Protein shakes for weight gain

The recommended daily intake of protein for adults is 50g. Eating anything in excess of this amount could cause you to put on weight, as excess protein is stored in the body as fat. If, however you are also exercising alongside your high protein diet your muscles will use the extra protein to grow and repair themselves.

The recommended amount of protein is 50g per day for adults, however this can differ if you’re looking to build muscle. There are multiple ways to calculate how much protein you need to eat for example you could eat 2g of protein per each kg that you weigh. However, the Department of Health advises that you shouldn’t consume more than twice the amount of protein recommended for men or women.

Protein is the building block of every living cell in your body and directly impacts muscle mass, energy expenditure and feelings of fullness. However, the NHS advise that there is some evidence in the long term that consuming too much protein (more than double the recommended daily intake) can lead to worsened kidney problems in those with a pre-existing condition, as well as osteoporosis (weakened bones).

Paired with a healthy diet and exercise regime protein shakes can help with your weight gain goals. Enriched with vitamins, nutrients and added calories, protein powders are designed to support muscle growth and repair. Brands such as Protein World and PhD Nutrition offer a variety of protein powders and bars to help support your weight gain, whether you’re creating protein shakes or grabbing a snack on the go.

If you’re hoping to bulk up or tone up you can drink a protein shake before or after a workout, however if you are underweight and hoping to gain weight you can drink a protein shake for breakfast or as a snack to increase your calorie intake. Calculating your BMI will help to determine whether you are a healthy weight for your height, before trying to gain or lose weight you should check your score.

When taken with a healthy diet and exercise routine, supplements for weight gain can help you bulk up. We’ll take you through the main two types of weight gain supplements you might have heard of or even tried below.

If you are a woman hoping to increase your protein intake, gain weight and build muscle, there are many shake options out there for you. In general, most protein sources and supplements are none gender specific and it is more important to focus on your size and weight to find what’s right for your body.

Most women do have a smaller body mass than men and so may need less protein, for example, the recommended intake of protein is 0.75g per kilogram of body weight.There are protein shake brands available such as Slender Blend which are suited to both females and males, as well as being gluten free, soy free and vegetarian.

If you’re looking to gain weight, drinking drinks that have extra calories can really help, however these drinks still need to be healthy and full of nutrients. Aside from protein shakes, smoothies, meal replacement shakes, milkshakes and fruit juice are all good options, just watch out for added sugar or ingredients such as ice cream.

If you’re making smoothies and shakes from scratch you can add high calorie foods into your drinks to up your daily calorie intake. These will also add texture and flavour to your shakes, drinking these with your meals will help to further boost your calorie intake.

Ingredients could include:

Make sure to also add lots of fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables to your smoothies so you get all the vitamins and minerals you need. 

You can also drink meal replacements, traditionally these are used in place of a balanced meal, however if you’re trying to gain weight they are a good option to drink alongside your meals. Brands such as SlimFast have a variety of meal replacement shakes, in different flavours that are enriched with essential vitamins.

Typically protein shakes are made from whey, casein and egg proteins. If you’re vegan there are protein shakes made from pea and soy proteins. Find out more about vegan protein here.

Lean meat, tofu, eggs and dairy products are high in protein, to find out more about other foods high in protein click here.

BMI stands for Body Mass Index is a way for you and your GP to check that you’re a healthy weight for your height and gender. You can work out your BMI by following these steps or visit our BMI page.