Introduction

The way we start our day strongly influences the way it goes for the rest of the day. We all are searching for ways to improve productivity and to keep us in great shape. I personally prefer adding chocolate flavor whey protein in my morning coffee to kickstart my day.

Protein supplements have been an important part of every fitness enthusiast but most of the protein intake revolves around workout sessions. Your body’s natural requirement of essential amino is very high in the morning which makes it essential to have a serving of protein through the breakfast of protein shake.

Is it okay to add protein powder to coffee? Yes, adding protein to your coffee is perfectly okay. Adding a scoop of protein powder to your daily coffee can bring some enormous benefits that will kickstart your day with greater energy and will also improve overall productivity and motivation. 

 let’s have a look at primary reasons to add protein powder in coffee:

• Balance your body’s needs of essential macronutrients
• It Will help you cut down stored body fat
• Improves cognitive functioning
• Boost your metabolism
• Promotes satiety and curbs craving
• Preserves hard-earned muscles
• Feel more energetic
• Promotes better food choices throughout the day

This article revolves around adding protein to morning coffee because that’s the best time to get your day kick-started, coffee in the evening may disturb the sleep cycle. Let’s get to know the practical benefits of adding protein powder in coffee. 

9 Reasons to add Protein powder in Coffee

1# Breakfast Helps You Balance Out Your Protein

Generally, American diet contains a lot of protein but a big portion of it is consumed at dinner time, most of the Americans are starting their day with a bowl of cereal, oatmeal, fruit, or donut. 

When you finally feed your body some protein at dinner, most of it gets wasted because your body can’t process all of the nutrients at once. 

Your body has been starving for the whole night and when you wake up you feed it with simple carbs that lead to Insulin roller coaster, consuming low carb protein powder will keep blood sugar levels steady.

In simple terms, the body needs a consistent supply of protein to maintain muscle mass and other crucial functions. 

But coach, can I simply add eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese in the morning meal? Do whatever suits you best, I am just asking to add a serving of whole protein source as first thing in the morning. I know people who simply don’t like to have a nutrition-dense food like eggs as the first thing in the morning or people who don’t get enough time to prepare breakfast. Adding a scoop of protein in coffee seems like the best way to get the punch of essential aminos and other nutrients.  

2# Will Help You Shred Fat

Protein ingestion boosts the muscle protein synthesis and muscle metabolism.

How exactly will it help in shredding down fat? 

• By keeping metabolic rate high
• Reducing craving
• Keeping the energy levels high

Each pound of muscle mass will help you burn an additional 50 calories on a daily basis, which means, muscle gain directly improves your body’s ability to burn more calories. 

3# Improves Cognitive Functioning

Coffee is the world’s most popular beverage because of its ability to improve cognitive functioning but are you aware of the fact that some aminos also play a vital role in brain functioning? 

The central nervous system (CNS) requires a number of amino acids to function at its optimum capacity. How different amino acids affect your cognitive performance, stress, and brain functioning (1).

• Tryptophan: it’s an essential amino acid that acts as a precursor of serotonin. Availability of tryptophan to the brain can alter behavioral factors such as alertness, level of depression, aggression, and pain sensitivity
• Tyrosine: This Amino acid is a precursor of three neurotransmitters: norepinephrine, dopamine, and epinephrine.   This amino can help you improve mental performance in stressful situations (2).
• Histidine: Histidine is an essential amino acid that is used to produce histamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a critical role in the body’s immune response, digestion, sexual function and sleep-wake cycles. 

These were some of the most influential amino acids for brain functioning but other aminos also play a critical role in supporting improved cognitive functioning. 

4# Improved Metabolic Rate

Coffee contains stimulants that have a thermogenic effect and help in boosting metabolism. Experts suggest caffeine can increase your metabolic rate by 3-11%, which directly assists in burning a little more calories on a daily basis.  Adding a scoop of protein powder to your coffee will have added benefits.  

Eating boosts metabolism for a while and we all know that, but all three macros don’t burn the same amount of calories. 

The thermic effect refers to the amount of energy your body produces to burn a particular food item. Protein has a much higher thermic effect (3), It boosts your calorie-burning rate by 15–30%, compared to 5–10% by carbs and 0–3% by fats. 

Additionally, improving cognitive functioning also keeps you more active and energetic which assists in burning more calories throughout the day. 

 A research (4) conducted to compare the energy expenditure between high-protein and low-protein diet. Researchers found, high-protein group burned 260 more calories per day than a low-protein group. That’s equivalent to an hour of moderate-intensity exercise or 30 minutes of jogging. 

5# Preserve Hard-Earned Muscles

Muscles are hard to earn and no one wants to lose them. 

Adding protein in your morning coffee will provide all the essential aminos that will help in preserving muscle mass. 

After a night of good sleep, your muscle fibers are starving for muscle building aminos, feeding high-carb meals wont help. If you are serious about preserving your precious muscle mass then you should be adding a scoop of protein every morning. 

People who like to workout early in the morning should definitely add protein added coffee in their pre-workout routine to fuel muscles for far better training sessions. 

Only BCAA wont work to fuel your workout while training in a fasted state, your body requires all 9 essential aminos for muscle development and recovery. 

I did a whole comparison on BCAA vs EAA, do checkout. 

6# Reduce Appetite And Food Craving

Coffee helps in suppressing hunger levels, adding a protein powder will provide a power-packed punch that will keep you feeling fuller for a longer period of time. 

A study (5) conducted at University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA analyses the effects of a high protein diet on a group of overweight women. Researchers found, increasing protein intake from 15% to 30% of calories made the volunteers eat 441 fewer calories each day without any intentional diet restriction. 

Protein-rich diet may block the hunger hormone “Ghrelin” which improves satiety. Less snacking and over‑eating mean healthier you!

7# Improve The Quality Of The Workout

I have clients who workout as first thing in the morning while being in a fasted state. 

Training in a fasted state will burn body fat is a myth bro, instead, it reduces your ability to train at optimum levels. 

Most of the serious bodybuilders pay more emphasis on pre & intra workout nutrition because it seriously affects the quality of the workout. 

Follow this advice for once, prepare a strong coffee, add your regular protein supplement to it, and have it a few minutes before you start your workout. It will prove to be the best pre-workout. 

8# Better Food Choices

Feeling fuller not only reduces the unnecessary snacking but also allows you to make better food choices.

Those who eat high-carb processed food are more likely to eat unhealthy food throughout the day. But what’s the reason behind that? It’s because of the sudden spike and crash in blood sugar levels which makes you crave food. 

9# Reduce Post Workout Soreness

Muscle soreness and jitters are one of the biggest drawbacks of a good training session, muscle soreness can be really irritating when you got a full time job. 

Whey protein has all the aminos to support muscle development, and it has been proven to reduce post-workout soreness. 

Not just whey, coffee can help you cut down your workout fatigue and soreness by up to 48% says a 2007 study. 

Wrapping up

But if you don’t want to hassle with all this, there is also an easier method to get protein coffee. I found this Coffee Protein Powder which gives you the instant energy of caffeine and the required nutrients for muscle building. You just have to add 1 serving of powder in about 8 to 12 Oz of Water or Milk. This way, you can get the benefits of two in a single drink.

Protein powder in coffee FAQ

Thanks for reading. Questions are welcomed in the comments as always. 

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