Water or skim milk in protein shakes.

Hi all,

I've been hitting the guys for sometime now but have only just started to get interested in body building. I'm a novice when it comes to this stuff and the advice I receive seems to confuse me.

I was wanting to know is skim milk ok to have instead of water? I find protein shakes quite hard to drink with water so I have been drinking them with skim milk. I was advised by the place where I buy my supplements from not to have milk and to have water instead as milk increases your insulin levels. I spoke to my personal a trainer and she said that milk is fine to have.

I'm not a diabetic and I have good diet i.e not processed packed foods and eat mainly clean whole foods.

My question is 1. Why is water better than milk? 2. What happens when your insulin levels increase when your training?

Thank you

Unless you are diabetic, insulin levels are not something you have to be particularly worried about. The difference between milk and water is calorie content. If you have room for milk in your macros and prefer it, use it.

Like acrawlingchaos said the main difference is caloric intake. Taste wise I like milk a lot more than water just because it is thicker and in general is more pleasant to drink. As for insulin there should not be any problems unless you have prior health issues. If you don't I wouldn't even bother worrying about it.

I absolutely agree with the above but funnily enough I actually prefer mine with water! If I'm still A bit hungry before I go to bed I will have my last one with milk to help me sleep like a milky drink Which is yummy if it's chocolate shake!

The difference between milk and water is calorie content. I would prefer to use Milk

Definitely use your preference! The only factor to really think about is the extra calories like SteveJunior12, so if you are keeping track, just be sure to factor that in :)

Unsweetened almond milk is a great choice too. It's a little thicker than milk so it makes your protein shake creamier. And it's only 35 calories per cup!

[QUOTE=acrawlingchaos;988685283]Unless you are diabetic, insulin levels are not something you have to be particularly worried about. The difference between milk and water is calorie content. If you have room for milk in your macros and prefer it, use it.[/QUOTE]

This^^

I've always used milk.

Depends on the flavour. Some flavours are fine with water but some are better with some sort of milk. I bought some lemon meringue pie flavour protein in the summer and it was bitter with water but great with coconut milk (the thin carton stuff, not the thick goopy stuff out of a can).

I think its personal preference - I always have the Vanilla flavour with water - find it so sickly with milk. Husband swears by the blackcurrant with milk - I tried it and i think its gross!

Depends whether I need the cals or not.

[QUOTE=wakechica;990767863]Depends whether I need the cals or not.[/QUOTE]

Same here. I usually use water when I cut and milk when I bulk or if I have a shake for breakfast.

[QUOTE=Lolas32;988684433]Hi all,

I've been hitting the guys for sometime now but have only just started to get interested in body building. I'm a novice when it comes to this stuff and the advice I receive seems to confuse me.

I was wanting to know is skim milk ok to have instead of water? I find protein shakes quite hard to drink with water so I have been drinking them with skim milk. I was advised by the place where I buy my supplements from not to have milk and to have water instead as milk increases your insulin levels. I spoke to my personal a trainer and she said that milk is fine to have.

I'm not a diabetic and I have good diet i.e not processed packed foods and eat mainly clean whole foods.

My question is 1. Why is water better than milk? 2. What happens when your insulin levels increase when your training?

Thank you[/QUOTE]


Ive been using Almond Milk with my Protein, not that expensive and it has a low Calorie, about 35 calories per 1 cup. I'm talking about unsweetened Almond Milk. but in the end it depends if it fits your macros.

Whole milk.

And heavy cream.

But I like flavor, and fat carries flavor.

[QUOTE=Marius_Ursus;991902043]Whole milk.

And heavy cream.

But I like flavor, and fat carries flavor.[/QUOTE]

hi marius; nice seeing you 'round these parts. :cool:
i sometimes use 1/2 and 1/2 (just about 1/4 cup) with the rest being water...

or chocolate lite soy milk.

i like the almond milk suggestion, chette. forgot about almond milk.

[QUOTE=whatevergirl;991903403]hi marius; nice seeing you 'round these parts. :cool:
i sometimes use 1/2 and 1/2 (just about 1/4 cup) with the rest being water...

or chocolate lite soy milk.

i like the almond milk suggestion, chette. forgot about almond milk.[/QUOTE]

Thanks, WEG. Nice to be seen.

1/2 + 1/2 + 1/4 = 1 1/4, right? That seems like an awful lot. :D

[QUOTE=Marius_Ursus;991905063]Thanks, WEG. Nice to be seen.

1/2 + 1/2 + 1/4 = 1 1/4, right? That seems like an awful lot. :D[/QUOTE]

might be a lil thick...lol

ah yes...missed your wit around here. :D

I use milk too, and just factor in the additional calories. Actually, I also add peanut butter and factor in those calories... what can say? I am picky. :)

I use half skim milk (1cup) and 1 cup of water. It seems to be the perfect balance for me, I can handle the extra calories after training and I do not have to sacrifice taste. Not a huge fan of soy because of the hormone, I have enough of that already! FORGET about whole milk, ice cream, half/half, or cream. We are FEMALES and that stuff is not worth the flavor compared to the fat intake. Happy Training!!

[QUOTE=Abigail8;992957733]I use half skim milk (1cup) and 1 cup of water. It seems to be the perfect balance for me, I can handle the extra calories after training and I do not have to sacrifice taste. Not a huge fan of soy because of the hormone, I have enough of that already! FORGET about whole milk, ice cream, half/half, or cream. We are FEMALES and that stuff is not worth the flavor compared to the fat intake. Happy Training!![/QUOTE]

What does being female have to do with what we mix our protein with?

Depending on the day, I'll happily put my whey in whole milk, cream, greek yogurt, almond milk, skim milk, granola, peanut butter, water...

And oh god, when I was bulking in the summer, I'd make a spread with it- peanut butter, little bit of honey, chocolate whey. So good.


I find drinking shakes all the time kinda boring- there's a lot more out there than just whey+water.

[QUOTE=Bodyformama;990602723]Unsweetened almond milk is a great choice too. It's a little thicker than milk so it makes your protein shake creamier. And it's only 35 calories per cup![/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Chette18;991691233]Ive been using Almond Milk with my Protein, not that expensive and it has a low Calorie, about 35 calories per 1 cup. I'm talking about unsweetened Almond Milk. but in the end it depends if it fits your macros.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=whatevergirl;991903403]i like the almond milk suggestion, chette. forgot about almond milk.[/QUOTE]

I love unsweetened almond milk, goes with about any protein flavor and does yield a surprising thick texture similar to full cream milk. Sweetened almond milk is sickly sweet in my opinion. I never was a fan of milk myself due to a slight lactose intolerance, rice milk is really watery might as well have water, soy milk doesn't come fresh here and oat milk is okay - I've found unsweetened almond milk to be the best.