Protein water is a relatively new type of protein supplement that has gained popularity in the health and fitness community. It is made by mixing protein powder with water and is available pre-made or as a powder for self-mixing. This article explores the benefits and risks associated with protein water, helping you make an informed decision about whether it should be part of your diet.
What is Protein Water?
Protein water is essentially water infused with supplemental protein. It combines water and protein powder, such as whey protein isolate or collagen peptides. Most brands contain between 10 and 20 grams of protein and are often fruit-flavored. It offers a low-calorie protein source that some people may prefer over traditional protein shakes because it is not milky and has very low lactose levels. Protein water is marketed as a lighter alternative to traditional protein shakes.
Nutritional Profile
Depending on the brand, protein water can be relatively high in protein while providing few calories. A 16-ounce (480-ml) bottle may contain 15 grams of protein and only 70 calories. Some brands may also include vitamins and minerals, such as B6, B12, C, and D. Varieties made with whey protein or collagen also contain calcium and magnesium, which are important for bone health.
However, some brands use unhealthy ingredients, such as added sugars, artificial dyes, flavors, or sweeteners. While the amount of sugar may be small, it can add up with regular consumption.
Benefits of Protein Water
Convenience
Protein water provides a convenient way to add protein to your diet, especially for those who are on the go, vegan, or don't cook often. It can be an additional way to help with a protein boost here and there, especially if you struggle to meet your protein needs.
Read also: Protein Coffee Smoothie Recipe
Post-Workout Recovery
Protein water has become a popular post-workout drink in the fitness community. Active adults need 0.5-0.9 grams of protein per pound (1.2-2 grams per kg) of body weight for muscle recovery and growth. Consuming protein water after a workout can help increase protein synthesis and muscle hypertrophy.
Weight Management
Increasing protein intake may aid weight loss by boosting metabolism and increasing feelings of fullness, leading to lower calorie intake overall. Protein water can be a tool to help with weight management, but it's not necessary.
Meeting Protein Needs
Protein water may be a good option for those who need to increase their protein intake, such as athletes, those undergoing cancer treatments, and older adults. It can help these populations meet their increased protein needs.
Risks and Downsides of Protein Water
Unnecessary for Most
For most people, it's not necessary to drink protein water to meet protein requirements. One study found that most Americans consume enough protein, making up 14-16% of their total calorie intake, which is within the recommended range. Thus, drinking protein water on top of dietary protein may be unnecessary and could become an expensive habit.
Reliance on Supplements Over Whole Foods
Relying on protein water instead of food sources may jeopardize the variety of amino acids you consume, which are essential for optimal health. Consuming high-protein whole foods, including eggs, meat, dairy products, beans, and nuts, will provide more protein and nutrients than drinking protein water.
Read also: Wound Healing: The Protein Connection
Added Ingredients
Some protein powders have added sugar, which can raise your blood sugar considerably and cause you to gain weight. Protein water, like all protein products, is an ultra-processed food.
Potential Heavy Metal Contamination
Some protein powders and drinks have been found to contain heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. Exposure to these toxins can potentially increase health risks, particularly when they target the same organs or systems.
Digestive Problems
Milk-based protein powders can cause problems for people who are lactose-intolerant.
Not as Satisfying as Food Sources
One of the great benefits of protein is that it keeps us satisfied, which these drinks won’t do. You’d always be better with a food source of protein and a glass of water.
Who Should Avoid Protein Water?
Individuals with Kidney Issues
Some people should eat less protein than average, including individuals with kidney disease or poor kidney function, as well as those with protein metabolism issues, such as homocystinuria and phenylketonuria. If you need to limit or watch your protein intake, you should not drink protein water.
Read also: The ultimate guide to protein coffee benefits.
Individuals with Whey Allergy
Be cautious about drinking protein water if you are allergic or intolerant to milk or milk proteins, as many varieties are made with the milk protein whey.
Protein Needs and Recommendations
The recommended amount of protein for adults is 0.75g protein per kg of body weight per day. For example, if you weigh 60kg, you need to eat around 45g grams of protein a day. Protein should make up anywhere from 10% to 35% of your total calories.
As you age, you naturally start to lose muscle mass. If you're trying to stop age-related loss of muscle, called sarcopenia, you may want to get to 1.5 to 2 times more protein than that you need. You may also benefit from more protein if you're exercising to build muscle.
The National Academy of Medicine recommends slightly over 7 grams of protein per 20 pounds of body weight. So if you weigh 160 pounds, you need about 56 grams of protein each day.
Here’s what Sophie Medlin suggests based on your workout routine:
- Women who don’t exercise regularly: 0.75g per kg of bodyweight
- Women who exercise regularly or do more than one hour of exercise per day: 1 - 1.2g per kg of bodyweight
- Women who run long distances or do cardio workouts regularly: 1.2 - 1.4g per kg of bodyweight
- Women who strength train or speed train: 1.2 - 1.7g per kg of bodyweight
Getting Protein from Whole Food Sources
Low-fat, whole-food sources of protein like beans, nuts, fish, or poultry can lower your chances of getting diseases, including:
- Heart disease
- Colorectal cancer
- Stomach cancer
- Breast cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Diabetes
Food and Drug Administration research suggests that foods such as milk, yogurt, eggs, poultry, and red meats are generally good protein sources that seem to contain little or no cadmium, lead, arsenic, or mercury.
Protein Supplements: An Overview
Protein supplements are processed protein formulations that are widely used to supplement or increase protein intake to enhance performance, recovery, and muscle mass. They are available in different formulations such as powders, gummies, protein bars, and ready-to-drink shakes and can also be categorized based on the source of protein like whey, casein, egg albumin, carnivore (beef), and vegan (pea and soy).
The protein supplement industry in the US had a total revenue of $2,069.3 million in 2021, and the industry is expected to grow further with increased acceptance of food supplementation and improved sports and fitness infrastructures.
Benefits of Whey Protein
Whey protein (WP) supplements are a tremendous source of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), like leucine, isoleucine, valine, lysine, and threonine, which can induce insulin secretion. WP consumption has been shown to upregulate gut peptide hormones such as cholecystokinin, polypeptide YY, GLP-1, and glycosylphosphatidylinositol, decreasing appetite and significantly impacting satiety.
Studies have shown that whey-derived peptides have antihypertensive properties that primarily work by inhibiting the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) found on the surface of vascular endothelial cells. WP contain high levels of cysteine (2.2 g per 100 g of amino acid), providing potential antioxidant properties.
Recent studies have also suggested that WP components can positively affect patients suffering from hepatitis C and B, so that it may be used as supplemental therapy. WP is a promising treatment for patients with immunity-related diseases because it can help regulate the immune system by significantly increasing lymphocyte proliferation and human neutrophil responses.
Risks of Excessive Protein Supplementation
Intake of high amounts of protein brings about a sudden increase in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal blood flow, up to 100% from the baseline. Long-term high-protein intake may accelerate renal function decline in those with preexisting chronic kidney disease (CKD) who consume at least 90 g/day of protein.
Research has shown that chronic protein supplementation may increase the expression of anger and acne in athletes. While WP is generally considered easily digestible and beneficial, it contains components like beta-lactoglobulin that can cause allergies, particularly in children who are intolerant to cow’s milk. High-protein diets can significantly influence the composition and function of the microbiota by causing amino acid fermentation in the colon.
Plant-Based vs. Animal-Based Protein
Supplementation with a high-protein plant-based diet has been observed to decrease mortality in patients suffering from CKD. Individuals who consumed plant protein had increased proportions of cysteine, proline, glutamic acid, phenylalanine, and serine compared to individuals consuming animal-based protein. Plant-based proteins also affect cholesterol metabolism.
Plant-based proteins predominantly have base precursors, showing a decreased risk of a composite of dialysis, death, or a GFR event. Uremic toxins have been implicated in CKD progression, cardiovascular disease, and mortality in patients with kidney disease, and plant-based proteins are associated with a decreased production of uremic toxins like p-cresyl sulfate and indoxyl sulfate.