Can You Put Protein in Coffee? 6 Benefits of Doing It!

There is nothing like a big cup of coffee in the morning. Bearing this in mind, in this article, we will be giving you a great option to start your day: having your protein powder mixed with coffee. It can sound weird to some but we will show you that it is actually a great way to start your day.

In order to show you how many benefits you can get from the protein powder mixed with coffee (so called proffee) in this article we will be talking about 6 benefits you can get when you add protein powder to coffee:

1. Helps meeting your daily protein needs
2. Supports muscle growth
3. Contributes to fat loss
4. Gives energy boost during workouts
5. Saves time and adds convenience
6. Improve taste without adding sugar

Having some protein source in all of your main meals is highly recommended, so starting your day mixing your whey protein with coffee will be a great option to ingest a good amount of protein in the morning. Besides, starting your day with a dose of protein powder will definitely help you meet your daily protein goal, especially if you often skip breakfast (which can happen for many reasons such as lack of time or lack of appetite).

Protein needs for people with moderate amounts of intense training is 1.2 g to 2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight. If you train very intensively, and have a large training volume, the daily protein needs can be higher and reach 1.7-2.2 grams of protein per 1 kg of body weight.

Some people eat that much protein without any problems. However, with really high protein needs (say, 150 grams per day and above), adding protein to your morning coffee can make the task much easier.

If you prefer an Americano, then the total volume of liquid allows you to add a significant portion of protein, which will not change the texture of the drink very much. Use this opportunity to make the task of consuming the right amount of protein easier!

For building muscle mass, the key factor is a combination of regular strength training and a sufficient amount of protein. By adding a serving of protein to morning coffee, we may get a significant amount of protein, which will only help build muscle mass and strength!

Drinking coffee with whey protein makes it possible to take advantage of both protein and coffee. Through the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, caffeine helps to increase the resting energy expenditure and fat oxidation. Those who regularly have not consumed significant amounts of caffeine may experience the greatest effect, as they are more sensitive to the thermogenic effect of caffeine.

 Protein, on the other hand, provides you with a serving of the most important macronutrient for weight loss. First, when losing weight, a sufficient amount of protein is a critical factor for maintaining muscle mass. Secondly, protein is the best of all macronutrients for satiety, and this in turn helps not to overeat and stay within the calorie deficit.

A systematic review and meta-analysis published in Nutrients found that caffeine not only provided an energy boost, but also improved mood, increased reaction speed, improved focus, and delayed fatigue during exercise. Therefore, if you train in the morning, you can mix protein powder and coffee and use it as your pre-workout drink. But don't forget to drink at least one more glass of water so that the color of your urine is not concentrated before training!

By the way, not only pre-workout supplements, but regular coffee also helps to increase training performance! And in combination with protein, this drink can also provide your muscles with a portion of amino acids, which may contribute to better performance during training and recovery after its completion.

When mixing coffee with protein powder it is important to bear in mind that it can also have some downsides, which may be related to the type or amount of protein you add to your coffee, as well as individual intolerances and sensitivities.

For some, drinking their coffee with whey protein immediately after waking up can cause nausea, gastrointestinal discomfort, and even diarrhea. It is very individual, so you will have to try a proffee to understand whether such a drink will cause problems specifically for you.

You may also need to experiment with the type and amount of protein you add to your coffee. For example, a smaller portion may not cause gastrointestinal problems, while a larger portion may cause nausea or abdominal pain. Another consideration - the specific type of protein. For example, whey protein concentrate may cause problems, but isolate does not due to the greater amount of lactose in the former and zero-to-low amount of lactose in the latter.

Also, protein supplements from different brands contain various additional ingredients besides the protein itself, including non-caloric sweeteners, flavorings, and other food additives. Some of them can also provoke unpleasant symptoms if you have an individual intolerance or sensitivity. So you may try different types and amounts of protein in your proffee until you find your perfect beverage, which will not cause problems.

Adding protein powder to coffee is easily one of the simpler and easier to do recipes. It is so simple that no matter if you enjoy your coffee hot or cold, you can just prepare it in a couple of minutes and get a delicious and healthy morning coffee.

In order to make a proffee without much clumping, we recommend preparing it as follows:

1. Prepare 2 mugs - one (bigger) for coffee, the other for mixing protein
2. Pour hot coffee into the cup, leaving a place for the protein
3. Pour some lukewarm water into the second cup, add a serving of protein to it and stir for 30-45 seconds
4. Pour the protein mixture into a cup with hot coffee
5. Stir again and enjoy the drink

Depending on the source of protein (milk-based or plant-based), the type of protein (concentrate, isolate or hydrolyzed protein) and the composition of ingredients in the same type of protein from different manufacturers, the texture and taste of the drink will differ. Keep that in mind.

If you are more like a cold coffee kind of person, you can just add protein to a cup of cold coffee. If you want to try iced coffee just add some ice cubes to it.

For a more pronounced taste and aroma, you can add milk and / or cinnamon.

We recommend Transparent Labs Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate and there are many reasons for this: it contains only 100% protein isolate (not a mix of concentrate and isolate), a whooping 28 grams of protein per serving and zero grams of fat. This product has versatile macro breakdown and this is why it’s suitable for any goal. 

Another additional bonus - very high score on Labdoor (which means that this protein is third party tested).

Yes, you can use protein powder as a coffee creamer. This is a great way to add flavor and improve the texture of your coffee, reducing consumption of added sugars. Also, by using protein as a creamer for coffee, you will be able to use the benefits of both coffee and protein at the same time.

On average, you add a serving of protein powder to your coffee. However, it depends on the amount of coffee you drink, which protein type you use, your personal taste preferences and desired texture. If your coffee gets too thick and you do not want to add more coffee or some milk to it, you can reduce the amount of protein powder.

You can use the method described above (see “How to make hot coffee”). If you ever wondered: “Can you put protein powder in hot coffee”, the answer is “Yes”! It's safe, delicious and nutritious.

After taking into account all the benefits, it gets easy to answer when someone wonders: can you mix protein powder with coffee? Yes, you can absolutely do this as it will bring you several benefits. You can use the proffee as another quick breakfast option if you have a bad appetite, but still want to start your day well in the context of a healthy diet.

Have you ever tried mixing coffee with protein powder? Did you know all the benefits you could get from this trendy beverage? Leave your comments below!

References:

• Caffeine Consumption Around an Exercise Bout: Effects on Energy Expenditure, Energy Intake, and Exercise Enjoyment // American Physiological Society: https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00570.2014
• Protein Ranking Transparent Labs 100% Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate // Labdoor: https://labdoor.com/review/transparent-labs-100-grass-fed-whey-protein-isolate
• Caffeine and Cognitive Functions in Sports // MDPI: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/3/868
• Caffeine // Australian Institute of Sport: https://www.ais.gov.au/nutrition/supplements/group_a#caffeine
• ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review // BioMedicalCenter: https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-018-0242-y
• PROs and CONs of pre-workout supplements // Torokhtiy: https://torokhtiy.com/blogs/warm-body-cold-mind/pros-and-cons-of-pre-workout-supplements