Protein shakes are used in our muscles in three ways: building muscle, preventing muscle damage, and promoting muscle recovery. If you’re looking to build muscle or recover from exercise, protein shakes are a super-convenient and cost-effective way to increase your protein intake, and they taste great, too!

Having a high-protein diet will help with increasing your overall muscle mass — as muscles are mainly made from protein. But don’t forget, to gain lean muscle mass you also need to put in the work with resistance training. Otherwise, the added protein and calories in your diet can be stored as fat, too.

Firstly, let’s set the record straight on the differences between protein shakes and meal replacement shakes. Protein powders are taken to help with the growth and repair of muscles. Protein supplements aren’t intended as a substitute for your everyday meals, they’re there to work alongside a healthy, balanced diet as a convenient way to up your protein intake, at a much lower cost.

Meal replacement shakes do exactly what it says on the tin. Their nutritionally balanced formulations replace a meal. They’re beneficial for a quick and easy meal substitution if cooking is the last thing on your mind, paired with a balanced diet.

Just like any other source of energy, if you consume more than you burn then you run the risk of gaining weight in the long run. But if that’s your goal, protein shakes can be a lower-fat and lower-carb option (depending on which you choose) to help you gain lean mass instead of fat.