Should You Drink Protein Shakes on Non-Workout Days for Weight Loss?

Protein shakes may take the title of the official beverage for regular exercisers, but should you drink protein shakes on non-workout days? Here’s my advice as a dietitian and certified personal trainer. 

High-protein foods and drinks have  recently been brought into the limelight. And protein shakes in particular have gotten more attention outside of the fitness world (where they used to live almost exclusively.) So, it’s understandable to ask yourself, “is it bad if I drink a protein shake without working out?” Below you’ll find my dietitian answer to this question. 

Why Drink Protein Shakes for Weight Management?

Protein is the macronutrient you want to focus on in your diet if you want to manage your hunger. Protein molecules are quite complex and thus take the body a while to untangle and digest them. 

This means your meals will stay in your stomach for longer, extending the time until you feel hungry again. As you can imagine, taking advantage of this mechanism can be very helpful when trying to lose weight, as managing weight also means managing hunger in a calorie deficit. 

Controlling this hunger with high-protein meals and snacks can prevent you from overeating. Protein shakes can be a quick, easy way to get in some high-quality protein with or between meals. 

When Should You Drink Protein Shakes?

Beyond the impact protein shakes have on hunger, is knowing when to drink them. Both males and females can time their protein intake around their weight and fitness goals. 

On workout days, many people prefer to drink their protein shakes right after exercise. This puts the protein to work on recovering the muscle tissue as quickly as possible. You also want to distribute your protein intake as evenly throughout the day in your meals and snacks as you can.

For example, if you’re having a low-protein meal such as pasta or salad, you can supplement the protein content of that meal by having a protein shake on the side. If you choose to do this, just remember to have your protein shake when you’ve already finished your meal. You don’t want it to make you so full that you replace whole foods. 

Should You Drink Protein Shakes On Rest Days?

Now, should you drink protein shakes on rest days? The answer is yes! If you’ve ever lifted weights and felt sore the next day, that’s a sign your body is working to repair your muscles to make them stronger. In other words, your body is still recovering even when you are resting. In fact, it recovers the most when you are resting, so giving your body enough amino acids to complete this recovery is important. 

For weight loss, you can have protein shakes on your rest days during snack times or just to meet your protein needs if you are having difficulty meeting your protein goals. When you are in a calorie deficit, your protein needs are actually higher than they are if you are trying to gain weight from muscle, so protein shakes can be a valuable tool in meeting these needs on both rest and workout days. 

How Much Protein Should I Have On Non-Workout Days?

In addition to helping the body recover from injury and illness, protein is also responsible for producing hormones and antibodies that aid the immune system. 

Protein is also the macronutrient that keeps you full for a longer period of time when compared to the other two macronutrients, carbs and fat. Given all of the functions protein has, there’s nothing wrong with using protein shakes to meet your protein needs even when you don’t work out. 

Total Daily Protein Recommendations

The general recommendation for protein intake is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day if you are not physically active. Depending on how intensely you train, you would need approximately 1.2 - 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily, even on the days you do not work out.

The simplest way to convert pounds to kilograms is to divide your weight in pounds by 2.2. So, if you weigh 120 pounds, you would need 46 grams of protein daily if you are not active. If you do exercise at least 3 days a week, your protein needs would be around 65-108 grams of protein per day in order to optimize muscle recovery.

What Type of Protein Should I Have?

Whey protein shakes are the most popular type as whey contains high-quality protein with all of the essential amino acids, particularly leucine. Leucine is a key amino acid for muscle building. 

If you do not consume animal products, plant-based protein shakes can work just as well. Studies have shown that pea protein is one of the best types of vegan-friendly protein shakes as they perform similarly to whey in terms of hunger control and muscle growth. 

The Bottom Line on Should You Drink Protein Shakes on Non-Workout Days

Protein shakes can and should be enjoyed on non-workout days. Protein has applications that extend beyond just muscle growth and recovery from exercise. It serves biological needs such as making hormones and antibodies, but can also play a role in boosting metabolism and controlling hunger. This is what makes it such a powerful weight loss tool. 

It’s important to note, however, that you still want to watch your calories while consuming protein shakes, as a calorie deficit is the main driver of weight loss. Also, remember that protein shakes should only be used to supplement your protein intake, not monopolize it. For optimal health and wellness, try to get most of your protein from food and use protein shakes to fill in the gaps where needed. 

If you want to know what your individual protein needs are to build muscle, lose weight or both, you should consult with a nutrition professional. If this is something you want to get started with, contact me today.