What can I drink when bulking? A comprehensive guide

December 18, 2025 •

4 min read

According to a 2019 review, a calorie surplus of around 350 to 500 calories per day, combined with resistance training, is beneficial for muscle gain. While solid foods are vital, strategically selecting your beverages is a highly efficient way to meet these elevated calorie and nutrient targets without feeling overly full.

Quick Summary

This guide details the optimal beverages for a bulking diet, including high-calorie homemade shakes and smart hydration choices. It also highlights which drinks to avoid to prevent hindering your progress toward building muscle mass.

Key Points

Prioritize Hydration: Water is essential for every bodily function related to muscle growth, so drink 2-3 liters daily to maximize performance and recovery.
Homemade Shakes are Key: Use high-quality, whole food ingredients like milk, oats, fruit, and nut butter in homemade shakes to create calorie-dense, nutrient-rich liquid meals.
Leverage Liquid Calories: Liquid calories from shakes are an effective strategy to increase your daily intake without the bloating or fullness of solid food.
Choose Smart Post-Workout Drinks: Use drinks like whole milk for a mix of fast and slow-digesting protein or tart cherry juice to aid in muscle recovery and reduce soreness.
Avoid Empty Calories: Steer clear of sugary sodas and limit alcohol, as these beverages can lead to unwanted fat gain and impair muscle protein synthesis.
Balance Your Macros: When creating shakes, combine protein sources with complex carbohydrates and healthy fats to ensure sustained energy and optimal muscle repair.

The Foundational Beverage: Water

Water is the most crucial beverage for anyone, but especially during a bulk. Your muscles are approximately 70-75% water, and even mild dehydration can significantly reduce your strength and endurance. Dehydration also impairs the process of protein synthesis, hindering muscle repair and growth. You should aim to drink 2-3 liters of water per day, increasing your intake around workouts to replenish lost fluids. Water also assists in nutrient delivery and removing toxins from the body, ensuring all the calories and protein you consume are used efficiently.

High-Calorie Homemade Shakes and Smoothies

Liquid calories are a powerful tool for adding significant calories and nutrients without the feeling of being stuffed, which can be a challenge for some individuals during a bulking phase. Homemade shakes offer complete control over ingredients, allowing you to maximize quality calories and protein. Here are a few potent recipes:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Shake

1 large banana
1 cup whole milk or soy milk
1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp flax or chia seeds
Blend all ingredients until smooth for a muscle-building classic packed with protein, healthy fats, and carbs.

Tropical Coconut Cream Shake

1 scoop vanilla whey protein
1 cup canned coconut milk
1 cup frozen pineapple
1 frozen banana
¼ cup cashews
A high-calorie, nutritious shake for those who enjoy tropical flavors. The coconut milk and cashews provide a large dose of healthy fats.

Apple Cinnamon Oat Smoothie

1 ½ cups whole milk
2 small apples, sliced
⅓ cup rolled oats
2 tbsp almond butter
1 tbsp hemp hearts
Cinnamon to taste
This shake offers complex carbohydrates from oats for sustained energy and healthy fats from the almond butter.

The Role of Milk and Dairy

For decades, milk has been a staple for those looking to gain weight and muscle. Whole milk is a great choice as it contains a healthy balance of protein, carbs, and fats. The protein in milk includes both fast-digesting whey and slow-digesting casein, providing a sustained release of amino acids for muscle repair.

Whole Milk: An easy way to increase calorie and protein intake. Studies show it can help promote lean muscle mass when combined with resistance training.
Greek Yogurt: Adding high-protein Greek yogurt to your shakes boosts protein content and provides beneficial probiotics.

Natural Juices and Performance Drinks

Beyond shakes, certain juices can offer specific benefits for recovery and performance.

Tart Cherry Juice: Rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, tart cherry juice can help reduce muscle soreness and aid in faster muscle recovery after intense workouts.
Coconut Water: A natural source of electrolytes like potassium and magnesium, coconut water is excellent for rehydration, especially post-workout, and contains less sodium than many sports drinks.
Beetroot Juice: Contains nitrates that can improve exercise performance by increasing blood flow to the muscles.

What to Avoid While Bulking

While the goal is to consume a calorie surplus, it's critical to prioritize nutrient-dense calories. Certain drinks provide "empty calories" that hinder progress and negatively impact health.

Sugar-Sweetened Beverages: Soft drinks, sweet teas, and lemonade offer high sugar content that can cause rapid blood sugar spikes and crashes, providing minimal nutritional value and potentially leading to unwanted fat gain.
Excessive Alcohol: Alcohol consumption can impede muscle protein synthesis, cause dehydration, disrupt sleep, and increase cortisol levels, which breaks down muscle tissue. Limit intake, especially after tough workouts, to avoid sabotaging your gains.
Diet Soda (in excess): While calorie-free, overuse of artificial sweeteners can increase cravings for sweets and impact overall diet quality.

Drink Choices for Bulking: A Comparison


Aspect	Homemade Protein Shake	Commercial Mass Gainer	Sports Drink	Sugary Soda
Calories	Highly variable (500-1000+)	Very high (600-1200+)	Moderate (~100-200)	Moderate (~150)
Protein	High (using powder, milk, yogurt)	Very high (25-80g+)	Very low (often 0g)	None
Carbs	Customizable (fruit, oats)	Very high (simple and complex)	Moderate (simple sugars)	Very high (simple sugars)
Healthy Fats	Customizable (nut butters, seeds, avocado)	Often low or variable	None	None
Nutrient Density	Very High (whole foods)	Variable (often contains vitamins/minerals)	Low	None (empty calories)
Best Use	Nutrient-dense meals or snacks	High-calorie boost, hardgainers	Intra/post-workout rehydration	Avoid, offers no value

Conclusion: Drink Smart, Grow Strong

Selecting the right drinks is a game-changer for a successful bulk. By prioritizing water, crafting your own high-calorie shakes with whole foods like milk, oats, and nut butters, and including natural juices for specific benefits, you can effectively hit your calorie and protein targets. Just as importantly, limiting or avoiding sugary sodas and excessive alcohol will ensure your efforts in the gym and kitchen translate directly into quality muscle gain. Remember, what you drink is just as important as what you eat when it comes to maximizing your results. For more details on the negative effects of alcohol on muscle growth, read this scientific review.

Disclaimer: Always consult a healthcare provider or a registered dietitian before starting a new diet or supplement regimen.

Frequently Asked Questions

While water is vital for hydration and muscle function, it does not provide the calories and macronutrients needed to achieve a calorie surplus for bulking. You need to supplement water with calorie-dense drinks like shakes or milk to gain weight.

Yes, chocolate milk can be an excellent post-workout drink for bulking. It contains a great balance of carbohydrates for replenishing muscle glycogen and protein for repair, along with key electrolytes like calcium.

The choice depends on your preference and needs. Commercial mass gainers are convenient and extremely high in calories, while homemade shakes offer better control over ingredients, potentially higher nutrient density from whole foods, and can be more budget-friendly.

It is best to avoid sugary sodas while bulking. They offer empty calories that contribute to fat gain, not muscle, and can cause energy crashes. Diet sodas are calorie-free but still offer no nutritional value.

There is no set amount, but incorporating 1-2 cups of whole milk into your daily routine, whether in a shake or as a standalone drink, can help boost your intake of protein, carbs, and fats. Start gradually to see how your body responds.

No, protein powder is not strictly necessary but can be a very convenient way to meet your daily protein goals, especially if you struggle to get enough from whole foods alone. Many whole food ingredients like milk, Greek yogurt, nuts, and seeds provide ample protein.

For vegans, soy milk and homemade smoothies are great options. Soy milk has a strong protein profile, while a smoothie with plant-based protein powder, oats, nut butter, and avocado can be packed with calories and nutrients.