OK to use protein shakes on keto?

(Mark) #1

Hi there! New member and kind of new keto person. I tried it briefly last summer and liked it and want to try it again since we’re locked down and my weight crept up.

My question - I have some muscle gain protein powder (like whey protein) and was wondering if I could use it on keto. The protein is high, fat is decent and carbs are low. It’s the sugar and other ingredients I am unsure of. All 3 have 2 or fewer grams of sugar but I didn’t know if this was ok. What about other ingredients? Anything I should look for?

Thanks!
Mark

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #2

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with so-called protein shakes. However, I recommend making your own rather than buying a mix. The advantages are: you can determine your own ingredients and proportions and try different flavourings that may not be available in commercial products. You can purchase both zero carb whey and casein powders; they’re generally unflavoured. Although, many flavoured products contain very little sugar so read the label carefully if you want one of them. I think casein powder makes a creamier drink. You can add cacao butter if you want it to taste ‘sweet’ and avoid sugar or sugar alcohols. You can mix with whipping cream (has some carbs, but I think worth it nutritionally) and plain water to whatever consistency you want, or use almond or coconut ‘milk’, but again read labels to avoid sweeteners. Both almond and coconut unsweetened milks are available. If you want a more balanced ‘keto shake’ you can add more cream and/or other fats to the mix (butter, coconut oil, MCT). You need a blender for this; one with a ‘standard mason jar’ thread so you can use mason jars on the blender.

(Mark) #3

I would only be using the powdered shakes I already have as it seems like a waste to not use them.

I did note the amount of fat was low in them but figured I could add coconut or MCT oil to boost it.

Thanks for the reply and I’ll still look in to making my own based on your advice.

(Alex ) #4

There are some specific keto oriented protein shakes on the market now, Myprotein and Bulkpowders both do their own variants - they both come with MCT oil and various higher fat ingredients.

They aren’t carb free mind, so caution should be exercised, they are also quite expensive in comparison to standard protein powder, so check the labels.

#5

Absolutely, I put down about 3-4 a day plus my protein taken in from food. Some will argue that it MUST be an Isolate because of negligible carb count, I disagree.

That’s the rabbit hole right there. SOME Proteins are loaded with crap that just doesn’t need to be in there. Just keep an eye on the lists and make sure it’s not excessive. Many of them will have sweeteners that aren’t very popular with the keto world, but again… does it REALLY matter in the amount you’re consuming, to me, no. I’ve used everything from super expensive grass fed isolates down to complete crap one thing I’d say is if you go Isolate for that whopping 1 MAYBE 2g less carbs, don’t waste your money on grass fed, the benefits of grass fed is in the fats which was stripped out in the isolate. Many people consider concentrates inferior, I completely disagree, the claim is that because it has some of the fat and sugars still in it you’re being screwed out of protein, the reality is it’s (more) of a whole food than the isolate. More of it is still intact. It’s less processed which is good which is why it’s cheaper. Concentrates also taste better.

Lately I’ve been a huge fan of Bodybuilding.com’s own brand. It’s a Concentrate, Isolate, Hydrolysate blend, their flavors are good and at a good price. The other big thing I like with their stuff is the ingredients list isn’t crazy and they all contain both lactase and protease enzymes so for somebody that’s iffy with dairy you’ve already got your support there and the protease’s help digest more protein efficiently.

Opinions are all across the map when it comes to Protein powders.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #6

I’d use the product sparingly, for two reasons.

The first is keto-related, and that is the amount of sugar and other carbohydrate in this product. Be sure to keep your total carb count for the day under your limit.

The second is a more general issue. “Muscle gain” powders typically contain branched-chain amino acids, which are necessary for building muscle (especially the three essential amino acids, leucine, iso-leucine, and valine). But people not building muscle need only minuscule quantities of the essential BCAA’s, and not any of the rest, the reason being that they can cause inflammation if taken in excessive amounts.

Also, there is one more thing to look out for: some people have, or can develop, a sensitivity to whey protein.

So in general and with these caveats, you should be fine as long as you don’t overdo this powder.

(Mark) #7

All good comments. Thanks everyone. I do appreciate it.

I did look at the labels and the carbs and sugars are very low and I don’t see a lot of ingredients but I will tread lightly with them just to be safe. I’ve noticed how easy it is for extra carbs and sugar to sneak in to my diet and counter any gains.

(Goldie King) #8

Hi. Can anyone give me suggestions about Keto while doing shift work. I start at 2pm and finish at 11pm, get home at midnight and that’s when I am hungriest!!

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #9

@Goldie_King Suggestion: start your own new topic and ask this question. You will get much more responses and helpful suggestions.