Top Whey Protein Shake Recipes

The thought of a whey protein shake often conjures up the image of a pumped-up bodybuilder whose muscle topography resembles that of a topographical map of the Rocky Mountains. However, whey protein is not just for Venice beach muscle heads anymore. If you exercise strenuously in any discipline and have not added whey protein shakes to your diet and exercise recovery regimen, you (and your body) may be missing out.

You are training for your first triathlon and you’ve just completed a strenuous brick session, or you’re in week 14 of training for your first marathon and you’ve just completed your 16-mile long run for the week – what should you do now?

Well, some might say go down to the local pub and grab a beer or two with your non-running buddies while wowing their couch-potato imaginations with your tales of a 16 mile adventure, following it with a simple, “and what did you do today?”

Not a terrible option, I’ll have to admit, after all a pint of Guinness does have a few recovery carbs and a touch (about 1g) of protein, and little is more fun than ribbing your pals in an offhand manner, but personally I would recommend holding off on the revelry until you cross the finish line on race day to opt instead for a whey protein shake.

A protein shake made with whey protein powder is the perfect option after a long workout, be it running, biking, swimming or weight training. When involved in a long workout, your muscles break down and (when doing anything involving cardio) your glycogen stores are depleted.

Most recent research points to the importance of replenishing those glycogen stores and providing protein for your muscles to rebuild within 30 minutes of completing a workout. Complex carbohydrates added to your protein shakes will help to replenish your glycogen stores.

In March of 2009, the American Dietetic Association, the Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine published a joint position statement in where they recommended endurance athletes and weightlifters take in between 0.5 - 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight, with the higher end reserved for weightlifters and the lower end for endurance athletes.

For a 125 pound female, this translates into approximately 60-100 grams of protein per day; for a 175 pound male it equates to approximately 85-140 grams of protein per day.

Most reading this article will be runners, bikers and/or swimmers, so your daily protein intake, according to the statement, would be toward the lower end of these ranges. Even the lower end, though, is a lot of protein to take in, and one way to supplement your protein intake, and help your body to recover, is by drinking a whey protein shake taken right after a long workout.

The best thing about whey protein shakes is that with the right ingredients they can be, well, delicious. The worst thing is that with the wrong recipes they can be, well, awful.

My whey protein brand tells me to mix a scoopful in some water, stir it up a bit, and drink. I tried that once. Not a fan. So I started experimenting. After countless combinations, I came up with my favorite four whey protein shake concoctions, which I have listed below. For each recipe, blend until smooth in a blender. Each protein shake recipe serves one urban warrior.

½ Banana

1 Cup Skim Milk

1 Bar Chocolate Coconut Crunch Protein Bar (I use Zone Perfect bars)

8-10 Raw Almonds

1 Teaspoon Whole Flax Seeds

1 Serving Vanilla Whey Protein

1 Teaspoon Creamy Peanut Butter (I use Smart Balance -- it has no refined sugars added and has 1,000 mg of Omega-3's added from flax seed oil).

3-4 Ice Cubes

1/2 Banana

1 Cup Skim Milk

8-10 Raw Almonds

1 Teaspoon Whole Flax Seeds

1 Serving Vanilla Whey Protein

2 Tablespoons Creamy Peanut

3-4 Ice Cubes

1 Banana

1 Cup Skim Milk

4-6 Strawberries

8-12 Blueberries

1 Serving Vanilla Whey Protein

4-6 Ice Cubes

1/2 Banana

1 Cup Skim Milk

2 Tablespoons Ovaltine Chocolate Malt Mix

8-10 Raw Almonds

1 Teaspoon Whole Flax Seeds

1 Serving Vanilla Whey Protein

1 Tablespoon Creamy Peanut Butter

3-4 Ice Cubes

(Ovaltine contains refined sugar, which you really want to try to avoid as much as possible. I treat myself to this shake periodically, usually after a really long run or bike ride -- it really is delicious).

All of these whey protein shakes (with the exception of Copa Strawbana) contain fats from the flax seeds, almonds, peanut butter and protein bars. If you get a lot of exercise, don’t be afraid of these good fats in moderate quantities – your body needs them.

Protein shakes offer many benefits for athletes of all kinds. For more information on the benefits of protein shakes, visit http://www.webmd.com/diet/protein-shakes

Until we meet again, on the boardwalk of Venice Beach . . .