes system. If you are the type of person that check the nutrition facts and labels, most of the products would contain vitamins that would be associated with immune boosting capabilities.
2. Increase in Protein
Well, it is an obvious reason that it is a protein supplement, of course, it would increase your protein levels in your body, but do you know that it is not just food for the muscles? It also promotes the health of your tendons and organs which are vital to us. If you have weak joints, would you think that you would be able to lift heavier weights? In short, an increase in protein aid overall physical strength for any strenuous activities.
3. Amino Acids
In case you didn't know, Amino Acids are simply the building blocks of protein. There are separated products such as BCAA's, but any whey protein supplement would already suffice the number of BCAA's that your body needs. After all, there is already enough supply of essential amino acids in one serving for the entire day. Amongst all the amino acids, Leucine is the one that has the most anabolic properties that are effective in humans.
4. Faster Muscle Gains
As mentioned before, whey is the most efficient protein source, especially to people. It also has the best performance that our body can synthesize quickly, thus resulting in quicker absorption and muscle recovery. After all, It activates the hormones that the muscle needs to recover which is why a whey supplement alone could be the only supplement you need to gain weight and build muscle.
5. Lowers Blood Pressure
I have to state this benefit out here because bodybuilding is a stressful method of exercise that increases its intensity over different courses. Since whey is a by-product of dairy, there have been a series of studies conducted that involves milk intake leading to reduced blood pressure. There is a peptide that includes regulating your blood pressure called, "angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors."
HOW TO USE IT?
There are a lot of different ways in using the protein shake as what to include it with. You can even blend and personalized your protein smoothie to add “life” to its flavor. We are not just talking about as a recipe, but also concerning dosage or serving size, and when as the right time to take a protein shake. There has been a series of debates whether to take it before or after the workout.
1. Mixing With Different Ingredients
- When you take a look at various fruit shake stalls or booths, they would always have a whey variation of their items on their menu. It is because the versatility of whey that makes it easy to apply it with any recipes that you would want. I know that the supplement come in different flavors, and some of you would agree with me that others have horrible taste. Since we are talking about gaining weight, you won't be limited to your selections with what you want to mix your protein with
- A perfect shake I would like to do before bedtime is adding two scoops of protein powder (mine was a French vanilla crème flavor from ON), a scoop of ice cream, and around a glass of milk. You may increase or decrease the amount of milk you blend it with depending how you want the consistency of the shake to be.
- If you want a supercharged meal before your workout, take one scoop, five tablespoons of oatmeal, a slice of banana, blueberries, honey and low-fat milk. It is one of the best blends I have ever done during my bodybuilding career, and you could mix up the ingredients. It will give you a blitz of energy before your gym session.
- Another mix I would want to call, “mega dessert.” My friend told me about this recipe that will fill you up, and avoid catabolic process during your sleep. Take two scoops of the whey powder, Ice Cream, and Peanut Butter. Mix it with your fork, and it would take a while for it to mix all together. You will have that thick and rich ice cream that will help your muscle recover better.
2. Servings
If you noticed from the sample recipes above, I didn't go past beyond two scoops. That is a recommended serving of the product, and mind you that it is only a supplement, not a substitute. In a day, don't go past beyond two servings as there have been reports of kidney damage when intaking too much whey protein supplements. Still, take food with high-protein value and squeeze in a serving or two somewhere throughout the day.
3. Including In Your Diet
Now that you know special and basic recipes that you can mix it with, how do you include it in your prepared meals? To be honest, as easy it is to incorporate it with various ingredients, it is also as simple in combining it with your diet. It doesn't matter what kind of diet program you are following whether if it's a weight loss program or mass gaining, it will be suitable for both. You can even control your calories with the help of the supplement since it has only a few calories. You can gain enough from the whole food, and consider it as a clean bulk method of diet for gaining weight.
4. When To Take It
Time for the highly-debated topic about taking the Whey Protein Supplement. Most people say that the best time to take it right after workouts, since our muscles are still active and whey is a fast digesting protein to be absorbed by our muscles quickly. Other experts state that you need to take it before your workout session.
To be honest, there is no "right" time to drink it, but you may drink any time of the day. As long as you get your target protein count and caloric-numbers, then you will grow in no time. Don’t worry about missing a serving, and just come up a better real-food alternative.
BEST PROTEIN SHAKE TO GAIN WEIGHT
Now that you have knowledge about the basics of whey protein usage and benefits, I am going to present to you the five highly rated protein shakes that you could use to double up your size. We have only gathered reliable information and reviews with product from different users around the world to be able to provide you with a quality product and promising results.
Product Name | Quality | Price | Our Rating |
---|---|---|---|
A+ | $$$ | ||
A+ | $$ | ||
A- | $$ | ||
B+ | $$$ | ||
B+ | $$ |
PROS
- Highly soluble
- Low-carb and low-fat protein shakes
- Have different flavors
- High amino acid content
CONS
- Some are saying that there have been formula revisions and adding sweeteners due to its flavor.
- Lacking their infamous "amino gen " ingredients with their new formulas.
Our Opinion:
The ON GOLD STANDARD is one of the essential protein supplements that every aspiring athlete start out with. It is very simple, and even I started out with it as well. It is a high-quality protein blend that doesn't send you to the toilet after days of use. It is also easy to mix with only the use of glass and powder. The only concern people are giving out is that their new formula is not even a necessary approach. Most of the reviews were saying this similar phrase, “why fix something that is not even broken.” I guess that’s the downside of the said product.
PROS
- It produces a creamy and flavorful texture that is satisfying to the masses
- Their advance formula further promotes muscle protein synthesis
CONS
- Not suitable for people who are losing weight because of calorie content per serving
- High sucralose content which could be harmful
Our Opinion:
It is one of the all-time rivals of many protein shakes, but it cannot top any other. A few years ago, the company was sued for having false advertisement issues, so don't be fooled that about having six different blends of protein source. Its protein content is mainly composed of 99.9% of whey protein which is a huge positive for the product.
PROS
- The hydrolyzed protein allows faster delivery
- 8.8 grams of BCAA’s
- 15.5 grams of essential amino acids
- Promotes quicker muscle growth
CONS
- Severe cases diarrhea
- Awful tasting flavorful for some people
- Too sweet
Our Opinion:
This version of ON whey may be advanced, but there are still some flaws to it. They have added more flavoring and sugar to mask the awful flavor of the whey which as you can see it didn’t even work. Nonetheless, it has 30grams of protein per serving which is more than usual for a typical protein powder blend. It does show positive results for athletes that reviewed it, and it will only guarantee success with constant use.
PROS
- Natural tasting protein powder
- Advisable for people who cannot properly process gluten
- It is a diverse protein powder that could be blended with anything
CONS
- It leaves lumps or undissolved powder in the mix
Our Opinion:
It is one of those uniquely made products that doesn't have any flavoring on it, but just natural taste. Some people may not appreciate it because of its bland taste, but it is a good alternative to some who have health issues with supplements. It can still result in promising gains, but just beware that the product is a concentrate.
Just make sure that you read the labels first before purchasing it, and most importantly make sure it is sealed with the official mark. There have been cases that it arrives with the seal, thus resulting in having damp patches of power around the bag which could be a sign of harmful contamination.
PROS
- 100% Whey Protein Isolates
- Has digestive enzymes to regulate proper colon movement
- Hormone free
- Proclaimed to be clean and natural
CONS
- Lack of information about protein breakdowns which is critical.
- It could have several types of protein other than whey that they did not state on the label
Our Opinion:
Arguably one of the fresh protein powder available on the market today. It is just that there isn’t much information stated on the label which could prove distrust with the company from the potential buyers. There are, however, numerous positive reviews about the product, so I guess this a great protein powder to have.
OUR CHOICE
Even on other websites like bodybuilding.com and muscleandstrength.com, it is still the number one ranked whey protein powder. It is a simple product that is very reliable to all the athletes and bodybuilders alike. With that said, you could gain mass with this along with your diet.
Conclusion
Do not forget to eat natural food and do not rely on the protein powder supplements as it could be harmful to our bodies. There could be other products that we didn't state here because we only to what was highly recommended by the people who have purchased the products. If you have any question, leave it in the question below, and I would be happy to help.
Hi there,
I’m Gregory Brown, chief editor at ConstructMuscles.com
I spend half of my time in this blog while the other half on being physical fitness trainer. Believing in the great benefits of bodybuilding and fitness to the body, I’ve been motivated to become a fitness enthusiast. It also was what gave me the self-confidence and assurance within myself both physically and psychologically.