Protein Supplements are useless?

[varbo]

Here's a new article from this morning's Calgary Herald.

Protein supplements appear useless for building muscles

Protein supplements appear useless for building muscles

Jill Barker
Canwest News Service


Thursday, October 30, 2008


Brody Armstrong, 16, is no stranger to protein supplements.

A triple-A hockey player for Toronto's Lakeshore Lions, he's been known to have a protein shake after a tough workout either on the ice or in the gym -- and he's not alone.

Protein supplements are one of the most common nutritional aids out there, and are especially popular among young male athletes such as Armstrong.

Why is extra protein all the rage among active young males?

The word around the gym is protein supplements build bigger muscles and aid in recovery after exercise. Yet, to date, there is no scientific consensus supporting the practice of exceeding the recommended daily intake of protein -- be it in the form of supplements or food.

"Even athletes with the highest energy needs should not eat more than the daily maximum of two grams of protein per kilogram of body weight," said Marielle Ledoux, a professor in the nutrition department at the Universite de Montreal's faculty of medicine. "You won't get any additional benefit if you eat more than that."

So, while it's true that protein is essential to muscle growth and physically active individuals need more protein than someone who never hits the gym, experts say most North Americans consume more than enough protein to fuel muscle growth.

"Usually, everybody is getting about twice as much protein through their diet than needed," Ledoux said.

Consuming two servings of milk products and two to four servings of meat or meat substitutes is all that's needed to meet the average 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day that is recommended for athletes.

Despite this expert advice, most protein-supplement users swear augmenting their diet with high-priced alternative sources such as whey protein powder is a worthwhile investment.

But contrary to gym lore, consuming more protein than the body needs isn't the key to looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger -- before he became governor of California.

Excess protein adds inches, all right, but not necessarily of muscle. Like any other nutrient consumed in excess, too much protein gets stored as fat. So, while it may seem as if quaffing down a hefty protein shake after every workout is putting on weight where you want it, chances are it's also putting on inches where you don't want them.

"When you consume more protein and energy than you need, the excess is broken down into two parts: some is converted into body fat and the remainder is eliminated in the urine," Ledoux said. "Because you can't store protein, there is no point eating more than you need."

How do athletes get the wrong message about protein supplements? A study published in the July 2008 edition of the National Strength and Conditioning Journal found coaches, parents and friends -- not nutrition experts -- provide most nutritional information to high-school athletes.

It's no surprise, then, that the wrong information is getting out. A poll of 320 college athletes indicated almost half the respondents believed protein, not carbohydrates, is the main source of energy for muscles, and 37 per cent said they believed athletic performance was enhanced by consuming protein supplements.

Is too much protein dangerous? Probably not. Despite some suggestion that dehydration, gout, diarrhea, bloating and kidney damage are possible consequences, there is little data to suggest the type of protein supplementation practised by athletes lends itself to long- or short-term health problems.

The main problem is the unnecessary cost of supplementing protein through expensive powders, which retail for about $40 or more. So far, there's no science to verify the claim that fancy powders or protein bars with a laundry list of impressive-sounding ingredients produce any more spectacular results than consuming a 500 mL carton of chocolate milk after a tough workout.

In fact, getting protein through dietary sources has an added bonus. Most foods have their own laundry list of vitamins and minerals that not only aid in post-workout recovery, but can improve overall health and reduce the risk of some forms of disease.

It's also important to keep in mind that consuming large quantities of protein often means there's less room in the diet for other healthy foods.

That lack of dietary balance can have a detrimental effect on muscle growth.

Also interesting is that some data suggest additional calories, not additional protein, is what's important for muscle growth.

The right message for coaches, trainers and parents to send to young athletes is that the process of building muscle is more complex than mixing protein powder with water.

"If you want to build muscle mass, you have to train properly, get enough rest and eat food that provides not only protein, but the fuel (carbohydrates) your muscles need," Ledoux said.

© The Calgary Herald 2008

The Title is has very little to do with the points that the article is bringing up. The way I read it is that people rely too much on protein supplements instead of actually getting good nutritional advice. No where in the article to they say that the supps are useless. Real food is prefered but the Supps do have their place.

There are 2 things that I really need to be convinced of that seem like bull:

1 - Chocolate milk is as good for post workout as a whey shake. This has been going around for years and always disproven

2 - "Usually, everybody is getting about twice as much protein through their diet than needed." I really don't think that is right. But the way it is written may be factually right but irrelevant to the article.

I also think its funny the they say "almost half surveyed beleive" in other words less that half believe.

Any comments?

[mooshue]

im with you man, i thought it was going to be what i've been saying for the past year or so, dump all the $$upplements and buy more meat, eat more grains and greens.
Im not saying cut out the protein shakes all together, but you can certainly make more gains with more solid food protein sources than just dumping shakes all day. My IFBB pro trainer taught me this, put me on 6-7 real food meals a day with a shake before bed and ive made a nice transformation since changing that. I also agree with the article, as well as my trainer, that you need to load up on good complex carbohydrates as well to make good gains.

[tooncesthecat]

Not much out there as far as research as far as I can find. Here's one abstract that call for about a gram of protein per Kg of body weight, but this was not with adults or with those who do heavy resistance training.

By: Boisseau, N.; Vermorel, M.; Rance, M.; Duché, P.; Patureau-Mirand, P.. European Journal of Applied Physiology, May2007, Vol. 100 Issue 1, p27-33, 7p; Abstract: Few investigations have studied protein metabolism in children and adolescent athletes which makes difficult the assessment of daily recommended dietary protein allowances in this population. The problematic in paediatric competitors is the determination of additional protein needs resulting from intensive physical training. The aim of this investigation was to determine protein requirement in 14-year-old male adolescent soccer players. Healthy male adolescent soccer players ( N = 11, 13.8 ± 0.1 year) participated in a short term repeated nitrogen balance study. Diets were designed to provide proteins at three levels: 1.4, 1.2 and 1.0 g protein per kg body weight (BW). Nutrient and energy intakes were assessed from 4 day food records corresponding to 4 day training periods during 3 weeks. Urine was collected during four consecutive days and analysed for nitrogen. The nitrogen balances were calculated from mean daily protein intake, mean urinary nitrogen excretion and estimated faecal and integumental nitrogen losses. Nitrogen balance increased with both protein intake and energy balance. At energy equilibrium, the daily protein intake needed to balance nitrogen losses was 1.04 g kg⁻¹ day⁻¹. This corresponds to an estimated average requirement (EAR) for protein of 1.20 g kg⁻¹ day⁻¹ and a recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 1.40 g kg⁻¹ day⁻¹ assuming a daily nitrogen deposition of 11 mg kg⁻¹. The results of the present study suggest that the protein requirements of 14-year-old male athletes are above the RDA for non-active male adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; DOI: 10.1007/s00421-007-0400-4; (AN 25074628)

[wil]

Useless???? But my chocolate whey protein shakes are too yummy to be useless.

[JoeBAR]

Brody Armstrong, 16, is no stranger to protein supplements

nuff said...

We all know supplements are not substitute for real food, they're additive. I think the whole article is a run on for dummies.

[wildstang]

i get the majority of my nutrients from real food sources but still utilize a blend protein drink at least twice daily. post workout and bedtime such as syntha-6 just do to the fact sometimes i cant get a dinner close enough to workout time so i use a shake in place untill dinner. dependent on my caloric intake allowed for the day i adjust amount of shake to full scoop= 22grams or 1/2 scoop= 11 grams protein just to stave off catabolism. rest of my supplements are fish oil and bcca, and natural (lab-validated) test boosters. im in my mid 40's and current bloodworkup shows ive got test levels of a teenager now and have some stinken chest and side acne to prove it. that part sucks the acne!

[tooncesthecat]

Wildstang, which test boosters are you taking?

[wildstang]

Originally Posted by tooncesthecat

Wildstang, which test boosters are you taking?

tribulus 500mg (min 45% saponins) by now sports 3x a day, testo-rx by pharmaceutical alternatives 1x a day, yohimbe hcl, dhea. and i have repeated bloodwork twice since starting and have seen positive results.
all purchased at bb.com

[Hans_Rachid]

Oh that's funny, I had a class with Marielle Ledoux last year

She doesn't really lead by example though, I mean she doesn't look in particularly good shape for someone teaching sports nutrition. Still, I agree with the basis of this article, which is that people who train tend to rely too much on protein supplements.

[varbo]

I have no problem with the basis of the article, just some of the "facts" but especially the title.

[theatrain]

Protein supplements may not be a substitute for real food, but they are CONVENIENT.

Its easy to have a scoop of whey in your shaker bottle waiting for you in your locker once you're done working out. Whey is fast digesting as well (Gives you what you need immediatley after a workout) some of us have gyms that are close to our jobs, but may not be very close to our homes.. My gym is a 20-30minute drive to my house, but 2minutes away from my job.. Also, take into consideration how long it takes to cook up a chicken breast and boil a pot of brown rice..

I would rather take a quick protein shake after my workout and then when I get home have a real meal rather than not taking any supplement at all and just waiting till I get home.

[rundat]

on whey ftw

[tooncesthecat]

Originally Posted by rundat

on whey ftw

Been here 3 years and this is your first post? Um...care to elaborate?

[DEALER]

consuming two servings of milk products and two to four servings of meat or meat substitutes is all that's needed to meet the average 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day that is recommended for athletes.

those must be some serious portions.

[mooshue]

Originally Posted by DEALER

those must be some serious portions.

not really man, 8oz of meat a meal. Additional If you can tolerate milk ( i personally don't consume dairy anymore because of my body and blood type) thats pleanty of protein providing you are eating enough times a day.
8oz of talipia is about 50g protein
8oz lean steak, again 50g + protein

6 meals x 50 = 300g protein.

[AbbyMarie]

Protein shakes are great once in awhile but there's no substitute for real, solid food sources like chicken and fish in terms of quality nutritional value.

[NuevaLuna74]

I'm trying to lose weight, but at the same time consume more protein and of course less calories overall. I've been drinking one or two protein shakes a day and It can get old. What are some of your guys favorites for fish and/or other protein sources?

[tooncesthecat]

Tuna and cottage cheese. I like the flavored tuna packs!

[lizzyb]

Originally Posted by NuevaLuna74

I'm trying to lose weight, but at the same time consume more protein and of course less calories overall. I've been drinking one or two protein shakes a day and It can get old. What are some of your guys favorites for fish and/or other protein sources?

Chicken, x-lean beef, turkey, eggs, egg whites, rice w/ beans (makes complete protein), cottage cheese, quinoa, white fish (leaner), salmon for efa's and protein, can get creative and go with emu, or buffalo meat.....there are LOTS of protein sources out there that are whole foods!

I personally consume 1 shake PWO for muscle feeding/repair and maybe 1 shake somewhere in my day as one of my 'snack' meals (either in m2, m4 or m6), but try to use cottage cheese as last meal b4 bed for it's slower absorption rate....I will also use shakes to 'pulse feed' in emergency situations where I may have missed a meal.

[orientalkid]

"Usually, everybody is getting about twice as much protein through their diet than needed." I really don't think that is right. But the way it is written may be factually right but irrelevant to the article.

IMO, this may be true to a certain extent, but assuming ur diet is 30 carbs 30 fats and 40 protein, cutting dwn on protein would mean upping ur carb and that may not be optimal for ppl who want to maintain leaness.