12 Ways To Seriously Level Up Your Protein Shake

Protein shakes are most often used by athletes and people who work out regularly, reports WebMD. Among the various types of proteins used in shakes are milk, whey, casein, and egg, as well as soy and rice for the plant-based crowd. Ideally, protein shakes should be consumed within an hour after exercise when muscle fibers are more sensitized ("hungry") to take in amino acids. Because of its quick assimilation, whey protein is especially effective at supporting the health-enhancing adaptations induced by exercise, notes the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). In contrast, casein has a slower rate of absorption that allows uptake of essential amino acids (protein building blocks) over a more prolonged period. 

Athletes and fitness enthusiasts are not the only people who can benefit from delicious and convenient protein shakes, continues the ACSM. Older adults (starting around 50 years old) can enjoy protein shakes to help meet their greater need for dietary protein to support muscle health. According to a 2013 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, an international expert panel called the PROT-AGE study group determined that older people should consume more protein than the recommended dietary allowance. In older people, inadequate dietary protein can lead to muscle loss which can lead to loss of independence, falls, and disability. 

Discover the many ways you can spruce up and fortify those tasty protein shakes. 

Adding fresh or frozen berries to a protein shake delivers a one-two punch: great taste and exceptional nutrition (via Healthline). When it comes to berries, calories are few, but flavors are many — from blueberries and strawberries to raspberries and blackberries. According to The New York Tines, between 2000 and 2012, the consumption of blueberries and strawberries increased by 411% and 60%, respectively. And why not! Berries can add more years to your life, reports The Washington Post. 

Adding a healthful cup of berries to a protein shake provides potassium, magnesium, and vitamins C and K. They're also a good source of fiber as well as prebiotics ("food" for beneficial gut bacteria) to support intestinal health. Berries are good for both the heart and brain. Studies have shown that blueberries and strawberries can reduce the risk of heart attack and lower systolic blood pressure. These berries, along with raspberries, may also slow cognitive decline and improve learning and memory. 

Red, blue, and purple pigments known as anthocyanins are responsible for many of the health benefits linked to berries (via a 2020 review of studies published in Advances in Nutrition). Anthocyanins exhibit powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that, along with the ability to generate new nerve cells, contribute to their protective effects against cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. For example, higher consumption of berry fruit and anthocyanins has been associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and less weight gain during aging. 

For banana lovers, there's no better way to add a rich, creamy texture to your protein shake than by blending in a handful of frozen bananas. Fully ripe bananas with slight browning are best for freezing, notes The Harvest Kitchen. 

While bananas are well-known as a high-potassium fruit, they are also a good source of vitamins C and B6, magnesium, and dietary fiber, according to a 2018 review of studies published in Food Quality and Safety. Bananas also supply a variety of bioactive compounds that have known health-enhancing properties. For example, bananas contain phytosterols such as beta-sitosterol that may help to lower blood cholesterol levels and improve benign prostatic hyperplasia, also known as an enlarged prostate. Additional bioactive components of bananas include catechin and quercetin (flavonoid compounds that promote cardiovascular health) as well as trans-beta-carotene and cryptoxanthin (plant pigments called carotenoids that reduce the risk of some cancers). 

Extracts area a great way to add a big flavor boost to your protein shake, and without adding any calories, reports Brigham and Woman's Hospital (BWH). Ideally, you can taste-test as you add a drop of extract to your shake, though one or two drops will often do the trick. As the name implies, an extract is extracted from various plant components. While alcohol is used in the extraction process, the amount of alcohol in just a couple drops of extract is generally not an issue. (Just don't drink the extract straight.) Nevertheless, alternatives to a true extract are referred to as "flavorings" or "artificial extracts" and are made with water but deliver less of a flavor rush than an extract. Extracts should last two to three years, preferably stored in a cupboard or other dark place (but not in a refrigerator), according to Cooking Light.

Per BWH, several flavors of extracts or imitation extracts that are popular for use in protein shakes include vanilla, cinnamon, peppermint, coconut, orange, and raspberry. Other herbal extracts to experiment with include anise, ginger, and mint (via Cooking Light). Almond, hazelnut, and pistachio are common nut extracts, and banana, lemon, lime, cherry, and strawberry are additional widely used fruit extracts. 

Adding unsweetened cocoa powder to a chocolate protein shake can intensify that rich chocolatey taste. There's no questioning the popularity of cocoa since worldwide consumption of cocoa is over 4.5 million tons per year, notes WebMD. 

On top of cocoa's great flavor, its health benefits are quite impressive. Compounds in cocoa known as flavanols belong to a family of plant chemicals called polyphenols. As antioxidants, cocoa polyphenols are cardioprotective and beneficial for lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels, improving blood sugar levels, and lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. A high concentration of theobromine in cocoa provides anti-inflammatory effects which are important for helping to prevent heart disease and other chronic disorders. The minerals iron, zinc, and selenium found in cocoa support immune function, while the magnesium in cocoa is critical for muscle and nerve health. Bonus effects from zinc and selenium include wound healing and protection from adverse effects of radiotherapy in cancer treatment, respectively. Cocoa may even aid in weight management since it helps regulate energy metabolism while also increasing satiety. 

If the benefits above were not enough, according to a 2020 systemic review of studies published in the journal Nutrients, cocoa flavanols have also been shown to improve cognitive function, including learning and memory, in young adults.  

Few foods can enhance the taste, texture, and nutritional value of your protein shake more than yogurt, per Livestrong. Mixing low-fat vanilla yogurt along with ice cubes into your protein shake can add thickness for a fuller and creamier texture. While regular yogurt delivers a nice protein boost to a shake, opting for Greek yogurt provides double the amount of protein found in regular yogurt (via HealthLink BC). Yogurt also contains phosphorus and B vitamins and is a great source of calcium to support bone health. 

Yogurt is probably best known for being a probiotic food (i.e., contains live beneficial bacteria), notes Medical News Today. Yogurt naturally contains the bacterial strains used in its production via the fermentation of milk. Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophiles are the most frequently used strains. Additional strains of beneficial bacteria are added to some yogurts, and, according to a 2017 study in the journal Nutrients, a greater diversity of bacterial strains may provide a larger variety of health benefits. The probiotics in yogurt can improve gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, gas, constipation, and bloating. Per Medical News Today, some studies suggest that probiotics can strengthen immune function and lower the risk of cancer. 

Nut butters can give your protein drink more fullness as well as heart-healthy fats, reports NBC News. Nut butters are nutrient dense but also calorie dense, so 1 tablespoon is all you need. Nevertheless, based on a 2017 systematic review of studies published in the journal Nutrients, eating nuts does not add on more pounds; rather, nuts have been shown to improve body composition through greater fat burning and increased satiety. 

As part of the Mediterranean diet, nuts are a great source of cardioprotective monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Walnuts, in particular, are noted for their high level of omega-3 fatty acids. Nuts are also a good source of fiber and several essential nutrients including vitamins E and K, folate, thiamin, magnesium, copper, potassium, and selenium. Moreover, nuts contain various bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity such a phytosterols and carotenoid pigments. 

When choosing peanut butter (though peanuts are actually a legume) for your shake, stay clear of brands with added sugar and oil and go with natural products with just peanuts and salt as ingredients (via the Cleveland Clinic). Other popular nut butters (e.g., almond, cashew, hazelnut, and walnut butters) offer a variety of tastes to change up the flavor of your shake. 

Like nut butters, avocados impart a creamy texture along with a treasure trove of nutrition to your protein shake, per Yahoo Finance. Since a ripe avocado isn't always at hand to bolster your shake, frozen avocado pulp can fill the need. Not just for making guacamole, avocado pulp can be stored in resealable plastic bags and kept in the freezer for a few months. 

Avocados are a good source of dietary fiber, folate, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), copper, potassium, and vitamin K (via a 2020 study published in Frontiers in Nutrition). When consumed at the same meal with vegetables or tomato sauce, fat-rich avocado enhances the absorption of fat-soluble carotenoid pigments (e.g., lycopene and beta-carotene) found in the vegetables. Absorption of lutein and zeaxanthin — plant carotenoids important for eye and brain health — is also increased when consumed along with avocado. 

Eating avocados has been shown to improve cardiovascular risk factors via increased levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol and lower levels LDL cholesterol as well as triglycerides. Avocados may also help with weight management through increased satiety and reduced hunger. Notably, avocado, like olive oil, is particularly rich in a monounsaturated fatty acid known as oleic acid. Oleic acid has been linked to extended lifespan in some species (via a 2017 study published in the journal Nature).

For a refreshing, summery taste, blend in melons or mango — or both — to your creamy avocado protein shake. Cantaloupe or honeydew melon together with fresh or frozen mangos will also give your shake a nutrition boost from a good dose of potassium and vitamin C, per the Mayo Clinic. 

According to a 2017 review of studies published in the journal Nutrients, mango is also a rich source of bioactive plant compounds including polyphenols (e.g., quercetins, ellagic acid) as well as carotenoid pigments (e.g., lutein, beta-carotene) that are responsible for the fruit's yellow color. These health-enhancing components of mango fruit have been shown to exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antidiabetic activity. It's no wonder that mango is referred to as "the king of fruits" in tropical countries. 

Melons contribute an impressive assortment of nutrients to the protein shake as well. Cantaloupe and honeydew melons provide fiber and vitamin B6, while watermelon is good source of lycopene — the reddish pigment associated with reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, and age-related eye conditions (via the Mayo Clinic). Ideally, choose watermelons that are firm with a yellow belly and without bruising. 

Creatine is one of the most popular and well-researched ergogenic (performance enhancing) supplements used among athletes and workout buffs, according to a 2021 update published in Current Sports Medicine Reports. While also produced in the body, supplementation with creatine has been shown by numerous studies to increases muscle mass and exercise capacity and is most beneficial for short bursts of explosive activity such as sprinting and weightlifting. Other exercise-related benefits of creatine include improved workout recovery, injury prevention, and rehabilitation. 

Creatine (in the form of phosphocreatine) functions as a source of quick cellular energy (ATP). Supplemental creatine increases stores of phosphocreatine and rapidly regenerates phosphocreatine during exercise recovery. Creatine also volumizes muscle via water retention and is safe and well tolerated, even long-term. Creatine supplements should be taken close to exercise, e.g., added in the form of a powder to a post-workout protein shake (via Healthline). The protein and amino acids in the shake may increase the retention of creatine in the body. 

Per a 2021 review of studies published in the journal Nutrients, creatine supplementation has been shown to provide several impressive health benefits beyond its role in exercise. The potential benefits include improvements in cognitive function, blood glucose control, heart metabolism, neurodegenerative disorders, neuroprotection from traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury, reproductive health, immune function, skin health, and age-related muscle atrophy (sarcopenia). 

MCT supplements (oil or powder) are a concentrated form of medium-chain triglycerides that are usually extracted from coconut oil (via the Cleveland Clinic). Medium-chain triglycerides, or MCTs, are a type of fat found naturally in foods such as cheese, butter, cow's milk, coconut and palm kernel oils, and even breast milk. While most dietary fats come in the form of long chains of triglycerides (LCTs), MCTs are smaller molecules and thus more easily digested and rapidly converted to usable energy in the liver. Due its energy-boosting effects, MCT supplements have been shown to improve physical performance in both animal and human studies. MCT supplements are also popular among people on the ketogenic diet because the liver can easily convert them to ketones. MCT oil can be conveniently added to dressings, soups, broths, and, of course, protein shakes. 

Adding MCT oil or powder to a post-workout protein shake may be especially beneficial for muscle health. According to a 2018 study published in the journal Plos One, supplemental MCT significantly increases the activity a protein complex known as mTOR, which is a major regulator of muscle protein synthesis and also plays a role in muscle recovery (via a 2021 study in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences).

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are a widely used sports supplement, particularly by people who lift weights (via Medical News Today). BCAAs comprise three of the nine essential amino acids and include leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Research shows that BCAAs can help increase muscle mass when paired with resistance training. They may also help prevent loss of muscle in people with wasting diseases such as cancer. Per a 2013 study published in the Journal of Exercise Nutrition & Biochemistry, these performance-enhancing amino acids may also reduce central nervous system fatigue during endurance exercise by lowering the concentration of serotonin, a neurotransmitter linked to fatigue.

BCAAs can be blended into a post-workout protein shake, reports Livestrong. Even though whey protein (the most popular) is already rich in BCAAs, an extra boost of BCAAs may accelerate recovery. A 2018 study published in the journal Nutrients showed that supplementation with BCAAs in resistance-trained males significantly reduced soreness both 48 and 72 hours after muscle-damaging exercise. 

Collagen is a major protein in the body that primarily functions to maintain the connective tissues that provide the structural framework of the body (via a 2021 systematic review published in the journal Amino Acids). That is to say, it's essentially the "glue that hold us together." Collagen peptides are smaller, more readily absorbed fragments of collagen that are produced from the breakdown by enzymes of larger collagen molecules. Collagen peptide supplementation has been shown to stimulate the body's own synthesis of collagen, improve joint function, and decrease joint pain. Body composition, strength, and muscle recovery were also improved by collagen peptides. 

Per the Cleveland Clinic, 1-2 tablespoons of collagen peptides added to your protein shake can help support bone health (collagen is the main component of bone) and improve skin elasticity via hydration. Collagen is even found in muscles, making up 10% of muscle tissue. Supplementing your diet with collagen peptides is especially important because collagen is gradually degraded with advancing age, beginning in your 20s. Roughly 1% of the body's collagen is lost each year after age 40.