With the chilly arrival of December, most people are settling nicely into their winter bods. However, others are still valiantly avoiding the excessive amount of sweet treats available, instead drinking protein shake after protein shake after hitting the gym.

But one personal trainer is here to tell you that protein drinks are not the one. Max Lowery, who created the Two Meal Day intermittent fasting plan, revealed this year why he has never taken a protein shake in his life - and why he doesn't intend to in the future.

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Max Lowery/Instagram]]

Talking to Business Insider in June, the 28-year-old claimed that the average person gets all the protein they need from eating real food, and insisted that the drinks are unnecessary for about 90 per cent of people looking to get fit.

"The only people who might benefit from them are vegans who aren't being so careful with their diets — so it's an easy way to get some protein — or elite athletes who are training twice a day six days a week," he said.

"The average untrained person needs as little as 60-75g of protein and the average trained person who exercises three times a week needs 1.2g-2g per kilo of body weight. You can easily get enough protein from eating real food. In fact, too much protein can actually be broken down into sugars that create an insulin response which can facilitate fat storage. This is called gluconeogenesis."

In addition, the muscley fitness expert pointed out to Business Insider that the ingredients in protein shakes may not always be the best things for your body.

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Max Lowery/Instagram]]

"Lots of shakes are packed with artificial sweeteners like corn syrup solids, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium —companies use these because they are addictive and send a signal to the brain to keep drinking or eating without an off switch — even if they, themselves, don't contain any calories," he said.

Continuing, Lowey - who was a professional sprinter for four years - claimed that the producers of these shakes often use these sweeteners to cover other unsavoury tastes.

He said: "A lot of whey protein comes from very poor sources as well, most commercial whey powders are high-heat-treated, acid-flushed, and stripped of vital nutrients, creating an imbalanced, acidic 'whey isolat,' that's frequently contaminated with synthetic additives, chemical detergents, and heavy metals. It's no wonder they have to use all these sweeteners to cover the taste."

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Max Lowery/Instagram]]

Blasting the multi-million-pound industry for its "clever marketing" and celebrity advocates, the personal trainer also added that several "unbiased" studies have suggested that protein consumption over the course of the day is what really matters.

So, will you be steering clear of protein shakes after this advice from a seasoned fitness buff?

With the chilly arrival of December, most people are settling nicely into their winter bods. However, others are still valiantly avoiding the excessive amount of sweet treats available, instead drinking protein shake after protein shake after hitting the gym.

But one personal trainer is here to tell you that protein drinks are not the one. Max Lowery, who created the Two Meal Day intermittent fasting plan, revealed this year why he has never taken a protein shake in his life - and why he doesn't intend to in the future.

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Max Lowery/Instagram]]

Talking to Business Insider in June, the 28-year-old claimed that the average person gets all the protein they need from eating real food, and insisted that the drinks are unnecessary for about 90 per cent of people looking to get fit.

"The only people who might benefit from them are vegans who aren't being so careful with their diets — so it's an easy way to get some protein — or elite athletes who are training twice a day six days a week," he said.

"The average untrained person needs as little as 60-75g of protein and the average trained person who exercises three times a week needs 1.2g-2g per kilo of body weight. You can easily get enough protein from eating real food. In fact, too much protein can actually be broken down into sugars that create an insulin response which can facilitate fat storage. This is called gluconeogenesis."

In addition, the muscley fitness expert pointed out to Business Insider that the ingredients in protein shakes may not always be the best things for your body.

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Max Lowery/Instagram]]

"Lots of shakes are packed with artificial sweeteners like corn syrup solids, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium —companies use these because they are addictive and send a signal to the brain to keep drinking or eating without an off switch — even if they, themselves, don't contain any calories," he said.

Continuing, Lowey - who was a professional sprinter for four years - claimed that the producers of these shakes often use these sweeteners to cover other unsavoury tastes.

He said: "A lot of whey protein comes from very poor sources as well, most commercial whey powders are high-heat-treated, acid-flushed, and stripped of vital nutrients, creating an imbalanced, acidic 'whey isolat,' that's frequently contaminated with synthetic additives, chemical detergents, and heavy metals. It's no wonder they have to use all these sweeteners to cover the taste."

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Max Lowery/Instagram]]

Blasting the multi-million-pound industry for its "clever marketing" and celebrity advocates, the personal trainer also added that several "unbiased" studies have suggested that protein consumption over the course of the day is what really matters.

So, will you be steering clear of protein shakes after this advice from a seasoned fitness buff?