Tag: protein

Best Ingredients To Make A Lean Shake For Muscle Growth

Check out the best ingredients to put into your lean shake!
We all love our shakes, either pre- or post-workout, but it can be challenging at times to really nail down what the best ingredients are to put into a lean shake. The dangers with these shakes are that we can put too many things into it, and while it may taste great, what happens is an excess of calories that we just don’t need. So while a lean shake seems like a good choice, the wrong ingredients can make this anything but lean.

Using protein or other shakes as a way to lean out or bulk is a smart choice. Ultimately, it gives us an enjoyable way to take in a ton of nutrients without feeling like we are stuffing ourselves with endless amounts of chicken and spinach. But, with this, comes the unfortunate sneaky weight gain if the wrong ingredients are put in.
Let’s take a look at some of the best ingredients to put with our lean shake. The right approach to making one of these treats can pay off in the long run and once you have that great recipe nailed down, you never have to worry again about too many calories in your lean shake.

Benefits Of A Lean Shake
When it comes down it, a lean shake provides for a host of benefits that you will love and enjoy. Benefits of a lean shake include:

Assist with weight loss by pumping you with great ingredients to keep you full and not add crazy amounts of calories.
Boost muscle growth with adequate amounts of protein to really give you the best chance at building real muscle (1).
Increase recovery by refueling and recharging those muscles so they grow, but also repair for faster bounce back (2).
Tasty options to give you something you can enjoy while still receiving awesome benefits.
Convenient way to get nutrients for all of those on-the-go needs.

Best Ingredients For Your Lean Shake
Let’s take a look at some key ingredients to elevate your lean shake to the next level. Working with premium and high-quality ingredients will ensure you get efficient growth, effective recovery, but most importantly, worthwhile gains.

Protein Powder

Those looking for a lean shake protein powder option will most likely be keen on a whey isolate, a more filtered form of whey protein perfect for weight loss and building muscle. While other forms of whey exist, there are also those non-dairy options which are great for those following a vegan and plant-based diet. The right protein powder will most certainly increase your gains for the better by working for muscle growth, better recovery, and serious weight loss effects (3).

As a great ingredient to curb your appetite and help keep weight off, yogurt is a great choice to add to the consistency of a shake as well. Plus, you get the added benefits and nutrients that come with it. The nice part is you can choose whatever flavor yogurt you desire that will only add to your shake (4).

Almond Milk

As a dairy-free option, this is a nutritious, low-calorie, and tasty alternative to add as your shake’s base. High in vitamins and minerals, while also being low in sugar, this is a source of calcium as well as a nice alternative to help you lose weight, or at the very least, keep weight off.

Fruit can add to the texture and taste of your shake and offers great vitamins and minerals for you to enjoy. When it comes to fruit, be cautious of how much you put in because with the amount of sugar, albeit natural, you never know how this can affect your bodybuilding goals.

Greens are essential for our overall health and wellness and by including greens in your shake, you work to benefit not only your physical health, but also your mental health. A great way to get easy nutrients into your body, you don’t have to worry about buying a super greens supplement, although these are great as well, because you get plenty of these greens in one go. Focusing on leafy greens allows them to blend nicely so you don’t even notice they are there.

Nuts are a great source of nutrients and are loaded with antioxidants. They will work to reduce inflammation, keep you full, offer nice taste and texture, and of course, work for weight loss. It should be said that nuts can be high in fat so limiting the amount and focusing on quantity is important, but at the end of the day, this is a great ingredient to throw in a lean shake (5).

Nut Butters

Along with nuts are those nut butters. Whether it be peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter, among others, these will offer the same benefits of nuts while changing the consistency. Again, be cautious of the amount but at the end of the day these butters are amazing options for you to see real gains.

Other Supplements For Muscle Growth & Meal Replacing
When looking towards other supplements that work well for muscle growth and meal replacing, there are some that work well for those weight loss goals too. As mentioned above, a protein powder is a great way to see real gains to tackle any and all of those desired growth, recovery, and weight loss goals. But for those wanting something on the go that still offers plenty of nutrients, definitely look into meal replacements for they will have a great balance of macros while also including plenty of other nutrients into their formula as well.
Wrap Up
Working with a lean shake requires only the best ingredients. It can be challenging to know exactly what to put into your lean shake but high-quality ingredients can make all the difference for your muscle growth, recovery, and weight loss goals. Add some of these ingredients into your shake and see what they can do for your gains today.

Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 
*Images courtesy of Envato
References

Stark, M.; et al. (2012). “Protein timing and its effects on muscular hypertrophy and strength in individuals engaged in weight-training”. (source)
Pasiakos, S.; et al. (2014). “Effects of protein supplements on muscle damage, soreness and recovery of muscle function and physical performance: a systematic review”. (source)
Cintineo, H.; et al. (2018). “Effects of Protein Supplementation on Performance and Recovery in Resistance and Endurance Training”. (source)
Jacques, P.; et al. (2014). “Yogurt and weight management”. (source)
Natoli, S.; et al. (2007). “A review of the evidence: nuts and body weight”. (source)

Your Complete Guide To Protein Shakes For Gains

A protein shake is all you need to keep maximizing your gains.
Arguably, one of the best parts of the day is finishing that grueling workout or heavy lift and enjoying our protein shake. We’ve finally found the right protein powder, nailed down the flavor of choice, and maybe even have perfected a smoothie recipe with those added ingredients. And while we may know what a protein shake does for us, the complete picture of just how beneficial one of these shakes can be should not, and absolutely will not, be understated. Protein builds muscle. Muscle builds gains. So, in effect, protein is gains.

A quality protein powder will work to maximize muscle growth by pumping you with vital protein to ensure your muscles can grow and repair. Along with this, protein works to enhance recovery by allowing your muscles to grow stronger and to heal faster for less muscle soreness and faster bounce back. For those looking to lose weight, maintain weight, and even gain weight (in the healthiest of ways), depending on the protein powder, this is absolutely possible. When put into our protein shakes, whatever form of protein you choose can work wonders.
Let’s take a look at this complete guide for protein shakes and see just what makes these so great. From the benefits of them, to the right timing and what each does respectively, to even a top option for protein powder, this guide will be your one stop shop for all things protein and shakes.

Benefits Of Protein Shakes
The benefits of protein shakes should not be ignored, for they can greatly add to all of our gains. While they are similar to protein in general, a protein shake is just a loaded protein beverage, right?
Benefits include:

Convenience: Putting protein into a shaker bottle and having it ready to go is an easy way to load up on protein.
Increased growth: Protein is the building block of muscle and a protein shake is an easy way to deliver that into your body (1).
Enhanced recovery: Easily tackle muscle soreness and faster recovery by drinking a convenient protein shake (2).
Versatile option: Use for post-workout gains, meal replacing, or an added ingredient in a smoothie.

Protein Shake Timing
While many of us have a protein shake immediately after our workout, knowing all the options at your disposal can help you greatly.
For Post-Workout Gains
Right after our workouts, this is a great time to get that vital protein into our bodies. Our bodies are depleted and in need of protein to help grow and repair those muscles, so having a shake immediately post-workout, or within the protein timing window, can be of huge benefit to our overall gains.
For Replacing A Meal
Since protein does have the ability to provide for fullness and satiety, a protein shake can be used as a meal replacement, similar to traditional meal replacement supplements (3). If you are replacing a meal with a protein shake, that is absolutely fine, but know that whole foods should always be your number one choice. Of course, our busy schedules just don’t always allow for it.
For An Added Ingredient
While a simple protein shake works just fine, adding protein powder into a smoothie as an added ingredient can be even better. Not only do you get the taste and benefits of protein added to the many ingredients in your smoothie, but you get the thicker texture to really provide for a sweet treat.

Potential Sources Of Protein To Use
With so many different forms of protein to use, including whey and non-dairy or plant-based sources, it’s important you know your options moving forward. Your supplements should reflect your lifestyle and depending on said lifestyle, you can make a great protein shake to go along with it.

Some potential sources include:

Whey Isolate: A filtered form of whey, this is majority protein with minimal carbs and fats perfect for growth, recovery, and weight loss (4).
Whey Concentrate: A reasonable balance of macros, this is great for growth and recovery, but is perfect for those looking to bulk up.
Brown Rice Protein: A high amount of BCAAs are present and you get very similar benefits to whey minus the dairy (5).
Pea Protein: A great alternative, this contains all nine EAAs that are needed for your body to function (6).
Hemp Protein: Protein levels are okay, but the amount of fiber is great for digestion.
Soy Protein: Contains all nine essential amino acids making this is a complete protein source.

Best Protein Powder To Use In Shakes
With so many protein powders on the market, we felt it appropriate to share with you our top choice for protein. This whey protein powder is a great option for it tastes great, blends well, and is loaded with benefits. For those sensitive to whey, Enhanced Labs also has a great non-dairy protein powder, Protein-Tech, also great in a tasty shake.
Enhanced Whey Protein Isolate

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Enhanced Whey Protein Isolate is a high quality whey protein with just 110 calories and 25g protein. Fortified with DigeSEB digestive enzyme blend, this allows for better protein utilization in your body.

Enhanced Labs starts by selecting the highest quality whey proteins which undergo a series of sophisticated filtration processes to ‘isolate’ out excess fat and sugar. The final product is a complete protein containing no lactose and over 90% of pure protein per serving. Enhanced Whey is then fortified with the trademarked DigeSEB digestive enzyme blend for better protein utilization within the body. With 25g of protein at just 110 calories, this high quality whey is perfect for your muscle building and recovery goals.

Check out our list of the Best Protein Powders for more great protein supplements!

Wrap Up
We’ve all heard of protein shakes, but sometimes we just do what we’re told. Everybody always says to drink a protein shake but we may never have asked why. Protein is the building block of all muscle. A protein shake is a convenient way to get adequate amounts of protein into our bodies for real growth. And don’t we all want the easy road sometimes? Pick up your favorite protein powder and incorporate a protein shake into your routine today.

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Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 
*Images courtesy of Envato
References

Stark, M.; et al. (2012). “Protein timing and its effects on muscular hypertrophy and strength in individuals engaged in weight-training”. (source)
Pasiakos, S.; et al. (2014). “Effects of protein supplements on muscle damage, soreness and recovery of muscle function and physical performance: a systematic review”. (source)
Treyzon, L.; et al. (2008). “A controlled trial of protein enrichment of meal replacements for weight reduction with retention of lean body mass”. (source)
Pal, Sebely; et al. (2010). “Effects of whey protein isolate on body composition, lipids, insulin and glucose in overweight and obese individuals”. (source)
Kalman, D. (2014). “Amino Acid Composition of an Organic Brown Rice Protein Concentrate and Isolate Compared to Soy and Whey Concentrates and Isolates”. (source)
Babault, N.; et al. (2015). “Pea proteins oral supplementation promotes muscle thickness gains during resistance training: a double-blind, randomized, Placebo-controlled clinical trial vs. Whey protein”. (source)