How Many Protein Shakes a Day Is Needed?

How much protein shake you might need depends on several factors like your daily nutrition, muscle size, as well as your fitness goals.

You don’t need a protein shake to survive. However, you need protein as an essential macronutrient.

And besides getting it from a normal meal, a convenient and efficient way to get it is from a protein powder.

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), the recommended protein intake is 0.8 grams of protein per kg of body weight daily [1]. But this amount varies depending on your body weight and activity level.

For instance, a sedentary office worker doesn't need as much protein as an athlete.

Let’s break it down roughly: 

• For a regular gym goer, a healthy dose of 1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight is enough protein for a day. But if you constantly train or engage in intense workouts, you may need a little more to recover and build muscle mass.
• If you regularly engage in HIIT workouts for fat loss, heavy strength training, or if you exercise more than twice a day, you may need about 2.0 g protein/kg/bw.

Also, a study from the Canadian Science Publishing has found that as adults grow old, they need to increase their protein intake to promote healthy aging and prevent muscle loss [2].

While the intake of protein supplements is beneficial in building lean muscle gains, losing weight, and promoting healthy aging, they should not serve as a replacement for a healthy diet.

To better understand the role of protein shakes as a supplement, let’s dive into why they’re important in the first place.

Bodybuilders take protein shakes before or after a workout because it's an efficient way of getting the necessary protein intake to boost recovery and performance.

They simply save you the hassle that comes with preparing a protein-powered meal to eat before and after a workout.

Balanced Diet and Protein Shakes

Not to say that a balanced diet is not necessary after a few scoops of protein powder.

It's just that it's much easier to prepare and drink protein shakes in precise amounts from a blender than to prepare a whole meal to satisfy all the protein needs.

See, after drinking protein shakes, it's much easier knowing that you already have an adequate protein intake for the day and don't have to look for meals to fill the deficit.

If you exercise more than twice a day or are just a gym regular looking to gain muscle, the need for protein is especially important, and a meal alone may not be enough.

But that's where protein shakes come in. You can quickly get your fill with one or two scoops of protein shakes.

“Not only is a protein shake good for your muscles, but it can aid you in post-workout recovery.”

- Kiersten Hickman, Nutrition Journalist

I always recommend one or two protein shakes daily to my clients. But the dietician I spoke to recommends capping it to a maximum of three protein shakes a day and nothing more than that.

I also advise my clients to look for protein powders that contain all the essential amino acids. You can get that from dietary supplements of animal-based protein shakes like whey protein supplements or from a combination of the best organic vegan protein powders like soy protein and pea protein.

We’ve already established that taking a protein drink or a protein-rich meal is essential to build muscle and for weight loss. But there’s a caveat in regard to the maximum you should take.