Exact Answer: One To Two Hours
Protein shakes are drinks that are very rich in protein and many other nutrients and are mainly used by individuals involved in bodybuilding, mixed martial arts, weightlifting, and athletics. Protein shakes helps facilitate an increase in the overall body mass of the person. It is also helpful in decreasing the amount of fat present in the body.
The primary function of the protein shake is to increase body weight, increase muscle, improve athletic performance, and a few others. The most widely used ones are high protein drinks, branched-chain amino acids, pre-workout blends, arginine, glutamine, creatine, essential fatty acids, and a few others.
How Long After Protein Shake To Eat Meal?
There are many protein shake brands available in the market, and it is up to the individual’s own need what composition of the nutrients they want to intake. Non-bodybuilders can use protein shakes, but statistically, it has been found out that bodybuilders purchase a higher percentage of protein shakes. It has been observed that an average intake of 1.6 grams of protein shake per kg of the body mass regularly will result in a fat-free body. It will also strengthen the body and tone the shape of the muscles.
Anciently, to gain more muscles, it was advised to consume a higher amount of meat, and also, there was a trend of drinking more wine to strengthen the body. As time passed, it was identified that the higher consumption of meat and wine had adverse side effects on the body of the people. Hence, there was a need to replace meat and wine with something healthy. This leads to protein shakes as they are very beneficial and can also be digested easily. Along with that, the results of the shakes on the body were found to be phenomenal.
| Age Group Of The Individual | Time To Eat Meal After Protein Shake |
| Minor | One to two hours |
| Adult | At least two hours |
Doctors recommend not taking protein shakes for minors. However, if a minor uses a protein shake, make sure to eat a meal within one to two hours after that. In the case of adults, The individual should wait at least two hours after protein shake to eat the meal as adults have more flesh in their body compared to minors.
Why Does It Take That Long After Protein Shake To Eat Meal
Firstly, medical practitioners always advise not to consume protein shake when the stomach is empty. Bodybuilders should make sure that they have eaten a small amount of food before taking the protein shake. If the protein shake enters an empty stomach, our body converts it into carbohydrates. It uses it in producing energy rather than supplying the proteins to the muscles of our body.
However, if an individual takes a protein shake and eats food immediately after it, then it will have adverse side effects on the body. There is a high risk of too much ingestion in such cases as the body cannot utilize all the nutrients at once. Too much intake can lead to vomiting and can also lead to digestion issues. It must be ensured that the individual has consulted a medical expert and has made a proper routine to create a balance between the protein intake and the food.
Consuming protein shake is not always beneficial and might have a few side effects on an individual’s body. Some protein shakes contain a lot of sugar, increasing the body’s sugar levels. Doctors recommend eating eggs and consuming yogurt and nuts in place of shakes to get the daily protein nutrition.
Conclusion
Overall, it can be concluded that Protein shakes help increase the body’s weight and is also beneficial for toning the muscles. Protein shakes are high on various nutrients and are mainly used by weightlifters, bodybuilders, and athletes worldwide. The introduction of protein shakes has made the use of meat and wine to gain weight obsolete.
On average, an adult must wait for two hours after consuming a protein shake for their meal. Minors are not advised to drink a protein shake, but if they do, then they should wait for an hour. Protein shakes might have a few side effects, and it is advised to consume eggs, yogurt, and nuts for fulfilling protein needs.