I do not understand about you, however I certainly did not have protein Diet Coke on my 2024 bingo card. Yes, truly: People in Utah have actually obviously made this a thing, and it's been popping throughout TikTok as a growing number of folks provide it a shot too. The video that supposedly influenced the trend has actually accumulated a massive 2.3 million views in 3 days.
To be clear, protein Diet Coke isn't a real, main item offered by the Coca-Cola Company, however rather a mashup improvised by macro-focused soda fans. To make one, all you require to do is put a vanilla-flavored protein shake (Core Power, per the video) into a cup of water fountain soda and slosh the contents around a bit. The designated function? Making your preferred beverage that far more protein-dense.
I had 2 concerns enter your mind: One, does the mix in fact taste excellent? And 2, exist any dietary advantages (or disadvantages) related to blending these 2 active ingredients? Based upon a fast skim of the remarks area, great deals of folks appeared likewise worried about the possible GI effect. This remark alone has 16.6 k likes: “My digestion system would never ever recuperate.”
Despite the fact that my coworkers were hesitant, I figured it deserved a shot. I acquired a Big Gulp at a close-by 7-Eleven and waited till I was back at my workplace to include the Core Power (partially since I figured it would be simpler to blend the combination at my desk, however likewise since I didn't wish to deal with the judgment of the other 7-Eleven clients). Complete almost to the brim, my beverage looked like a root beer float: a bubbly, pale brown liquid. And much to the surprise of my associates (and myself), it– surprise– in fact tasted like one too: carbonated however velvety, with an unique tip of vanilla. In general, respectable; I ‘d state my expectations were surpassed.
With the taste concern out of the method, it was time to sign in with the professionals for the dietary rundown. Is this pattern really safe? Or could the mix of carbonated soda and dairy in fact harm your stomach, specifically if you're draining after an exercise, when lots of folks grab protein shakes? (And even if it is safe, just what is the point?)
“I might see some pros,” Jessica Isaacs, RD, CSSD, a sports dietitian, informs SELF. While the soda itself does not have any genuine dietary advantages, the addition of the shake will undoubtedly supply protein (26 grams, to be precise), not to point out some carbohydrates, electrolytes, and calcium– all of which are handy not just after an exercise, however likewise simply in basic. “You take something like a Diet Coke that does not actually have any nutrition, and you're increasing the nutrition of it, basically,” Isaacs states.
Because of that, there's no benefit to consuming a protein Diet Coke over the Core Power shake by itself, according to Isaacs. That stated, the mix might be a strong alternative for individuals who do not like the taste of protein shakes on their own or who wish to make their Diet Cokes a little more healthy.