Protein coffee is a fast-gaining trend, and it’s not hard to see why.
In its simplest form, protein coffee refers to coffee-rich protein powders added to cold water to make cooling smoothies. Since protein powder will blend better with cold beverages than hot drinks, most commercial protein coffee producers recommend consuming protein coffee as a chilled drink.
Protein powders and shakes will take any workout to the next stage; it’s no wonder. Protein consumption helps you develop muscles and retain the bulk. Particularly post-workout shakes can help with muscle recovery.
Coffee, however, has made a big mark in the fitness scene. It improves your workouts, reviving your metabolism, energizing, and relieving muscle pain. Focusing on the workouts can also help.
Protein coffee blends two worlds’ finest.
And, it was a matter of time until someone applied a splash of protein to their hot coffee piping.
List of Contents
Is it healthy to drink whey protein?
Eating enough protein isn’t just for athletes or Schwarzenegger styles. A healthy immune system needs organs like your heart, brain, and skin to function properly. The nutrient is also well known for its ability to regulate appetite and promote muscle development.
How much protein you need all depends on your workout routine, age, and fitness. And whether protein intake with protein powder has become a popular question.
Look closer at protein powder.
Protein is harvested from animal or plant sources, ranging from cow’s milk and eggs to peas, rice, and soy. Natural carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and fiber are frequently extracted during processing, thus introducing additional nutrients, herbs, and even sweeteners.
Anyone considering protein powder should recognize that it is known as a dietary supplement, meaning it is not treated as food or medicine. Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring their goods are not unsafe, but many businesses do not monitor for protection or effectiveness until their deals reach shelves.
While the FDA developed Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) to help mitigate adverse issues, adherence to these procedures remains a problem. In 2017, approximately one-quarter of supplement-manufacturing companies whose products were tested earned quotations related to purity, strength, and content of ingredients.
That said, certified organizations, such as NSF International, are independently researching supplements, including protein powders. NSF’s classification “Certified for Sport” means that the contents match what is on the label and that the substance is GMP-registered and does not contain hazardous levels of toxic metals such as arsenic and mercury.
What protein do you need?
How much protein you need is another important factor when determining whether to benefit from your diet. The sum considered sufficient for most healthy people, called the Recommended Dietary Allowance ( RDA), is 0.8 grams per kilogram.
For anyone weighing 150 pounds, this translates into about 55 grams of protein; a 200-pound person needs about 70 grams of protein. Some athletes undertaking rigorous training may enhance their success by consuming more than double the RDA, but most of us don’t.
A lot of people have enough protein in their diet.
One egg, a half-cup of chickpeas, or a handful of nuts all have about 6 grams of protein. A piece of chicken or card size fish provides about 30 grams.
For many, hitting recommended quantities via their normal diet is reasonably easy. On average, Americans eat 65-90 grams of protein daily. (Young women around the age of 19 and older than 70 are more vulnerable to low protein intake.)
Research indicates older adults and exercisers seeking to promote muscle growth can benefit from consuming 1-and-a-half to 2-fold as much protein as RDA. As we get old, we lose muscle, and research shows that boosting protein will improve strength and lean body mass. But unless you have a limited diet, including a strict plant-based or vegan diet, this increase can still be accomplished by food.
Although pregnant women have slightly elevated protein requirements, they should consult an obstetrician or dietitian when considering protein supplements, as companies often add potentially dangerous ingredients like ginkgo or papain to protein powders.
Also, people with kidney disease often benefit from eating slightly less protein than RDA and should speak to a healthcare provider before adding protein.
Protein powders are handy but still unnecessary.
If you’re a healthy adult considering supplementation, you can decide if your goal is to increase muscle mass, as most research focuses on muscle growth and strength. Older adults may benefit from slightly raising protein regardless of their exercise routine; however, resistance training is more effective than simply adding protein for most of us.
To promote muscle development that usually occurs with exercise, evidence supports eating 20 to 40 grams of protein at a time (about the amount contained in a tuna can). Larger amounts add calories and can potentially decrease muscle-building capacity.
Having multiple protein powder scoops at once is unlikely to help. Plant-based powders also contain less protein, but optionally should not be discarded. For example, rice and pea protein have been shown to promote whey-like muscle development, a milk-based protein with high quality and fast absorption.
If you’re an older adult with little appetite, a restricted diet, or a qualified professional athlete, you’re likely to change your food consumption to get what you need. Food protein is also cheaper, less harmful, and contains beneficial nutrients.
If increasing protein is not a choice, taking a supplement can be both efficient and convenient.
What are the advantages of taking whey protein?
What are whey protein’s benefits and risks?
People use whey as a supplement alongside resistance exercise to help improve muscle protein synthesis and promote lean muscle mass development. But what is it, and what are its benefits?
Milk has two proteins, casein, and whey. In milk, whey protein may be isolated from casein or formed as a cheese by-product. Whey protein is considered a complete protein with all nine necessary amino acids. It is low in lactose.
Whey protein intake has many advantages, and researchers are actively discovering new potential therapeutic properties. Here we describe the benefits and look at certain side effects and possible risks.
Quick whey protein facts:
Many of the possible benefits are focused on single studies, and further data is required before making a final decision.
It is a composition of beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, bovine serum albumin, and immunoglobulin.
- Possible benefits include weight loss, cholesterol-lowering.
- Possible risks include nausea and headaches, but whey protein is not considered harmful at moderate doses.
Profits
- Aiding weight loss: In one research of 158 people, published in Nutrition & Metabolism, those given whey “lost substantially more body fat and displayed greater lean muscle preservation compared to subjects drinking the control beverage.”
- Anti-cancer properties: Promising findings have been published in Anticancer Studies to use whey protein concentrate in cancer care. Further research is required.
- Lowering cholesterol: A study that was issued in The British Journal of Nutrition gave whey supplements to 70 men and women overweight for 12 weeks and tested parameters such as lipid and insulin levels. They observed that “Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol decreased significantly in the whey community at week 12 relative to casein (community).”
- Asthma: Whey protein may boost immune response in asthma kids. A snall-scale study involving 11 children, published in the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, discovered that children with asthma who received 10 grams of whey protein twice daily for 1 month had an enhanced immune response.
- Blood pressure and cardiovascular disease: Studies published in the International Dairy Journal showed that whey protein-supplemented beverages substantially lowered blood pressure in patients with hypertension; their risk of developing heart disease or stroke was also lower.
- Reducing weight loss in HIV-positive people: A study published in Clinical and Investigative Medicine found that whey protein can assist reduce weight loss among HIV-positive patients.
Possible risks
Some people allergic to milk can be unique to whey. In small doses, whey protein usually causes no adverse events. However, very high doses can cause:
- Stomach aches
- Crimps
- Low appetite
- It’s nausea
- headache
- Tiredness
Consistent high-dose whey protein can also induce acne. Nutritionally, whey protein is very special and has no natural counterpart.
Some people claim there are risks from such nutritionally processed foods because, while they contain a lot of nutrients, the balance is strongly weighted towards protein.
There are three main protein types:
- Whey protein concentrate (WPC)
- Whey protein isolate (WPI)
- Whey protein hydrolysate (WPH)
Let’s look at each in turn:
- Whey protein concentrate – WPC contains low fat, low carbohydrate amounts. WPC’s protein proportion depends on how concentrated it is. Lower-end concentrate appears to have 30% protein and higher up to 90%.
- Whey protein isolate – WPIs are treated to extract both fat and lactose. WPI’s normally at least 90% protein.
- Whey protein hydrolysate – WPH is considered the “predigested” type of whey protein as it has already undergone partial hydrolysis, a process that the body requires to absorb protein. WPH requires less digestion than the other two whey protein types.
WPH is also widely used in protein supplements and infant formulas due to increased digestibility and decreased allergen potential
What happens if I take protein and don’t workout?
Many people drink whey to supplement their normal protein intake. Exercising or not, but the vast majority require no extra protein. Most people take more than double the protein their bodies need.
A sedentary adult only needs about 0.4 grams of protein per pound of body weight, while an athlete aiming to build muscle mass can safely consume 0.6 to 0.9 grams per pound. That’s 75 grams of protein for a 150-pound individual — 60 for a sedentary adult and 135 for an active, muscle-building adult.
Gaining weight
Drinking whey protein shakes as dietary supplements are recommended by some physicians to support mass underweight patients. A standard protein shake made with one whey powder scoop and one low-fat milk glass has over 200 calories.
That means if you meet your calorie requirements and drink a shake every day, you could earn more than a pound a month. However, if you’re healthy and exercise regularly, the chance of gaining excess weight isn’t as heavy.
If you adhere to a regular exercise plan or not, a high-protein diet will increase your risk of certain health conditions. Excess protein intake links to osteoporosis, calcium stones, kidney disease, and cancer.
Eating too much protein may also be associated with nutrient deficiencies, as protein supplements and shakes do not offer the same nutrient variety or quality as whole foods.
Alternatives shake
If you drink protein shakes because your daily diet lacks nutrients, rethink what you consume. Whole foods are almost always superior options because they deliver vitamins, minerals, and defensive substances that can’t mimic supplements.
For example, a cup of plain, nonfat Greek yogurt provides only a few more calories than a scoop of whey powder. It also contains vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, that many powders can’t give. Other high-quality, protein-rich sources include eggs, lean white meat, fish, nuts, seeds, beans, and legumes.
Is whey protein bad before bed?
Although consuming calories before bed isn’t necessarily a smart idea, consuming whey protein before bed has some advantages. Whey is a high-quality protein that contains all of your body’s essential amino acids. However, if consuming whey before bed causes you to exceed your daily caloric needs, unnecessary weight gain can occur.
Why Take Whey Protein First
A few reasons to consider whey protein powder before bed. Here are the advantages of consuming protein before bed:
Burn Fat — Whey protein accelerates metabolism and alters satiety-related hormones. A high protein diet can help with weight loss. A 2007 report tested a weight loss with a whey protein supplement.
One hundred fifty-eight participants adopted a 12-week, calorie-restricted diet. Either a whey protein supplement or placebo of equal calorie content was obtained 20 minutes before breakfast and 20 minutes before dinner.
Weight, lean body mass, body fat, and blood samples caused weight loss between the two classes. But, relative to the placebo group, the group that got the whey protein lost more body fat and less lean muscle.
This study indicates that whey protein can help the body burn fat more efficiently while retaining muscle, making it easier to hold the weight off in the long run.
Speed Recovery — Did you know your recovery MOST takes place while you sleep? You use your muscles throughout the day, so your body can’t heal properly until you stop moving (at night). Whey protein before bed provides the raw materials your body requires to make these repairs more effective, contributing to improved recovery.
Supports Healthy Metabolism — Did you know that taking protein at night will accelerate your metabolism to the next day? This means you burn fat and calories faster all night. In a 2014 study published in the British Nutrition Journal, 11 men ingested a supplement containing whey protein, casein protein, carbohydrates, or placebo before bed.
The next day, men with either protein had substantially higher metabolism than those with carbohydrate or placebo. This study indicates protein will help you burn more calories all night long. Who won’t burn calories when they’re sleeping?
Maintain muscle mass — If you give your body the correct amount of amino acids, make sure it gets all the protein required to create new muscle and rebuild existing muscle. A protein-free diet can allow the body to use protein for energy rather than muscle building.
But if you consume enough protein, it will promote muscle mass maintenance and development.
Helps regulate blood sugar — Uncontrolled blood sugar may trigger insomnia and trigger morning starvation to wake up. Whey protein can help control blood sugar at night. A 2014 study of people with type 2 diabetes pre-meal offered subjects 50 grams of whey or placebo.
For those consuming whey protein, their blood sugar was 28% lower. The insulin response in whey recipients was increased, which is why blood sugar was lower. This study may indicate that whey protein powder may help lower and stabilize blood sugar before bed.
Taking a whey protein before bed is a nice idea, but it might not be all right.