Meal replacements in bodybuilding: Good or bad for your health?

When we talk about meal replacements, we are talking about the powder we put in our shaker. And not the ready-made meals. Most people want to be able to prepare their meals and snacks at home and enjoy them in peace. But here's the thing, when we're working out and following a specific diet, we need to have time to count macros and calories and weigh your food. Sometimes this is impossible with all the different factors that take up our time. Between work and our other occupations of the day, it is not surprising to see more and more people eating anything and being tempted to eat on the go. Some are even turning to new forms of food. Over the past ten years, the popularity of high-protein meal replacements has been growing.

In addition to the easy-to-prepare factor, consumers are turning to this alternative because it will save them time. In reality, is it good or bad for your health?

Through this article, we will detail the high-protein meal replacements.

What are meal replacements?

First and foremost, they are generally low-calorie, high-protein products. In most cases, people use meal replacements when they want to lose weight by controlling the quantities of proteins, carbohydrates or lipids in their body. You just have to be aware that the consumption must be done in moderation and the cures should not be spread over several months. In other words, if you eat 1 or 2 small protein snacks a day, that would be fine but they should not replace your 3 main solid meals.

Principle

Containing a significant amount of nutrients, these popular products provide the body with all the necessary elements for a perfect dietary balance and daily energy level. Some experts say that it is a complete meal replacement that contains more than twenty vitamins and minerals. This is the case of the big brands that are on television. In reality, replacing your solid meal with it is not good for your health. Why not? Because it is obvious that with this kind of substitute, you will lose weight quickly but you will also spit out your metabolism by eating much less calories than you need.

When dieting, you should always go crescendo, because the body must get used to losing weight little by little. If you take out too many calories from the start, at some point in your weight loss, you will stagnate because your body can go into starvation mode and get stuck.

Moreover, the day you start eating again without paying attention, you will immediately put on the weight you lost. This is called the yo-yo effect.

As mentioned above, people often favour meal replacements in a diet to lose weight. The goal is to lower the fat and carbohydrate content of foods by opting for more protein. Specifically, the principle is to favor protein-rich meals over those that contain too many calories such as slow and fast sugars. Therefore, the person rather relies on vegetables and good hydration. It is therefore possible by following this kind of diet to have deficiencies. And don't forget that too much protein also makes you fat.

Use of meal replacements

One thing people should not overlook is that meal replacements are not a full-fledged diet. They are simply supplements. Unlike the fasting or young intermittent diet, which involves the deprivation of one or more of the meals of the day, the person adopting meal replacements makes the choice to eat only those foods that provide them with more protein and fewer calories. It is not a total replacement, but rather a promotion of a more balanced consumption of a variety of foods. shaker as a snack.

Or really occasionally when travelling: a concrete example, when we take the plane for example. In this particular case, it is impossible to take your tupperware with you because the airport controls do not allow you to keep your prepared meal.

To review when to consume a snack and get some snack ideas, you can read this article:

6 snack ideas for bodybuilding

What makes a protein meal replacement

According to one food safety organization, a balanced diet must contain at least 15 % of protein, 35 % of fat and 50 % of carbohydrates. This proposal is slightly modified when a hyperprotein substitute is adopted, since the carbohydrate level is maintained, but the lipid level is reduced to 10 to 25 % and the protein level rises to 30 to 55 %.

This proposition is equally favourable to athletes and individuals wishing to eliminate a mass of fat from their body. But everyone is different and has their own objectives, which is why it's important to adapt this macro percentage to you and you alone. That's what a sports coach and nutrition specialist is for.

Looking for calibrated nutrition?

ASK FOR A DIET

It should be noted that the consumption of proteins in these products or even in solid foods promotes a feeling of fullness to the maximum. Moreover, the substitutes in snacks also contain proteins, vitamins and minerals essential to all athletes.

Protein meal replacements: beneficial effects for muscle building

Protein meal replacements are not only for dieters, but also for those who want to build muscle. Depending on their weight and goals, they would be forced to eat kilos of meat per day, which is absolutely impossible, hence the importance of eating several protein snacks during the day.

Bodybuilding enthusiasts are advised to use a meal replacement as a supplement to their muscle-building exercises.

To build muscle mass In addition to lifting weights, muscle development requires good nutrition. In order to achieve more visible results in a short period of time, taking protein meal replacements is highly recommended in addition to regular food. According to those who have already tried this option, it is more favorable to take them before each workout to have more energy. Some also recommend eating protein meal replacements between meals.
An asset in the dry phase: during a dry period, taking protein meal replacements is a very effective solution to compensate for the energy lost during exercise. They will help to restore the levels of vitamins, minerals and other elements necessary for the body. It is an inexpensive alternative to pre-prepared recipes.

A solution for people in a hurry

The convenience of protein meal replacements is one of the strong points of these products. Indeed, they do not need to be cooked and can be consumed in a short time. Protein meal replacements are therefore very useful for people who are always in a hurry and who do not have time to concoct snacks such as bars or others. Wherever you are, you can take them with you at any time.

Is a protein diet always beneficial?

According to studies, a protein diet allows a gain of at least 10 kg in 60 days. Its popularity has increased due to the countless benefits it generates. Nevertheless, there are disadvantages that should not be minimized.

Meal replacements have been proven to be effective appetite suppressants because of the amount of protein they contain. This fact can lead to health concerns for its followers. For this reason, most health experts recommend liquid alternatives over solid alternatives.

The latter do have more significant side effects than the former. The consumption of meal replacements should not be done over a very long period. Moreover, palpable results are visible within a few weeks.

Everyone says that a high-protein diet speeds up weight loss. For most people, this is very encouraging and encourages them to continue. Therefore, maintaining the diet is less complicated. With a protein meal replacement diet, the cholesterol level will go down, which will have positive effects on the person's overall health.

However, it must be understood that there are major disadvantages to be taken into account, namely that at the beginning of the weight loss period, the bad cholesterol (Dieter's LDL) increases significantly. Because of the very low carbohydrate levels, the body is exposed to a state of ketosis since it is difficult to burn energy. At the same time, losing weight at a rapid rate can lead to headaches and anxiety.

Precautions to take

Although protein meal replacements contain considerable vitamins and minerals, they are not a substitute for a healthy, well-balanced meal. You should not limit your diet to simple meal replacements because you will end up with a lack of micronutrient intake. It is wiser to adopt the protein diet only for a few weeks or occasionally to avoid various health problems and as a snack only.

Some people who are seduced by the ease of these types of meals tend to adopt the diet over long periods of time. Be aware that this option generally results in deficiencies of certain elements useful to the body, cardiovascular concerns and disorders in the digestive system.

Excess protein in the body also results in an overload of the intestine and can lead to more serious disorders such as kidney problems if you already have fragile people. Learn more about the role of protein, you can read the article here.

Other points to keep in mind are that protein meal replacements are not beneficial for pregnant and nursing women. They are not good for young children and teenagers, not to mention individuals with chronic fatigue and those with kidney problems.

Conclusion

It is best to eat solid foods and consume substitutes occasionally throughout the day.

If you want to eat as well as possible, your 3 main meals must be solid. We therefore advise you to organize yourself the day before and prepare your menus and tupperware meals for ease. This way, you will not make any deviations.

Don't forget to take a look at sports programs and nutrition for women and men here.

Everything you need to know about high-protein meal replacements

Contents