Why Does Protein Powder Make My Stomach Hurt?

Protein powder can be great for helping you build muscle and recover from your workouts. Unfortunately, a lot of people experience stomach discomfort after finishing a protein shake. Gas, nausea, bloating, cramps and diarrhea are all common side effects of protein powder consumption. What are the causes of these side effects, and what can we do to prevent them? Let’s find out!

There are a number of different reasons why protein powder could be hurting your stomach. The most common reason is a sensitivity to dairy or lactose. If you’re using whey protein powder and experiencing stomach discomfort, you might want to switch to a different type of protein powder. Other common reasons include drinking the shake too quickly, and using too much protein powder per shake.

While those are the most common reasons, there are several other factors that could be causing your protein powder to hurt your stomach. Read on for information as well as our picks for the best protein powders for sensitive stomachs.

Whey

As I mentioned above, one of the most common reasons to experience upset stomach from protein powder is a sensitivity to dairy or lactose. Luckily, this is an easy problem to diagnose and fix. If you experience stomach discomfort after using whey or casein protein powders, try switching to a non-dairy protein powder. If the side effects stop, then you’ve solved the problem.

Too Much Powder

Using too much powder is another common reason protein powder might be hurting your stomach.

When you mix up a shake, it’s easy to throw in an extra scoop, or half scoop, of powder just to make sure you meet your protein needs. After all, you’ve just done a hard workout and want to make sure you recover properly. While this might seem like a good idea, not everybody can handle that much protein at once.

It’s important to keep in mind that protein is the hardest macronutrient for our bodies to digest. And while it is very important to get enough protein throughout the day, overloading on protein all at once can have bad consequences for your stomach.

If you experience upset stomach after using protein powder, it’s a good idea not to exceed the serving size listed on the package. Adding extra water is also a good way to make the powder easier to handle.

Drinking Your Protein Shake Too Fast

You’ve just finished an intense workout. You’re tired, hungry, thirsty, and you’re more than ready for that tasty protein shake to start working its magic. You start drinking, and you just don’t stop until the drink is gone.

While this was probably extremely satisfying in the moment, chugging your protein shake too fast makes it way more likely that your stomach will have a hard time digesting properly.

As I mentioned above, protein is naturally difficult for our bodies to digest. And when you put a lot of protein on your stomach at once, it makes it even harder. So remember, don’t get ahead of yourself when replenishing with a protein shake.

Using Protein Powder Too Soon After Working Out

It’s pretty common advice to start fueling your body as soon after a workout as possible. This can, however, backfire when it comes to protein powder.

When working out, our bodies are so focused on the task at hand, that our metabolism is slowed to a bare-minimum. Our ability to digest food can become significantly impaired while our bodies are under the stress of a workout. For some people, this state of digestive impairment can carry on for a while even after the workout is over.

And again, protein is the hardest macronutrient for our bodies to digest, making protein powder a risky product to consume too soon after a workout.

How much time you need to “cool down” after a workout before using protein powder varies a lot from person to person. A general rule to follow, however, is to wait about 20 minutes after intense exercise before downing your protein shake. If you’re eager to start refueling before then, you should try eating simple carbs until you’re body is ready for heavy protein.

Dehydration

It’s extremely common to become dehydrated during a long workout. After all it’s not always easy, or really plausible, to drink an adequate amount of water as you’re working out. And so, some amount of temporary dehydration is expected after an intense session. While this is normal, it can be a bad thing for digestion.

Water plays a critical role in helping you digest food and absorb nutrients. When you’re dehydrated, you’re body’s digestive system becomes limited. This is why it’s a bad idea to consume lots of protein powder right after working out, before getting well hydrated.

Mixing your protein powder with plenty of water instead of milk or other liquids can help combat this problem. But even that may not be enough. The best solution is to drink plenty of water while you’re working out to stay as well hydrated as possible. And of course, it’s important to drink enough water after you’ve finished working out too.

It is possible, however, to take this too far, and make yourself nauseated that way as well. You don’t want to pound a ton of water, and then add a huge protein shake on top immediately afterwards. As with anything, it’s important to find a good balance, and to practice patience.

Additives

Many protein powders are full of additives like artificial sweeteners, colors and preservatives, If none of the other common causes apply to your situation, there’s a good chance that you may be sensitive to some of these additives.

Sweeteners like sucralose, aspartame and xylitol are some of the most common troublemakers, but there are many more that could be causing you trouble.

I’ll list some of the most common food additives to watch out for:

• acacia gum
• acesulfame potassium
• artificial flavors
• aspartame
• carrageenan
• cellulose gum
• dextrin
• dextrose
• erythritol
• gellan gum
• guar gum
• gum arabic
• inulin

Food additives are hard to avoid, but not impossible. There are several great protein powders out there with only simple ingredients. I recommend trying one if your usual protein powder makes your stomach hurt.

How To Prevent Upset Stomach From Protein Powder?

So now you know all of the most common reasons why your protein powder could be causing digestive issues. Now I’ll give an overview of the things you can do to ensure you get the most out of your protein supplement without all of the discomfort.

• Avoid whey or casein protein powders: Tons of people are sensitive or intolerant to whey and similar dairy products. If you’re experiencing gastro-intestinal side effects from whey or casein protein powders, your first step is to simply switch to a non-dairy powder and see if your issues stop.
• Don’t use too much powder at once: Although you might be eager to boost recovery by loading up on extra protein powder, it’s not a good idea if you’re having stomach issues. Try using a more moderate serving size.
• Don’t drink your protein supplement too quickly: It’s so common and satisfying to slam a protein shake after a hard workout. But you have to take your time and not overload your stomach.
• Don’t drink your protein shake too soon after finishing a workout: It’s tempting to start in on a protein shake as soon as possible after a hard workout. It is, however, a good idea to let your body relax and get ready for digestion before dumping a lot of protein powder in it.
• Stay hydrated: Having enough water in your body is important for your digestive health. Always make sure you’re drinking enough during and after a workout before you put a lot of protein on your stomach.
• Avoid added ingredients: Added ingredients are usually hard for our bodies to digest, and may cause GI issues in a lot people. It’s best to avoid them, when possible. Look for an unsweetened protein powder with simple ingredients.

Best Stomach Friendly Protein Powders

If most protein powders make your stomach hurt, you’re not alone. Luckily, there a lot of great products out there with natural, dairy-free ingredients that you can try.

Best Overall

Now Sport’s Unflavored Egg White Protein Powder is amazing. It has just one ingredient: egg whites. You can’t get any simpler or easier on the stomach than this. This powder also has a soft, neutral flavor. It probably won’t taste too good just by itself, but once you mix it up with some nice natural sweeteners of your own, it’s sure to make a delicious shake. The best part? It shouldn’t give you the dreaded upset stomach.

Best Pre-Mixed

Premier Protein might be the most widely used and trusted of supplement you’ll find anywhere. One serving provides a whopping 30g of easy-to-digest protein. Since these drinks are partly designed for people who have digestive issues, you should have no problem with upset stomach after drinking Premier Protein.

Best Whey

Okay, so maybe you’re not sensitive to whey, but instead you’re body just doesn’t like all of the added ingredients of typical protein powders. If so, boy do I have the product for you, Naked Whey has just one simple and effective ingredient: whey. That’s it. No added flavors or sweeteners. If you’re looking for a whey protein powder that wont upset your stomach, you can do no better than Naked Whey 100% Premium Grass-Fed Protein Powder.

Conclusion

Protein powders can be hard on the stomach for a number of reasons. That doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying the benefits of these useful supplements. Give one of the stomach-friendly protein powders above a try. Be sure to stay well-hydrated, and don’t drink too much protein shake too fast, or too soon after your workout.

I hope this article has answered all of your questions about why protein powders might be making your stomach hurt. If not, drop a comment below and I’ll be happy to answer it!