Does Blending Protein Powder Destroy it? (4 Factors to Consider)

I was genuinely taken aback by the question, “Does Mixing Protein Powder Ruin it?”

I came across various online Q&A websites and fitness forums asking this very question.

However, once I thought about it I could understand why this may be a worry for some people.

We all want that extra hit of protein, but sometimes it’s just too hard to stomach countless plain-tasting shakes.

So, it makes sense to toss it into a blender with a few other ingredients.

With that being said, the last thing you want is for blending to totally ruin your protein powder’s effectiveness.

So, allow me to explain what you need to know.

Does Blending Protein Powder Destroy it?

Blending does not destroy protein powder. The main things that can denature protein powder are heat, pH, and salt. But, this will be at excessive levels, which is unlikely to occur with the ingredients you add during the blending process. Plus, blending protein powder with other ingredients is a great way to consume additional vitamins, minerals and nutrients you might not usually eat. However, you should also be wary of the extra calories contained in some protein smoothies.

1. Blended Protein is Still Protein

I often think blending gets a bad rap.

You’ll typically hear about how blending causes fruits and vegetables to lose valuable nutrients.

Now, while this may be partly true, it’s not to the extent that most people think.

However, due to this negative press it appears that some people believe that when anything is added to a blender it will lose its nutritional value.

And unfortunately, protein powder has now been added to that list.

I will categorically state that blending protein powder does not destroy or denature it.

The main reason that blending is believed to destroy nutrients is due to oxidation.

However, as soon as anything, fruits, vegetables, or protein powder, is exposed to air then oxidation will occur.

Now, this might affect fruits and vegetables ever so slightly, but it has absolutely no impact on protein powder.

Realistically, in order to destroy protein powder you will need to do something on a molecular level (I’ll get to this in a moment).

If you think about it, if you placed 2 cooked chicken breasts into a blender they would still contain the same amount of protein once blended.

It’s just that your chicken is now in liquid form.

It’s no different with protein powder.

You will not somehow denature the powder or suddenly have less protein content to consume.

I do believe that there was a very old article circulating many years ago that somehow claimed that protein powder was destroyed in a blender.

It had to do with the “fact” that the blades would “cut up” the protein and therefore render it completely useless.

Can you see just how ridiculous that sounds?

And yet this type of false information gets passed around over the years, and some people will quote it as fact.

You have nothing to worry about.

If you want to blend your protein powder, go ahead and be my guest.

2. There’s Not Enough Heat/pH/Salt

There are certain basic factors which can affect the denaturation of proteins.

These are excessive heat, acidic pH levels, and high salt concentration.

Now, I don’t want to get all scientific on you, and there really is no need when talking about blenders potentially destroying protein powder.

This is because none of the denaturation factors are ever likely to occur when you’re blending protein powder.

Admittedly, heating protein powder to above 55 C will typically start to denature it.

This is obviously a much lower temperature at which you cook whole food proteins.

Even so, the likelihood that the inside of a blender, even with the blades going at full throttle, reaching this temperature is minimal.

As for the acidic pH levels, proteins will go through acid-based unfolding and denaturing at around pH 2 to 5.

So, unless you’re blending your protein with pure lemon juice and nothing else, this is once again unlikely to be an issue.

The same goes for salt.

When an extremely high salt concentration is added to protein it will strip the essential layer of water molecules from the surface.

However, I’m talking about potentially adding a couple of large bowls of salt to your protein powder.

Once more, this is highly unlikely.

So, clearly there are things that can destroy and denature protein powder, but you’re not inclined to find them in a blender.

3. Blending Can Be Blessing

Blending protein powder can actually be a positive thing.

Firstly, mixing your protein just with water or milk can become a little boring after a while.

In fact, I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s ever thought that they can’t face another bland post-workout shake.

When you add protein powder to a blender you’ll generally be adding other ingredients too.

So, from a taste perspective this can be an absolute blessing.

Additionally, this is an ideal opportunity to get some essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that you might otherwise avoid in your diet.

We all know about the 5-a-day “rule”, but many of us struggle with fitting these in.

However, making a protein-packed smoothie can not only taste great, but it also allows you an opportunity to get some fruits and vegetables into your diet.

In fact, you can even blend up certain ingredients and not even taste the “goodness” in your smoothie.

One of my favourite smoothies includes oats, banana, frozen berries, spinach, peanut butter, honey, and of course, protein powder.

Now, that probably all sounded lovely until I mentioned spinach.

In reality, adding spinach to a sweet-tasting smoothie probably sounds horrendous.

However, once it’s mixed in with all the other ingredients you won’t even taste the spinach.

And yet it’s a great way to ensure that you’re getting Vitamins A, C and K, iron, potassium, folate, and fibre into your diet.

How to Make a Simple Delicious Muscle-Building Protein Shake

4. The Blending Calorie Curse

Now, for all the positives of including these additional ingredients with your protein powder, there is a negative aspect.

This is especially true when it comes to fruit.

Most of us view fruit as a great way to get some additional vitamins into our diet, while at the same time helping to either maintain or lose weight.

Yes, this is certainly the case, but only when fruit is consumed in moderation.

Too much of a good thing can also be a bad thing.

Most fruits contain the natural sugar, fructose.

And the body doesn’t differentiate between different foods.

No, it only knows the macronutrients, namely proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.

So, in effect, you could actually eat junk food and still lose weight, as long as you keep your calorie count and macro split on-point.

That being said, fructose is sugar, and of course too much sugar can lead to weight gain.

So, if you’re taking protein powder to build muscle, and to maintain or lose weight, mixing it with a high amount of sugar may not have the desired effect.

Therefore, blending your protein powder with lots of fruit may initially seem like a good idea, but just be wary of how much sugar you’re consuming.

Final Thoughts

So, as you can see, blending protein powder definitely won’t destroy it.

In order to denature protein powder it needs to be exposed to high levels of heat, acidic pH, or salt.

And this is highly unlikely to happen when you blend protein powder with other ingredients.

Furthermore, blending your protein is a great way to make a healthy smoothie, which allows you to get more vitamins, minerals, and nutrients into your diet.

However, be wary that high quantities of fruit can lead to excessive fructose consumption, which isn’t great for weight maintenance.

Next, discover what I have to say about protein powder tasting so sweet.