The history of the protein shake

To get enough proteins, you can eat protein-rich food. But you can also make it easy on yourself with a protein shake. Protein shakes have actually been popular for decades. The first protein shake was already used at the end of the 19th century! Today, we'll tell you about the history of the protein shake and what has changed compared to the protein shakes we have now.

The Ancient Greeks

During the time of the Ancient Greeks (about 2500 years ago), they were already connecting sports performance with targeted nutrition. Stories tell us that Spartan warriors would take extra-large plates of food to increase their strength and muscles.

Discovery of Proteins

Proteins, also called 'proteïne' in Dutch, are named after the Greek word protas. This means 'of primary importance'. A very fitting name since it's an essential nutrient providing the primary building blocks to every cell in your body. In 1838, the Swedish chemist Jöns Jakob Berzelius used the word 'proteïne' for the first time in a letter (1).

First Egg Protein Supplement

At the end of the 19th century, an innovative product based on milk powder was developed in Germany. This was intended to restore the strength of malnourished patients and was called Plasmon (2). The powder contained about 12 grams of egg protein and was considered a miraculous remedy by many German doctors (3).

Smart British businessmen acquired the rights and introduced the product in 1904 for the first time as a supplement for athletes (4). Unfortunately, the outbreak of World War I caused the ingredients to produce the supplement to become scarce, and interest quickly waned.

First Whey Proteins

In 1936, pharmacist Eugene Schiff developed a method to extract a whey protein supplement for human consumption from milk. Under the name Schiff Bio-Foods, he sold his products to drugstores. However, commercial success remained elusive at that time.

Increased Demand Due to World War II

In 1939, World War II broke out, creating a high demand for non-perishable foods and supplements. This allowed people to get nutrients even though food was scarce. Among others, milk powder and soy protein were introduced to the market.

Rise of Protein Powder

The war ended, but supplements remained popular. In 1951, bodybuilder Irvin Johnson introduced Johnson's Hi Protein Food: a protein supplement promising gigantic muscles (5). And it caught on. Soon, he faced stiff competition from other entrepreneurs. Despite the low quality of these products, protein powders were flying off the shelves. There was clearly a growing interest!

Increased Research

With the growing popularity, more research took place, leading to better products. Animal proteins, in particular, became popular, and in 1993 whey protein powder came to the market - a byproduct that occurs when making cheese and is rich in BCAAs."

Protein Powders Nowadays

And where do we stand today? Nowadays, protein supplements aren't just meant as medicine or supplements for the fitness industry. We know that proteins are part of healthy nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. Protein shakes have become a nice addition to our daily diet.

Plant-Based Protein Shakes

Over the past 10 years, there has been increasing research on vegan protein. We now know that plant-based protein shakes work just as well as animal-based protein supplements. Consequently, more and more people are moving away from animal supplements and opting for the sustainable alternative.

The most popular ones are plant-based protein shakes made from yellow split pea protein, soy protein, and rice protein. Additionally, protein blends are becoming increasingly popular.

But not every plant is suitable. For instance, a downside of rice protein is its sandy texture. And soy proteins are less user-friendly.

Of these three, yellow split pea protein has the best taste and finest structure. Moreover, it's a complete protein source and very user-friendly. That's why it's the most popular option among plant-based proteins.

Our Protein Shakes

At Orangefit, we only make plant-based products. We've been using yellow split peas for 6 years with lots of love in Orangefit Protein. It has become the highest-rated plant-based protein shake in Europe!

In July, we launched our new protein blend: Orangefit Protein Blend. A true masterpiece made from three protein sources: yellow split peas, fava bean, and pumpkin seed protein. If you haven't tried it yet, make sure to give it a shot!