Protein shakes are an excellent way to obtain your pre or post-workout nutrition and many protein shake recipes are available. When trying to build muscle working out alone is not enough. Proper nutrition is just as important and without it your gains will be limited and progress delayed. Shakes are quick, cheap, and easy to make and can be used to gain muscle mass or even as a meal replacement if your trying to lose weight. They can be tailored to match the ingredients that you body needs and to fit your taste buds.

Protein is the building block of muscle and is arguably the most important nutrient for your body. Protein is required by every cell in your body to function normally and is extremely important in muscle building and repair. In fact, when it comes to building muscle any fitness amateur knows the importance of protein. They can also tell you that commercially available protein bars are expensive. However, protein bars provide a quick, easy source of high quality protein.

There is a myth that all athletes need extra protein, but what they really need is extra energy? The best foods for energy are carbohydrates, including bread, potatoes, rice and pasta. Excess protein is either converted into energy or transformed into fat and stored in the body. Body builders do require some extra protein to build muscle tissue, but their needs should still be met by a balanced diet because their food intake is larger than average anyway.