Is Protein Powder Good for Teens?

Protein powders are super popular for athletes and fitness junkies, but are they suitable for teenagers? A lot of teens are into sports and they’re looking to improve their physical fitness, which Is great, but it’s important to understand that they’re not adults and not everything is appropriate for them.

So, is protein powder yay or nay for teens? You’ll have to stick around to find that out!

Do You Need to Take Protein As a Teen?

1. Helps Build Muscle

How much protein you intake plays a big factor in your energy, muscular growth, and tissue repair. As a teenager, your body is constantly growing and changing and even the slightest amount of resistance training will lead to the development of muscle.

But to maximize muscular development, you need to make sure you’re having enough protein. Now, you can get protein from several different sources, a protein shake being just one option.

However, many find it easier to meet their protein intake requirements through a shake because otherwise, you would have to eat 3 to 5 meals a day, which, a busy teenager, might not have the time to do.

2. Essential for Vegetarian and Vegan Teenagers

Vegetarian and vegan diets have plenty of health benefits. One area they do lack is protein intake. Even the most protein-dense vegetarian foods aren’t really comparable to meat products. That’s why a vegetarian or vegan teen needs to have extra protein through shakes. This isn’t just for a teen whose attempting to build muscle.

For your general health, you need to have enough protein so that you have a healthy balance between your carbs, fats, and protein. And, of course, if you’re attempting to build muscle and strength as a vegetarian, then it’s even more important to nail your protein intake.

3. Curbs Hunger

Teenagers have long school days where they eat their breakfast early in the morning and won’t have anything until their lunch break. For some, this is a long time to go before another meal and can cause them to feel very hungry. One way to avoid hunger pangs is to have protein before leaving for your school. Protein takes longer to digest compared to carbs, which is how it can come to suppress your appetite.

In the same way, protein can be excellent if you’re planning on losing weight. Often, it’s our sugar, fat, and carb intake that makes us gain a lot of weight. But by cutting back on sugar, carb, and fat calories and increasing our protein intake, can make it easier to lose weight.

How to Find the Best Protein Powder for Teens?

1. Amino Acids 

The purpose of amino acids is to break down food, help your body grow, and repair body tissues. There are 12 essential amino acids that we need and depending on the protein powder you pick, you will get a wide range of them including up to all 12. That’s why protein is so helpful for teenagers whose bodies are still maturing as the amino acid will help with recovery.

2. Whey vs Casein Protein

Whey is the traditional protein source as it’s easy to digest, comes in various tasty flavours, can be taken at any time, and is efficient at building muscles. While casein protein digests slowly. This might not seem like a benefit but when you take into consideration hunger suppression, if you’re someone who struggles with their hunger levels, a slower digesting protein might benefit you more. 

3. Plant-Based Protein

Plant-based protein has many benefits and can be great for people who aren’t just vegetarians or vegans. Of course, if you don’t intake milk or milk-based products, then a plant-based protein is the obvious choice. But, if you’re planning on maximizing your amino acid intake through protein power then several plant-based proteins are very rich in amino acids.

4. Nutrition 

Nutrition is one area where a protein powder isn’t the best option. Generally, a protein powder isn’t very nutrition-rich, so if you’re lacking in vitamins and fibres, having a high protein powder intake can get in the way even more because you could end up skipping meals or snacks that would be rich in nutrition. So, if you’re gonna supplement protein powder, make sure you’re getting enough nutrients from your diet.

Recommended Protein

Whey Protein Isolate by Transparent Labs

• Best For: Muscle Building, Recovery, Cutting
• Flavors: Chocolate peanut butter, Oatmeal chocolate сhip cookie, Milk chocolate, French vanilla, Peanut butter, Dark chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla, Peanut butter, Mocha, Cinnamon French Toast, Unflavored
• Protein Source: Whey Protein Isolate
• Suitable for Vegans: No
• Package Information: 2.28 lb/30 servings, 4 lb/55 servings
• Protein-by-Weight Ratio: 81-87%
• Protein: 28 grams
• Carbohydrates: 0-3 grams
• Fat: 0-1 gram
• Calories per serving: 120
• Serving Size: ~33 g
• Price per serving: from ~$1.8Company Founded: 2015
• Recommended by: Hafþór Björnsson, Terron Beckham, Paul Sklar

CHECK LATEST PRICE

Transparent Labs Whey Protein Isolate is a 100% grass-fed protein source backed by some of the most popular athletes and fitness influencers. A big reason why the product is so popular among high-level athletes is because of the macronutrient breakdown.

As for the protein intake, you’ll get 28 grams of it per 32-gram scoop. Each container has 30 servings and the product is priced at $59.99. Which means each serving is about 2 dollars.

In terms of micronutrients, each scoop will provide you with 2% of your daily dose of cholesterol, 12% of sodium, 4% of your dietary fibre, 8% of the calcium you require, 6% of iron, and 4% of potassium.

The product also takes a strong stance against artificial uses. So, there are no artificial sweeteners, colouring, or preservatives. Instead, the protein is sweetened by stevia, which is also why the price of the protein is higher than other protein isolates.

As far as mixability is concerned, all the flavours mix well with water and milk. You should find any clumps of powder at the bottom of your cup, which can be an issue with other protein products. However, the chocolate favours lose some creaminess when blended with milk.

Protein Consumption Tips for Teens

1. Daily Intake

When it comes to protein consumption for teens, your daily intake should be anywhere between 34 to 52 grams. You could have more than this, but the 34 to 52 range is more of a bare minimum. And you would want this protein to come from different sources throughout the day rather than just one big meal.

But if you aim to grow muscles as a teen then your protein consumption should be between 0.7 to 0.9 grams of protein per body weight.

2. Protein Timing

There are many schools of thought that have good arguments about when to take your protein shake. You could take it before your workout, so the amino acids can help reduce muscle damage. Or you could take it after your workout to help rebuild the muscle you’ve just worked. Some data says you can have it hours later and the effect is largely similar to having protein right after your session.

This is great because it can make your protein intake more flexible. You could then experiment and find the right balance for you because some people feel too bloated with protein to work out after taking it or you might want more carbs after a workout.

3. Protein Mix

As mentioned before, a protein shake doesn’t contain many essential nutrients. One way to fix this is by adding a scoop of protein to a smoothie. So, you could make a smoothie of various fruits and veggies and even ice cream to help the taste and blend a scoop of protein in there to get more calories, proteins, nutrients, and healthy carbs.

FAQs

Is it OK for a Teenager to Drink Protein Shakes?

Teenagers can have protein shakes without worrying about any side effects. The main thing to consider is which protein shake they are intaking and how much. Of course, if they are taking much more than they need then the shake could cause some issues as it will be tough for them to digest all of it.

While for the brands, you want to pick a safe brand that doesn’t have too many artificial ingredients or chemicals. Of course, if the teen has any allegories, that should be taken into consideration as well.

Can a 14-year-old Drink Protein Shakes Every Day?

It mainly depends on that 14-year-olds diet. A protein shake is a supplement, so its purpose is to supplement your current diet. If the protein shake is being used as a full meal, then there could be some issues because a growing body needs proper macro and micronutrients, which mainly come from a full, balanced diet. But if the shake is in addition to a balanced diet, then there shouldn’t be an issue.

Is Whey Protein Ok for a 15-year-old?

Whey is perfectly fine for a 15-year-old to take. But one thing to consider is that whey is derived from milk, so if the teenager is lactose intolerant, whey protein might not sit well with them. However, if there are no dietary restrictions, then whey is a great protein source. 

Conclusion

Protein for teens can have a multitude of benefits including muscle and strength gain, recovery, weight loss, and hunger control. However, it’s best to use protein as a supplement, which means your diet should be prioritized. But a protein shakes for teenage athletes can provide you with macro and micronutrients.

The protein powder we recommend for teenagers is Transparent Labs Whey Protein Isolate.

When do you prefer to take protein? Before or after your workout? What’s your favourite and least favourite protein flavour? How important are the recovery benefits of a protein shake to you? What’s the best way to take protein without interrupting your meals?

Let’s discuss all of this and any other questions you might have in the comment section below!

Also Read:

• What Is Grass Fed Whey Protein
• Ensure vs Premier Protein
• Collagen Protein vs Whey Protein
• Whey Protein Isolate vs Concentrate
• Mass Gainer vs Whey Protein
• Whey Isolate Protein Guide
• Is Casein Better Than Whey

References:

1. Is It Safe for a 14-Year-Old to Drink Protein Shakes? // Sfgate:
   https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/safe-14yearold-drink-protein-shakes-12336.html
2. How Teen Athletes Can Build Muscles with Protein // Eatright:
   https://cutt.ly/Q1Xq29k
3. Photos are made by Torokhtiy Media Team