Can you mix protein powder into coffee and should you?
If you’ve been wondering the answer to that question then you’ve landed on the right page.
In this article, we’re going to take a close look at whether mixing your Whey or Vegan Protein powder into your morning coffee is a good idea or not.
Protein powders and coffee are often staple daily habits for bodybuilders and casual gym-goers alike – but what about combining the two together.
Editor's note: The content on this website is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. Our articles and the products featured in them are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. Always speak with a certified medical professional before making any changes to your lifestyle, diet, exercise routine, and/or taking any supplements.
So, with the introductions out of the way, it’s time to start taking a closer look at the potential combination of protein powder and coffee.
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What is Protein Powder?
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
If you’ve arrived on this article, then the chances are you already know about Protein powders, but let’s cover the basics quickly anyhow.
Protein powder supplements have become incredibly popular in recent years – and it is no surprise why. They are one of the most popular supplement types out there and you probably already know all about them.
In case you didn’t know, Protein contributes to the growth and maintenance of muscle mass. Therefore, making sure that you have enough of it in your diet is important if you’re looking to build muscle and get into shape.
Essentially, Protein is seen as the main ‘building block’ of muscle, and it is needed by the body for creating new muscle, which is a process known as protein synthesis.
You probably already know this, but Protein Powders are probably the most popular form of health and fitness supplements on the market right now.
Many gym goers all over the world take protein powders on a regular basis to help support their fitness goals.
There are many different types of protein powder supplements. They include Whey, Casein and plant-based Vegan options such as Rice, Hemp and Pea.
There are also many different flavors of protein powder. They range from popular options such as Chocolate and Vanilla, to other flavors such as Peanut Butter, Banana and Strawberry.
There are also plenty of unflavored protein powders out there. These are especially popular amongst people who want the benefits of the protein powder without any added sweeteners or flavorings.
So, now that we’ve taken a look at the basics surrounding protein powders, it’s time to look at coffee itself.
What is Coffee?
Black Coffee (Photo: Adobe Stock)
Before we get into protein powder in coffee, let’s start with the basics about coffee.
In case you didn’t know, Coffee is a brewed drink prepared from roasted coffee beans, the seeds of berries from certain Coffea species.
Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world and it is consumed by millions of people on a daily basis.
It can be prepared and present in multiple different ways, such as espresso, French press, caffè latte, iced coffee and more.
Coffee can be traced back throughout human history. According to Wikipedia, the earliest credible evidence of coffee-drinking appears in modern-day Yemen in southern Arabia in the middle of the 15th century.
It has a stimulating effect due to its Caffeine content, and for that reason it is often consumed by people in the morning.
So, now that we’ve taken a look at the basic facts about Coffee, it’s time to take a look at whether it’s a good idea to mix some protein powder into your morning brew.
Can You Have Protein Powder In Coffee?
Now it’s time to take a look at the big question – can you have protein powder in coffee?
The short answer is yes, you can have protein powder in coffee. However, it may not suit everyone and there are a few things to bear in mind.
The first issue with mixing protein powder into coffee is the mixing itself. Some (but not all) protein powders do not respond well when mixed into hot liquid.
This means that it some protein powders can clump up and not mix properly when combined with hot coffee, which is far from ideal.
Poor mixing was the most commonly-reported problem while doing our research into using protein powder in coffee.
The second thing to bear in mind is the temperature of the coffee itself. Although this is not confirmed, there are various reports online that suggest that mixing protein powder with a hot liquid may negate some of the benefits of the supplement.
It is also not a good idea to use a plastic shaker to mix protein powder in coffee, as the heat could melt some of the plastic.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
If you are intent on mixing protein powder into hot coffee, we recommend making your normal mug of coffee but leaving some extra space for the protein powder. Then, you can carefully stir the protein powder into the drink.
One way around both of the issues above (and our personal favorite option) is to mix protein powder with cold brew coffee.
Not only do we prefer the way cold brew coffee tastes, but because the liquid is cold, it should mix with protein powder better than regular hot coffee.
The flavor of your protein powder is also something to bear in mind. It’s a case of personal preference, but some people may not want to mix strawberry-flavored protein powder into coffee.
Our personal favorites would be to use chocolate or vanilla flavor protein powder in your coffee, but it is up to you of course.
There are also some unflavored protein powders, which would not sweeten the coffee at all.
So, to summarize, it is possible to have protein powder in coffee. However, there are some conflicting reports online about whether using a hot liquid with your protein powder may negate some of the benefits of it. There are also many reports of various protein powders not mixing well and clumping up when used with hot liquids.
For this reason, it may be best to use cold brew coffee (or normal coffee which has been cooled down to room temperature) to mix with your protein powder.
Anything Else to Consider
As we always like to remind our readers, everything in moderation.
Coffee contains a lot of Caffeine, which is a powerful stimulant. You should make sure that you’re not consuming too much Caffeine on a daily basis.
It’s also a good idea not to drink coffee or consume Caffeine too late in the day, as doing so could affect your sleep at night.
As always, before trying any supplement combination for the first time, you should speak to a certified medical professional.
Protein powders and coffee are not for everyone. You should not use either if you have any underlying health condition without first speaking to a certified medical professional.
As always, you should also make sure that you are sticking to a healthy diet and a good exercise regime before thinking about trying any protein supplements.
Supplements are great for helping to support your health and fitness goals, but they cannot replace the basics of eating healthily, training hard and getting enough rest.
You should stick to the basics first before thinking about using any supplements.
Wrapping Things Up – Our Final Thoughts
So, that brings us to the end of our look at protein powder in coffee.
We’ve walked you through the basics of protein powders and explained why they are one of the most popular forms of supplements in the world.
We have also taken a close look at coffee, to see why this caffeine-loaded beverage is consumed by millions, if not billions, of people on a daily basis.
Finally, we’ve looked at whether it’s a good idea to have protein powder in coffee or not.
Although there is nothing inherently wrong with having protein powder in coffee, some people report having problems mixing the protein powder into hot liquid.
There are also some suggestions online that using a hot liquid may negate some of the benefits of the protein powder.
For this reason, it is probably a better idea to mix protein powder into cold coffee, if at all.
Remember, supplements are here to support your goals but they must be combined with a healthy lifestyle overall. No supplement can beat sticking to a good diet, training hard and getting plenty of rest.
