I noticed that there was no thread outlining protein supplements in general and, seeing as how protein supplements are the basis of a lot of the questions here, I decided to compile some guidelines. Hopefully this will answer a lot of questions and stop any 13 year old kids from chomping on protein bars every hour in the hopes of looking disproportionally huge.
The beginning of the 21st century saw some huge spikes in Japan’s supplement sales.
Bear in mind, I’m still in the process of studying nutrition in-depth, so I may eventually overhaul this whole thing.
Do I need protein supplements to gain muscle mass?
The answer: One big fat NO! A lot of people seem to think protein only comes in powder form. They forget that God/Mother Nature/science/gypsies came up with a natural source of protein. Remember what it is? FOOD! In general, the only people that absolutely need to supplement are a lot of body builders (and similar athletes) and vegetarians/vegans.
It used to be as easy as this, but evolution saw an end to it.
What I’m saying is that if you’re already getting an ample amount of protein from your whole foods during the day, you really don’t need supplements.
So what are the benefits of supplements if I already eat a lot of meat?
There are a few benefits of taking supplements as opposed to your 7:00 PM steak.
For one thing, as a lot of professional athletes surely know, protein supplements are a better protein source than whole foods. A lot whole food, including meat, is what is considered an “incomplete protein”, which is a source that does not contain every essential amino acid. However, taking supplements is a much easier way to get a complete protein source, which is why many athletes choose to go vegetarian, cutting out meat altogether in favour of powder.
Furthermore, after working one’s muscles, the body will be in this “window of opportunity” period in which it is more proficient at absorbing and utilizing nutrients…like protein! Go figure. This window generally lasts for a few hours, but a lot of people don’t have their next meal within that window. So, to take advantage of this time period, it can be easier to simply take a supplement.
Lastly, as the athletes on the more “intense” side of the training scale will tell you, they simply train TOO much for regular food to be able to supply their bodies with enough protein. This last one shouldn’t require much explanation. Be aware, however, by “more intense side” of training, I’m talking about the more elite populous that trains at high intensity multiple times per day.
Like this guy!
I’m not trying to be buff / I don’t want to get fat / I’m trying to lose weight. Can I still take protein supplements?
No matter what, taking protein of any kind will cause your biceps to swell up to the size of industrial pipes and make your belly hang out more than those hipster hooligans hang out in front of the McDonalds downtown.
Back to reality, you should have no worries. There is no reasoning behind the belief that protein will automatically make you fat or that huge muscles are the only use for supplementing.
In terms of the fat scare, people who “became fat” because of taking protein did so by eating too much or because they took it and didn’t exercise. Like most food, too much of it will be converted into fat (or be peed out, but I’ll get to that later). Furthermore, the more your muscles require repair (as I’ll also discuss below), the more protein they’ll use. Thus, less protein will be left over to be stored as fat.
To continue, there are more reasons for taking protein than just becoming buff. When you do any kind of exercise, you’re muscles become damaged and require repairs, and it’s with protein that the body does so. So any individual, whether they’re trying to lose weight, muscle toning, or simply training for sport performance, will benefit from protein supplements without “accidentally” becoming huge.
As a side note, for those trying to lose weight, protein, as well as repairing those worn-out muscles, will also help control your appetite by slowing your blood glucose utilization.
Protein is like this road sign, but for sugar instead of cars.
How much protein should I take?
In a single day, it’s accepted that an individual should consume 0.8g – 1.0g of protein per kilogram of body mass per day. Keep in mind, this isn’t the daily intake for protein supplements. It’s the daily intake for protein IN TOTAL, so you have to consider what you’re eating as well as your protein shake.
But wait, there’s also a limit on how much protein that you can ingest at one time. The body can only utilize around ~26g of protein, and so, keeping in mind that the body still won’t use everything you put in it, you should take 30g doses. Supplement store workers will often tell you to take more than that, especially if they think you’re inexperienced. My recommendation: Flip them off.
Because GNC’s floor attendants are basically PHD equivalents.
Are there adverse effects of taking more than the recommended amount of protein anyway?
The short answer: Yes. The long answer: HELL YES!
Oh, you want the informative answer. I guess I can provide..
Well, as I’ve stated already, ingesting more protein than your body needs or is able to use can, to be blunt, cause you to chub up. Since there is no biological way for the body to store protein in a protein form, excess is converted into fat and stored that way.
There’s a second method of dealing with excess protein, though, and it’s not that much better. Your body converts it into ammonia, which, as you chem nerds, kitchen workers, and janitors should know, is a rather toxic substance. Luckily, your kidneys then convert the ammonia into urea (which is slightly less toxic), which is then excreted in your urine. Unfortunately, like any other organ, your kidneys do not take too kindly to being overworked. Sure, there probably won’t be any immediate side-effects of overdosing on protein, but in the long-term you could do some serious damage.
For an analogy, let’s pretend that bandwidth is protein and this browser is your kidneys.
However, this is not meant to scare you from taking protein altogether. What I just described above would require long-term abuse. If you follow the guidelines I just listed, you’ll be fine.
What kind of protein powder should I take?
To anyone who has never taken supplements before, walking into GNC or Popeye’s can be pretty intimidating.
Who WOULDN’T be deterred by this guy?
However, once you learn the difference between the different types of protein (and stop being distracted by loud, shiny labels) it becomes a lot less of task. Protein sources are often measured by their biological value (BV) which is basically a rating out of 100 of how complete the protein is and how readily it is broken down, absorbed, and utilized by the body. (For instance in some scales, a whole egg is 100 and beef is 75.)
Whey Protein – This is easily the most popular protein supplement. It has a BV that often exceeds 100 (if you’re going by the scales which have eggs at 100). Whey comes from milk sources, being a byproduct of cheese production. (Appetizing visual, eh?) A lot of the fancier protein powders will include whey as part of the complex, but generally, there are tons of brands that will say 100% whey, which is what you should be springing for. On the downside, a lot of people have lactose-intolerance and will feel sick or bloated after ingesting whey. That’s when you should think about…
Whey Isolate – Whey isolate is basically the protein part of whey protein and nothing else. This type has had all the lactose and fat removed, so if the fat concerns you or you had a bad reaction to the regular whey, give this a try. Unfortunately, whey isolate tends to cost significantly more than regular whey.
Soy Protein – Soy protein is rather uncommon, and I don’t believe I’ve met anyone that actually uses it. However, it has just a slightly lower BV than whey protein, is naturally free of lactose, and the hippies, er, vegans of you readers should have no moral qualms about eating it.
BCAA – Branched-chain amino acids, or BCAA’s, are the four specific amino acids that make up 1/3 of the protein that your muscles use. (For the less arithmetically inclined, 1/3 is a lot.) This being said, it’s more or less been agreed on that taking just BCAA’s, rather than a complete protein, will be more beneficial for muscle growth. This is largely recommended for body builders and other athletes who are looking to put on pure mass. However, if you’re trying to lose weight, performance training, or just looking to put on some leaner muscle mass, this probably isn’t for you.
Protein Blends and “Other” Mixes – This is basically my “miscellaneous” category. Protein blends are blends of different types of proteins. (Who would’ve guessed?!) By “other mixes”, I’m talking about the stuff that has all the extra crap in it. You know, the “natural compounds” and “energy enhancers” that the labels promise will get you shredded. I haven’t done a whole lot of research into the different blends, as that would be a long and arduous process, but my general rule is that a lot, if not most of these blends are more full of marketing BS rather than helpful nutrients. (I may return to this topic in the future, however.)
Wrap-up
So there you have it: My quick, one hour protein summary that I may, one-day, use as a last-minute report for my biochemistry class. (Yay, productivity!) As a final note, please remember that protein is not the KEY to strength, size, and power. Exercise is. Protein will only help the process along. Whatever you do, just remember that any sort of progress in your training will take time.
The beginning of the 21st century saw some huge spikes in Japan’s supplement sales.
Bear in mind, I’m still in the process of studying nutrition in-depth, so I may eventually overhaul this whole thing.
Do I need protein supplements to gain muscle mass?
The answer: One big fat NO! A lot of people seem to think protein only comes in powder form. They forget that God/Mother Nature/science/gypsies came up with a natural source of protein. Remember what it is? FOOD! In general, the only people that absolutely need to supplement are a lot of body builders (and similar athletes) and vegetarians/vegans.
It used to be as easy as this, but evolution saw an end to it.
What I’m saying is that if you’re already getting an ample amount of protein from your whole foods during the day, you really don’t need supplements.
So what are the benefits of supplements if I already eat a lot of meat?
There are a few benefits of taking supplements as opposed to your 7:00 PM steak.
For one thing, as a lot of professional athletes surely know, protein supplements are a better protein source than whole foods. A lot whole food, including meat, is what is considered an “incomplete protein”, which is a source that does not contain every essential amino acid. However, taking supplements is a much easier way to get a complete protein source, which is why many athletes choose to go vegetarian, cutting out meat altogether in favour of powder.
Furthermore, after working one’s muscles, the body will be in this “window of opportunity” period in which it is more proficient at absorbing and utilizing nutrients…like protein! Go figure. This window generally lasts for a few hours, but a lot of people don’t have their next meal within that window. So, to take advantage of this time period, it can be easier to simply take a supplement.
Lastly, as the athletes on the more “intense” side of the training scale will tell you, they simply train TOO much for regular food to be able to supply their bodies with enough protein. This last one shouldn’t require much explanation. Be aware, however, by “more intense side” of training, I’m talking about the more elite populous that trains at high intensity multiple times per day.
Like this guy!
I’m not trying to be buff / I don’t want to get fat / I’m trying to lose weight. Can I still take protein supplements?
No matter what, taking protein of any kind will cause your biceps to swell up to the size of industrial pipes and make your belly hang out more than those hipster hooligans hang out in front of the McDonalds downtown.
Back to reality, you should have no worries. There is no reasoning behind the belief that protein will automatically make you fat or that huge muscles are the only use for supplementing.
In terms of the fat scare, people who “became fat” because of taking protein did so by eating too much or because they took it and didn’t exercise. Like most food, too much of it will be converted into fat (or be peed out, but I’ll get to that later). Furthermore, the more your muscles require repair (as I’ll also discuss below), the more protein they’ll use. Thus, less protein will be left over to be stored as fat.
To continue, there are more reasons for taking protein than just becoming buff. When you do any kind of exercise, you’re muscles become damaged and require repairs, and it’s with protein that the body does so. So any individual, whether they’re trying to lose weight, muscle toning, or simply training for sport performance, will benefit from protein supplements without “accidentally” becoming huge.
As a side note, for those trying to lose weight, protein, as well as repairing those worn-out muscles, will also help control your appetite by slowing your blood glucose utilization.
Protein is like this road sign, but for sugar instead of cars.
How much protein should I take?
In a single day, it’s accepted that an individual should consume 0.8g – 1.0g of protein per kilogram of body mass per day. Keep in mind, this isn’t the daily intake for protein supplements. It’s the daily intake for protein IN TOTAL, so you have to consider what you’re eating as well as your protein shake.
But wait, there’s also a limit on how much protein that you can ingest at one time. The body can only utilize around ~26g of protein, and so, keeping in mind that the body still won’t use everything you put in it, you should take 30g doses. Supplement store workers will often tell you to take more than that, especially if they think you’re inexperienced. My recommendation: Flip them off.
Because GNC’s floor attendants are basically PHD equivalents.
Are there adverse effects of taking more than the recommended amount of protein anyway?
The short answer: Yes. The long answer: HELL YES!
Oh, you want the informative answer. I guess I can provide..
Well, as I’ve stated already, ingesting more protein than your body needs or is able to use can, to be blunt, cause you to chub up. Since there is no biological way for the body to store protein in a protein form, excess is converted into fat and stored that way.
There’s a second method of dealing with excess protein, though, and it’s not that much better. Your body converts it into ammonia, which, as you chem nerds, kitchen workers, and janitors should know, is a rather toxic substance. Luckily, your kidneys then convert the ammonia into urea (which is slightly less toxic), which is then excreted in your urine. Unfortunately, like any other organ, your kidneys do not take too kindly to being overworked. Sure, there probably won’t be any immediate side-effects of overdosing on protein, but in the long-term you could do some serious damage.
For an analogy, let’s pretend that bandwidth is protein and this browser is your kidneys.
However, this is not meant to scare you from taking protein altogether. What I just described above would require long-term abuse. If you follow the guidelines I just listed, you’ll be fine.
What kind of protein powder should I take?
To anyone who has never taken supplements before, walking into GNC or Popeye’s can be pretty intimidating.
Who WOULDN’T be deterred by this guy?
However, once you learn the difference between the different types of protein (and stop being distracted by loud, shiny labels) it becomes a lot less of task. Protein sources are often measured by their biological value (BV) which is basically a rating out of 100 of how complete the protein is and how readily it is broken down, absorbed, and utilized by the body. (For instance in some scales, a whole egg is 100 and beef is 75.)
Whey Protein – This is easily the most popular protein supplement. It has a BV that often exceeds 100 (if you’re going by the scales which have eggs at 100). Whey comes from milk sources, being a byproduct of cheese production. (Appetizing visual, eh?) A lot of the fancier protein powders will include whey as part of the complex, but generally, there are tons of brands that will say 100% whey, which is what you should be springing for. On the downside, a lot of people have lactose-intolerance and will feel sick or bloated after ingesting whey. That’s when you should think about…
Whey Isolate – Whey isolate is basically the protein part of whey protein and nothing else. This type has had all the lactose and fat removed, so if the fat concerns you or you had a bad reaction to the regular whey, give this a try. Unfortunately, whey isolate tends to cost significantly more than regular whey.
Soy Protein – Soy protein is rather uncommon, and I don’t believe I’ve met anyone that actually uses it. However, it has just a slightly lower BV than whey protein, is naturally free of lactose, and the hippies, er, vegans of you readers should have no moral qualms about eating it.
BCAA – Branched-chain amino acids, or BCAA’s, are the four specific amino acids that make up 1/3 of the protein that your muscles use. (For the less arithmetically inclined, 1/3 is a lot.) This being said, it’s more or less been agreed on that taking just BCAA’s, rather than a complete protein, will be more beneficial for muscle growth. This is largely recommended for body builders and other athletes who are looking to put on pure mass. However, if you’re trying to lose weight, performance training, or just looking to put on some leaner muscle mass, this probably isn’t for you.
Protein Blends and “Other” Mixes – This is basically my “miscellaneous” category. Protein blends are blends of different types of proteins. (Who would’ve guessed?!) By “other mixes”, I’m talking about the stuff that has all the extra crap in it. You know, the “natural compounds” and “energy enhancers” that the labels promise will get you shredded. I haven’t done a whole lot of research into the different blends, as that would be a long and arduous process, but my general rule is that a lot, if not most of these blends are more full of marketing BS rather than helpful nutrients. (I may return to this topic in the future, however.)
Wrap-up
So there you have it: My quick, one hour protein summary that I may, one-day, use as a last-minute report for my biochemistry class. (Yay, productivity!) As a final note, please remember that protein is not the KEY to strength, size, and power. Exercise is. Protein will only help the process along. Whatever you do, just remember that any sort of progress in your training will take time.