A protein shake is a blessing; especially after an intense workout. A protein shake is protein powder that you mix with water or milk; these load you up with proteins that break up into amino acids. Though they cost quiet a bit they are beneficial and they help the body in more ways that you can imagine.

Remember that the body is not equipped to store proteins and the only way to offer proteins to the body is in the form of food. Just as you would exercise to lose weight or to tone your muscles you need to have protein shakes to compliment your exercise routines. You can customize your protein shakes to suit your needs and hence you stand to benefit from it.

If your goal is to lose weight then you must drink protein shakes twice a day in place of your main meals. Doing this will ensure that you lose 500 to 1000 calories per day. You need to combine this with 30 minutes of rigorous exercise. This will ensure that you lose a pound a week. In addition to this you also need to cut down on unwanted fats and calories that you may consume in the form of beverages, sweets and fast foods. It would be best to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water during the day.

You could customize your protein shake to help you to gain weight as well. This can be done with the help of milk and eggs. Protein shakes that help to gain weight do not add fats to your body. However, merely having these shakes will not help. You need to have an exercise regime that focuses on strength training; the kind that helps to tone your muscles.

Though you stand to benefit from this drink you must avoid over doing it as it leads to loss of calcium from the body. This can lead to osteoporosis at later stages. Make sure that you maintain your fiber intake as well else you will suffer from constipation and increase your chances of colon cancer.