9 Of Life's Most Important Questions Answered By Science

4. Do Protein Shakes Actually Work?

Protein supplements used to be the preserve of bodybuilders and professional athletes, but nowadays it seems as though everyone who spends more that 20 minutes a week on the treadmill is chugging some kind of powdered miracle drink.

Do these shakes and supplements actually do anything, or are they just the latest in a long line of fads?

The reason why you might take protien is to help repair and grow muscles after the damage caused by intense exercise. Whilst this certainly happens when you drink a protein shake, there's a very good chance that you're actually already getting too much protein in your diet anyway.

The average person consumes 30-35% more protein than they need as part of their normal diet, so adding a supplement to this is unlikely to have any effect on muscle development, and more likely to cause weight gain due to the extra calories being consumed. There is also no imperative to consume your protein straight away - another reason why someone might favour a shake over a steak - as muscle repair occurs as much as 48 hours after exercise.

If you genuinely aren't getting enough protein in your diet, then there's no reason why a protein shake wouldn't be sufficient. But, if we're honest with ourselves here, it just makes us feel more like an elite athlete.