Meters of protein shakes on the supermarket shelves

Strawberry. Banana. Difficult to choose? Then take the combination flavour: Strawberry Banana. Always good: Vanilla. But for the gourmet also available in the Sweet Vanilla and Vanilla Caramel variations. And there is more, one for every taste it seems: Dutch Apple Pie. Salted Caramel. Snickerdoodle. Forest Fruit. Cookies & Cream. Peach Mango. Chocolate. Dutch Speculoos. Coconut. Pistachio.

Anyone who thought they were reading a report from an Italian ice cream shop is wrong. The reporter was just standing in the supermarket. Where huge plastic pots have recently appeared on the shelves. The content: protein or protein in the form of powder, called protein shakes. So nutritional supplements, to be dissolved in a drink of your choice.

With all these variants (and this is just one brand, XXL Nutrition – the competition is further down) it takes up several meters of store shelves. Most pots are 1 kilo – and with such a lightweight powder that is immediately a mega pot. Anyone who walks up to the rack with those attractively colored pots for the first time may be shocked by the price: 33.95 euros. Yet they are flying out of the shops, confirms the stocker who just adds a few cans of vanilla-flavored powder: “Boys and men in particular buy them a lot. Sometimes two flavors at the same time. They can’t hold on to anything anymore,” he laughs.

These types of shakes have been popular for years, but that was mainly in and around the gym. Now they are suddenly appearing in large numbers on the food shelves of a regular supermarket. The quantity does differ per supermarket: for example, PLUS, which also includes the above-mentioned branch, “does not centrally carry a range of protein and protein food supplements,” the chain reports in response to questions from NRC, but the independent entrepreneurs who run many of their stores choose this themselves. Albert Heijn sells protein shakes both in stores and online (but in bags, from the Body&Fit brand). XXL Nutrition jars are for sale at Jumbo, also online.

Especially young people and young adults who go to the gym often use supplements. The goal is usually to grow more muscle mass. The latter depends on the intensity of your training – but nutritional supplements such as protein shakes are considered by many to be a necessary addition to achieve the desired goal (faster). After all, as the site of the well-known brand and market leader XXL Nutrition states: ‘With an active lifestyle you need more proteins and a protein shake helps you get these proteins more easily.’ Protein shakes, of which ‘whey protein’ is the best-known variant, are, according to the company, ‘inextricably linked to fitness and strength sports. Proteins contribute to the growth of muscle mass and promote muscle recovery after physical exertion.

Now are proteins are also important for the human body: they indeed ensure muscle recovery and building muscle mass and are generally regarded as essential building blocks for our body; not only for muscles, but for all organs; every cell needs proteins. Proteins are found in many products that most people eat regularly: yoghurt, cottage cheese, milk, meat, fish, eggs, legumes and nuts.

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‘Not necessary’

“The point is that supplements are not necessary,” says Wieke van der Vossen, food safety and labeling expert at the Nutrition Center: “Only for bodybuilders or avid strength athletes can it be useful to take some extra proteins – in all other cases, Even for recreational athletes, a normal, varied diet is more than sufficient to meet the daily recommended amount.” This is about 58 grams per day, based on an adult weighing approximately 70 kilos. However, on average in the Netherlands we already eat about 85 grams per day, she says. Just think: one cup of low-fat cottage cheese and you have already consumed 12.8 grams. One egg: 7 grams. With some cheese, meat, pasta, rice and a sandwich taken throughout the day, you will soon reach the target minimum.

Nutrition CenterWieke van der Vossen I especially think it’s such a waste of money

Anyone who supplements their food-derived proteins with a spoonful (‘scoop’ in protein shake jargon) of protein powder adds 23.76 grams in one go. The amount of protein quickly exceeds the daily required portion. That is not a bad thing, says Van der Vossen: “There are no clear indications that a lot of protein is really harmful.” But it is not necessary either. “I especially think it’s such a waste of money,” she says. “It’s certainly not cheap. You spend extra money on something that you already received enough in.”

Hidde Preuss (16) from Amsterdam thinks the costs are not too bad: “I take protein powder once a day, and I buy it in Germany, it is cheaper.” He discovered protein shakes when he started researching sports and nutrition online. “It makes it easy to reach your daily protein base. You need to get enough protein to get optimal results.” Hidde goes to the gym four times a week.

Yorick Heine (16) from Broek in Waterland, a fanatic gym visitor like Hidde, also used to take protein shakes every day, he says. “But I was going to do some proper research into it, I thought that was wise. Then I discovered that it is not necessary: ​​you can also get proteins from food. Plus those shakes are not made in a completely natural way, which also bothered me. It’s not bad in itself, but it’s not particularly good either.” Now he pays close attention to what he eats, adding up the proteins: “Eggs, meat, toast, bacon, lots of cheese. I get about 120 grams of protein per day, which is double the minimum you need.”

Less muscle pain

However, protein shakes are still extremely popular among many athletes. Van der Vossen from the Nutrition Center understands it in a way: “There is no evidence that muscle strength improves, but what is true is that you may have less muscle pain afterwards and that muscles recover better from efforts.”

Striking paragraph under almost all products on the XXL Nutrition site: ‘Unfortunately, due to strict EU legislation, we are only allowed to provide limited information about supplements. Only approved claims that are in the EU database may be mentioned. We are therefore often not allowed to share results from scientific research that have not been submitted to the EU for approval.’ Van der Vossen: “Here they suggest: we have done scientific research, and it shows that this is good for you. But they cannot simply claim that.”

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It doesn’t stop at protein shakes. There are countless types of supplements, such as the ‘pre-workout’ (‘especially useful on days when you are a bit more tired and still want to have a blast!’), the ‘post-workout’ (‘the ideal combination of ingredients that body needs shortly after training to support muscle recovery and muscle growth’) and even the ‘intra-workout’ for during the day the training. Then there are the ‘weight gainer’ (‘we also understand that it is not easy for everyone to eat enough in a day, especially if you have a busy job or a sky-high metabolism’), or ‘diet shakes’ ( ‘the best meal replacement’), various types of vitamins (‘can optimally support your health’) plus numerous bars (‘healthy protein-rich snacks’). And the most popular in recent years: creatine, again in powder form. Creatine is a substance that also occurs naturally in our body. The supplement of the same name ‘supports strength building and muscle growth’ and is used en masse by gym goers.

Retaining moisture

The Nutrition Center is also clear about creatine: it is certainly not necessary. It doesn’t do much harm either, although the powder can cause mild stomach problems. The body can also retain fluid – with creatine you need to drink a lot. The latter can be a pleasant side effect for young people who want a wider body, but according to Van der Vossen, those bloated arms do not consist so much of stronger muscles, but of fluid in the muscles.

However, Yorick Heine, who gave up protein shakes, swears by creatine. “Your muscles recover up to 80 percent faster. All top athletes take this, including football players, for example, otherwise they would not be able to train so hard every day.” He notices “a lot of effect” from the creatine he takes daily. “I have gained 3 kilos, my muscles have grown a lot, they are really swelling.” He also realizes that it is mainly moisture: “It may also make them a little stronger, but it is mainly the picture.” But, he says, “that’s not my point: I take creatine because it allows me to go to the gym six times a week. This is only possible if your muscles recover quickly. And I really enjoy going to the gym.”

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‘Stacking is the problem’

Wieke van der Vossen of the Nutrition Center has her reservations about the popularity of nutritional supplements. Because even though the individual risks are often not too bad: “The combination of substances can be harmful. Suppose you take caffeine [eveneens verkrijgbaar als los supplement] and you also drink energy drinks and coffee, then this all adds up and you may therefore consume large amounts in one day, with indeed negative consequences. Stacking is often the problem; many athletes use multiple supplements together.”

Creatine is also found in animal products such as (oily) fish or meat, and slightly less in eggs or milk. The XXL Nutrition website states: ‘Our basic diet is not sufficient to achieve an optimal dosage, so a supplement such as Creatine Monohydrate offers a solution.’ Van der Vossen: “Here we go again. So they are basically saying: normal food is not enough, you really need this. And that is not allowed, such a claim.”

There is something else at play with creatine, she warns. “This stuff is also widely ordered via the internet, but then you have much less insight into it. You just don’t know what’s in it. The products in the supermarket are supervised by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority and are in principle safe, but what you buy cheaply from far away sometimes contains prohibited substances. Like DMAA [een soort amfetamine] – and then you are almost talking about hard drugs.”

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