This week’s blog is all about how to make your own post-workout shake.
Both personal trainers and their clients commonly take supplements after they’ve finished training to try and replenish energy, such as sugars and amino acids. One of the most popular ways of doing this is to have a ready-made drink or a supplement which provides protein and sugars in powdered form.
Protein drinks and powdered supplements are convenient: they can be carried around in a bag, they require very little or no preparation and they can be consumed on the move. However, they tend to be refined and processed and may be lacking in vitamin and mineral content. Also, a lot of supplements are manufactured at high temperatures, which can denature the amino acids within the drink, making them less effective.
If a fitness instructor, sports conditioner or anyone else who trains regularly is looking for a more wholesome, fresh, post-exercise way to replenish energy and replace lost fluid and amino acids, they should consider making their own post-workout shake.
CMS Fitness Courses recommends a home-made shake made up of the following:
300ml semi-skimmed milk
Two medium-size eggs (stamped with the British Lion mark to show the hens have been vaccinated against salmonella)
One medium-sized banana
Blend these ingredients until smooth.
This will offer a good replenishment drink, with just over 400 calories and around 25g protein, 41 grammes of carbohydrates and 17 grammes of fat. If broken down into a percentage of macronutrient intake, this will come out at approximately 25% protein, 45% carbohydrates, and 30% fat.
One benefit of this drink is that it supplies a good amount of calories and an adequate amount of protein and carbohydrate to replenish energy. Being a natural food product, it offers a large, fresh supply of vitamins and minerals without any artificial flavours, additives or preservatives. And the taste won’t be detrimentally affected by the eggs once they have been blended with the milk and the sweetness of the fruit has been added to the mix.
Based on the average price of six free-range eggs (£1.99), a litre of milk (£1) and one banana (12p), the drink will only cost around £1.11 per serving, which compares very favourably with the relatively high cost of buying ready-made protein shakes or powders.
Top Tips:
If you want to increase the calorie content of your shake, use full-fat milk instead of semi-skimmed milk.
If you want to increase carbohydrate intake, add an extra banana, a table spoon of honey, or some cocoa powder.
If you want to increase your protein intake, add an extra egg.
If you want to increase vitamin and mineral content, you could add a handful of fruit, such as strawberries, blueberries or cranberries.
