“Protein shakes help you meet your protein needs.”
Protein shakes do help you meet your protein needs, because each one adds a set amount of protein to your day.
A protein shake is a practical way to add protein when your meals fall short, and its protein counts just like protein from food. It is a convenience, not a requirement; our card "Most people need more protein than the guidelines say." explains why most people do not need extra.
Look at a typical day of eating, and add a shake or a protein food at the meal where protein is lowest if you are short.
Safety note: Powders are made from milk, plant or beef proteins, so check the label if you have a food allergy. People with chronic kidney disease need a protein target set with their care team. Supplement makers, not FDA, are responsible for checking safety before sale, and lead levels vary a lot between products, with plant-based powders averaging about nine times more than dairy-based ones in 2025 testing; our card "Heavy metals make protein powders unsafe." explains which products to choose for daily use.
Talk to a healthcare professional if: you have chronic kidney disease, you are pregnant and use protein powder every day, or you are thinking of giving protein powder to a child.
Protein shakes are concentrated protein, and in 49 strength-training trials, protein supplements raised people's protein intake and added modest muscle and strength gains, mostly when total intake was below about 0.7 grams per pound of body weight a day. The claim rests on simple nutrition backed by consistent trials, so confidence is strong.
Protein shakes do help you meet your protein needs, because each one adds a set amount of protein to your day. In trials of people doing strength training, protein supplements added small extra gains, about two-thirds of a pound of lean mass on average, with no further gain once total protein intake passed about 0.7 grams per pound of body weight a day.
The review's cut-off point was for total protein from food and supplements together, so protein from a shake and protein from meals count toward the same daily total. Extra protein helped less as people got older and helped more in people who were already trained.
- Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, Schoenfeld BJ, Henselmans M, Helms E, Aragon AA, Devries MC, Banfield L, Krieger JW, Phillips SM. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2018;52(6):376-384. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608. PMID: 28698222. PMCID: PMC5867436. Correction: Br J Sports Med. 2020;54(19):e7, DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608corr1, PMID: 32943392
- Ikizler TA, Burrowes JD, Byham-Gray LD, et al. KDOQI Clinical Practice Guideline for Nutrition in CKD: 2020 Update. American Journal of Kidney Diseases. 2020;76(3 Suppl 1):S1-S107. DOI: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2020.05.006. PMID: 32829751
- US Food and Drug Administration. Dietary Supplements. Content current as of 10/01/2024
- Consumer Reports. Consumer Reports calls on FDA to set strict limits on lead in protein powders (press release on its investigation of protein powders and shakes). Consumer Reports Advocacy. October 14, 2025