Can Meal Replacement Shakes Build Muscle?

There is a prevailing misconception that they have powerful “steroid-like effects” that will miraculously transform your body from fat to fit.

Q: What is you’re feeling about meal replacement shakes? Can they really help build muscle?

A: To evaluate the efficacy of meal replacements, it’s necessary to understand their nutritional composition. Essentially, these products are a high-protein, low-fat, moderate-carbohydrate food source that’s rich in vitamins and minerals. They are designed to provide a maximal amount of nutrients in a format that is not inclined to promote significant body fat storage.

As a rule, meal replacements are best utilized as an adjunct to a well-balanced nutritional regimen – not as a substitute for natural foods. They fill a specific dietary niche, but by no means are a complete source of nutrition. Hence, their overuse can lead to a disparity in dietary ratios as well as a deficiency in vital nutrients. Combining meal replacements with natural foods is the best way to satisfy all your nutritional requirements, ensuring an optimal intake of nutrients.

In practice, it’s best to eat a hearty breakfast, lunch, and dinner, using shakes as “interim” meals. It’s widely recognized that a diet consisting of small, frequent meals (five or six a day) spaced out every two to three hours provides optimal nutritional utility. Eating in this fashion increases metabolic function, regulates blood sugar levels and stabilizes various hormonal processes, allowing your body to operate at peak efficiency. Furthermore, it helps to suppress hunger and thus prevent the temptation to snack on “empty calorie” foods that are high in saturated fat and sugar. Since meal replacements are convenient and easy to prepare, they facilitate your ability to consume quality nutrients at regular intervals without expending a great deal of effort.

On the other hand, meal replacements will not directly build your muscles or make you stronger. There is a prevailing misconception that they have powerful “steroid-like effects” that will miraculously transform your body from fat to fit. However, despite the hype, muscular development can only be achieved through intense strength training. Although consuming adequate dietary protein will aid in the muscle building process when combined with a dedicated weight training regimen, simply adding meal replacements to your diet will have no effect on building better muscles!