You just started your lifting career at the gym. Arnold and Cbum posters plaster your wall. Now you’re wondering can you mix your protein with water or is it better with milk?
Mixing whey protein powder is great if you want to reduce the calories of your protein shake. Mixing your protein powder with milk makes your protein shake creamier and better tasting. But it comes at the cost of adding additional calories to your drink.
Taste and calories are probably the biggest differences when determining if you want to mix your protein shake with milk or water. But there are a few other things you should consider as well. Below I’ll go over what those things are.
The Nitty Gritty On Mixing Your Protein Shake With Milk Or Water
Look I’ll be honest. You can mix your protein shake with whatever you want. Milk, water, fruits, yogurt or even orange juice. (yuck!) It’s your protein don’t let anyone stop you! I mean people use protein powder for all sorts of things.
Ok I’ll stop it with the jokes. (For now)
I understand you’re here to put on some mass and make gains in the gym. So let me help you out with some things you should be thinking about when it comes to making that muscle-building goodness we call a protein shake
First thing you want to consider is…
Are you trying to bulk or are you trying to cut?
Whey protein shakes can be mixed with either water or milk. But you need to understand that milk gots a lot of calories and can increase your calorie intake throughout the day.
1 cup of regular milk is around 160 calories. If you’re drinking two protein shakes in one day that’s an additional 320 calories right there. That’s enough to take you from a cut to maintaining if you aren’t tracking properly.
So if you’re on a cut. having your protein shake with water would save you a few extra calories.
On the other hand, if you are on a bulk. Mixing your protein powder with milk can bump up that protein intake and calorie intake to help you out on your bulk.
The second thing you want to consider when choosing what to mix your protein powder with is…
What Type Of Protein Powder Are You Using?
A protein shake is a protein shake. Most of them have the amino acids you want and need to help build muscle mass or prevent lean muscle mass from withering away depending on whether you are cutting or bulking.
But I want you to consider what type of protein you want to use.
Especially when it comes to the taste, and consistency of your protein shake.
How Protein Powder Type Can Affect Your Protein Shake
a whey protein isolate mix protein powder can be mixed with water or milk.
But some protein isolate protein powders taste like juice and you’ll only want to mix it with water.
Also, there’s casein-type protein powder…
And if you’ve ever made a protein shake with casein protein. Let me tell you. That thing is so much thicker compared to making a protein shake with regular whey protein.
With casein protein, you might want to mix it with water because milk makes that almost impossible to drink! (well at least for me)
A Few Tips When It Comes To Mixing Protein Powder
You can say I’m a protein connoisseur. I love trying new brands, types, and flavors of protein powder.
And your buddy ol’ pal here has a few tips you can use to take your whey protein shake (or any other type) to the next level!
Use Almond Milk For A Flavor Boost In Your Whey Protein Shake
This is a good middle ground if you’re tired of pounding down protein shakes with just water. Almond milk will give you a creamier taste than water. (it still doesn’t taste as good as milk though) But has fewer calories than whole milk.
Protein Pack Your Whey Protein Shakes With Fair Life
If you don’t care about the additional calorie intake from milk. Then I recommend you check out Fair Life Milk.
The reduced-fat version has some good macros and can boost your whey protein shake to the next level with additional protein.
Get Rid Of Foam In Your Whey Protein Shakes
A little tip I learned to reduce the foam in your protein shakes is to mix it thoroughly. Then pop it in the fridge and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Most of the time my protein shake mixed this way will have less foam when I drink it.
Doesn’t work 100% of the time and sometimes it is just the brand of protein you get, but this does seem to help out a bit.
Adjust Your Liquid To Whey Protein Powder Ratio
This type can be used on any type of powder. But you can play around with how much liquid to add to your protein shakes. For example, you can add less water and increase the flavor of your protein shake or add more to water it down.
Have fun and play around with it! See which version you like the best.
Quick Overview Of Benefits Of Mixing Protein With Milk Or Water:
Remember no matter if you choose to make your protein shake with milk or just use plain water.
You still get all the benefits of whey protein like helping with building muscle mass on a bulk and keeping lean muscle mass if you are trying to lose weight.
Benefits Of Mixing Protein Powder With Milk
A protein shake with milk tends to taste a lot better than water. This is my favorite way to enjoy my muscle mass-building shakes especially while on a bulk.
Benefits Of Mixing Protein Powder With Water
The biggest benefit is saving on your calorie intake. This is good for you if you are trying to lose weight and are currently on a cut.
(side note you can still lose weight with adding milk. You just need to be tracking properly)
Some Common Questions About Can You Mix A Protein Shake With Milk Or Water
These are the most common questions I found online about whey protein and what you should mix it with.
And let me tell you. there are a lot of questions being asked about this topic. So I hope I can answer all of them for you.
Is It Okay To Drink Whey Protein With Water
This depends on your fitness goals and what your preferences are.
As a general rule drinking whey protein with water is perfectly fine to do. The main reasons why you would want to use water are to save on some extra calories or if you are using a protein isolate type that is better used with water.
Is It Better To Drink Protein With Water Or Milk
There is no right way or wrong way to enjoy consuming whey protein.
Both milk and water can be used to drink your protein shake. The benefit of using water is fewer calories. The benefit of using milk is a more calorie-dense shake and a better-tasting drink. At the end of the day, it will depend on your preferences.
Do You Add Whey Protein Or Water First
If muscle mass and muscle growth is your goal then you are going to want to add protein first.
I hope you know I’m just kidding…
You can do it either way. But from personal experience, I’ve noticed that adding water first and then the powder tends to produce a less clumpy protein shake.
How Much Protein Should I Mix With Water
If you are new to using protein powders and making your own protein shake. Then I recommend you try this out first so you can really tell the differences.
1 scoop of protein and 8oz of water
1 scoop of protein and 8oz of milk
This will allow you to taste the difference between making a protein shake with milk or water. Then you’ll have first-hand experience on which one you like better for your taste buds.
Also, remember my tip from earlier in this article. You can control how intense the flavor you want by controlling the amount of milk or water you use to create your protein shake.
Final Thoughts On Drinking A Protein Shake With Milk Or Water
By now you should know that no matter what you mix whey protein with you will still get the same amino acids, protein intake, and power to build muscle mass (or preserve lean muscle mass).
The main difference comes down to just taste, texture, and additional calorie intake. (if you choose to go with milk)
But at the end of the day. Do what’s best for your goals in the gym and your taste buds.
I hope you enjoyed this article. I tried my best to make it somewhat entertaining but at the same time informative to help you as best as I could.
Thanks again for being here and I’ll see you in the next article.
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