How to Find the Best Protein Shakes for Kid Athletes

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

This is a Dietitian’s guide on how to find the best protein shakes for kid athletes.

Discover safely supplement your protein intake as a kid athlete.

Last Updated
Jan 31, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Jack, Founder

Jack is the Founder of Drink Wholesome.

Medically reviewed by Brittany, MS, RD and Jenn, PA-C

Kayla is a Registered Dietitian with a MS in Nutrition.

Jennifer is a Physician Assistant with a BA in Nutritional Sciences.

Protein Shakes for Kid Athletes

Are Protein Shakes Good for Kid Athletes?

Childhood is a time of growth and activity and in the United States, more than half of kids are involved in organized sports, which requires them to have good nutrition.

Protein in particular is crucial for growing children, especially those who play sports, because it is needed to repair muscles damaged during exercise.

Without enough protein, kids will not grow, and kid athletes athletes will not recover.

For kids aged 4-13, the recommended protein intake is 0.95 grams per kilogram of body weight per day (Nutrients, 2021).

Kid athletes often need much more protein than that, however, sometimes twice as much (Pediatrics, 2016).

Note that kid athletes should try to get as much protein as they can from foods like eggs, fish, and meat.

Some kids, however, such as picky eaters or those with dietary restrictions, might struggle to get enough protein this way.

This is where protein shakes can help.

Adding a protein shake to a kid athlete’s diet is a great way to ensure that he or she is getting the protein he or she needs to develop and succeed as an athlete.

That said, not all protein shakes are created equal.

What Are the Best Protein Shakes for Kid Athletes?

Many protein supplements contain ingredients known to cause painful side effects and even long-term health problems.

Among the top offenders are food additives and protein concentrates and isolates.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

Regularly eating emulsifiers, thickeners, artificial sweeteners, and other ultra-processed additives can alter the composition and function of your gut microbiome (North Clin Istanb, 2019).

These shifts, known gut dysbiosis, which can impair athletic performance and even contribute to a wide range of chronic diseases, including diabetes and even certain cancers (Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care, 2024; J Exp Med, 2019).

Gut dysbiosis is so problematic because it causes a cascade of problems, including intestinal permeability, systemic inflammation, impaired nutrient absorption, and reduced short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production.

⚠️ Here is a list of the most common food additives in protein supplements:

• acacia fiber
• acacia gum
• acesulfame potassium
• artificial flavors
• ascorbic acid
• aspartame
• calcium carbonate
• carrageenan
• cellulose gum
• dextrin
• dicalcium phosphate
• dipotassium phosphate
• erythritol
• gellan gum
• guar gum
• gum arabic
• inulin
• locust bean gum
• maltitol
• maltodextrin
• mono- and diglycerides
• ‘natural’ flavors
• rice bran extract
• rice dextrin
• rice hulls
• rosemary extract
• silica
• silicon dioxide
• sodium alginate
• soluble corn fiber
• sorbitol
• soy lecithin
• sucralose
• sunflower lecithin
• tocopherols
• tricalcium phosphate
• xanthan gum
• xylitol
• zinc oxide

As a rule of thumb, if you could not find an ingredient in nature or make it at home, it is a food additive.

🚫 Avoid Protein Concentrates and Isolates

You should also consider avoiding protein concentrates and isolates.

Most protein powders are made from one or both of these protein sources, which have been mechanically and/or chemically stripped of everything but the protein.

This includes the enzymes, fiber, and other natural digestive aids that help you break them down.

You therefore do not digest them in the same way that you do whole foods, which can affect your gut health.

In fact, studies show that regularly eating protein concentrates and isolates can disrupt your gut microbiome and cause the formation of toxic byproducts in your gut (Nutrients, 2018; Mol Nutr Food Res, 2024).

So instead of ultra-processed protein concentrates or isolates, look for whole food protein sources like egg whites and almonds.

They are easier to digest and absorb.

Order Samples to see for yourself.

Sources

1. Nutrients (Nutrients). Dietary Protein Requirements in Children: Methods for Consideration. 2021.
2. Pediatrics (Pediatrics). Use of Performance-Enhancing Substances. 2016.
3. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2019.
4. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care (Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care). The interplay between gut microbiome and physical exercise in athletes.. 2024.
5. The Journal of Experimental Medicine (J Exp Med). The gut microbiome: Relationships with disease and opportunities for therapy. 2019.
6. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
7. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research (Mol Nutr Food Res). In Vitro Fermentation of Animal and Plant Protein Isolates by the Human Gut Microbiota Under High and Low Carbohydrate Conditions. 2024.

Editorial Guidelines

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This article was written by a Registered Dietitian and reviewed by a Physician Assistant. We rely on peer-reviewed research and trusted medical sources, and regularly update our content to ensure accuracy and clarity.