Identifying the best protein shakes for weight gain can impact your strength training. Check out these recommendations for nutritious shakes.
Looking for a way to build your muscle and gain weight? Protein shakes may be your solution.
Protein not only helps with weight gain but also can boost your immune system and help your skin, brain, and heart function properly. It can also control your appetite.
Identifying the best protein shakes for weight gain can impact your strength training. Let's explore the top nutritious protein shakes for bulking up.
Best Protein Shakes for Weight Gain
Consuming protein is essential for boosting your body's process of synthesizing muscle protein. This is an important part of muscle growth.
That's because your muscles require protein. The amino acids in protein help rebuild and repair your muscles. When you consume protein while strength training, you can easily build lean muscle.
Protein shakes are a convenient way to get the protein you need each day. Ideally, you should get 1.2-1.6 grams per kilogram of your bodyweight every day. This means if you weigh 185 pounds, you should consume 90-120 grams a day.
Protein shakes come in various flavors to suit different people's tastes. In addition, some are based on whey protein, plants, and animals.
Fairlife Shakes
This nutrition shake is a winner among athletes, as it contains all nine essential amino acids. The protein in this shake is top quality, as the milk is highly filtered.
Another reason why people like this shake is because it is lactose-free and ready to be consumed. It is also low-sugar and has a low per-serving cost.
You may also love the shake's milky texture. When you drink it, the shake might remind you of slightly malted vanilla ice cream.
The shake's regular version contains 26 grams of protein, while the elite ones contain 42 grams. Both options are an excellent way to boost your body's recovery following a workout.
This shake comes with multiple flavor options, including the following:
Strawberry
Chocolate
Vanilla
Strawberry banana
A drawback of Fairlife protein shake is that the number of flavor options is minimal compared with other brands. In addition, the shake contains several types of sweeteners. For instance, a vanilla shake contains the following four types:
Juice concentrate from monk fruit
Extract from a stevia leaf
Sucralose
Acesulfame potassium
This may be a problem for you if you are allergic to some sugar alternatives.
Ascent Shakes
This whey protein shake is another excellent source of nutrition for athletes. A scoop has 120 calories, 25 grams of protein, and three grams of carbs.
Local farms supply the milk that Ascent uses in their shakes. Then, Ascent filters their proteins in their facilities. This results in a pure powder with no fillers and unnecessary ingredients.
A major benefit of Ascent shakes is that they are certified by Informed Sport and are gluten-certified. This means they don't contain any substances that professional sports or the Olympics have banned, and they also don't contain gluten, a common allergen.
Ascent shakes come in a wide variety of flavors as well. For instance, you can indulge in the following:
Lemon sorbet
Peanut butter and chocolate
Chocolate
Vanilla bean
Cappuccino
A disadvantage of Ascent shakes is that the powder might create clumps when you mix them with liquids. Some flavors might taste extremely sweet as well.
Premier Shakes
Another popular protein shake brand is Premier. This shake offers several benefits, including being widely available and low in carbs.
This 160-calorie protein shake contains just one gram of sugar and 30 grams of protein. It also features 24 minerals and vitamins to boost your immune system.
You may fall in love with the shake's numerous flavors as well. These flavors range from cookies and cream to cafe latte, peaches and cream, and winter mint. Premier has more shake flavors than many other brands.
This shake also features a creamy and smooth texture, so swallowing it is easy. You can even use the caramel and vanilla flavors as creamer for your coffee to make your morning Joe sweet and rich.
The disadvantage of Premier shakes is that they contain sucralose and carrageenan, a natural thickening additive that may cause side effects in your digestive system.
Ripple Shakes
Yet another protein shake option is Ripple protein shake. This is particularly helpful for vegan athletes, as it contains pea protein (20 grams).
This shake is free from nuts, soy, gluten, and lactose. It also offers nearly a third of the daily recommended dose of iron and is an excellent calcium source.
Another reason to choose this shake is that it is shelf-stable and contains phosphorous.
The disadvantage of Ripple protein shakes is that they come in only three flavors. However, if you like a smooth chocolate flavor that isn't overly sweet, a Ripple chocolate shake may be enough for you.
In addition, this shake offers a good balance between being thick and creamy. It's an excellent way to curb your hunger and make you feel satisfied while boosting muscle growth.
Note that this shake contains cane sugar along with extract from monk fruit.
How We Can Help With Your Nutrition Goals
The best protein shakes for weight gain include Fairlife, Ascent, Premier, and Ripple. Fairlife is a good option for those seeking a lactose-free option. Premier offers numerous flavors, and Ripple is a great vegan solution.
At AC Fitness & Sports Training, we offer top-tier nutrition coaching for individuals who wish to be held accountable with their eating, build muscle, and lose weight. Get in touch with us to learn more about our nutrition services, and schedule a consult today!