No whey! Protein drinks aren’t just for bodybuilders anymore.
Ozempic and Mounjaro users are increasingly turning to protein drinks as a convenient way to combat excess muscle loss as they shed pounds.
Two months into taking Type II diabetes weight-loss drug Mounjaro, Elise Ramer, a PR pro in Sarasota, FL, started drinking protein shakes.
As a result, Ramer said she has successfully lost 60 pounds in her 18-month weight-loss journey, while retaining muscle definition.
She puts Fairlife’s Core Power in her coffee in the morning.
“It’s a great way to start the day without having to sit down and have a full breakfast,” said Ramer, 42, who also drinks it straight at night.
Sales of protein and meal replacement liquids are up 11.1% year over year to $4.7 billion for the 52 weeks ending June 19, according to data provided by retail tracker SPINS.
Protein and meal replacement powder sales increased 4.7% for the period to $1.5 billion.
“Many food and beverage categories are bound to benefit from the drug use, but protein consumption has been one of the firsts consumers are gravitating toward,” said Scott Dicker, senior director of market insights at SPINS. “For example, in the future, we may expect to see things like sweets and snack purchases decrease as cravings are curbed.”
A total of 13% of consumers using drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro said they consumed protein shakes in the last two years, according to data from consumer research agency Rila Global Consulting.
“Our research highlights a significant shift in consumer health behaviors, emphasizing the growing role of protein shakes and other nutritional interventions in enhancing treatment outcomes and preventing serious illnesses,” said Rila CEO Tsvetta Kaleynska.
Protein shakes are a good option as weight-loss drugs make it “challenging to consume larger quantities of whole foods necessary to meet protein requirements,” said registered dietician Gretchen Zimmermann.
Bodybuilders have long used protein shakes to build muscle, while the elderly have consumed them to maintain nutrition and prevent or treat loss of muscle function.
“Protein shakes offer a convenient solution, giving you up to 30 grams of protein with only a couple hundred calories per serving,” Zimmermann said.
Queens resident Karlin D. Carney drank protein shakes for years before starting on glucagon-like peptide‑1, or GLP-1, drugs to treat Type II diabetes and obesity four years ago.
At that point he upped his protein shake consumption to five times a week, drinking shakes as a quick breakfast and an extra snack on workout days.
“They are an easier and cheaper way to consume extra protein, especially if you are a busy person like me,” said Carney, 40, a doctoral candidate in acupuncture at Pacific College who is taking Mounjaro. “Or if you don’t have much of an appetite.”
