Is It Possible To Consume Too Much Protein
They say its possible to have too much of a good thing and that certainly rings true when it comes to protein.
Protein aids in lean muscle development and weight maintenance up to a point, but if you consume too much it could backfire. The liver and kidneys can only process so much protein . Exceeding this can actually cause organ damage plus other unwelcome side effects like weight gain, bad breath, and digestive problems.
Now, thats not going to happen overnight because you accidentally take one too many protein shakes so theres no need to panic! Its just something to keep an eye on.
Signs youre getting too much protein include dehydration, headaches and nausea.
How Do I Know If Im Getting Enough Protein
Protein deficiency can sneak up on you.
As weve already mentioned, you may start to notice your nails breaking more often, or a spiked increase in appetite although you may just be hungrier because youre burning more calories than youre used to!
Keep an eye out for feelings of fatigue or weakness, decreased performance in training, frequent hunger, slow recovery time, and even moodiness. All of these could be a signal to up your protein intake a little.
Noticing some protein deficiency symptoms is certainly not the end of the world, and is easily remedied. But if you have any concerns at all, just speak to a doctor.
Protein Shakes Powders And Supplements
Protein shakes, powders and supplements are unnecessary for most Australians health needs. According to the most recent national nutrition survey, 99% of Australians get enough protein through the food they eat.
Any protein you eat on top of what your body needs will either be excreted from your body as waste, or stored as weight gain.
The best way for you to get the protein you need is to eat a wide variety of protein-rich foods as outlined in the Australian Dietary Guidelines, as part of a balanced diet. But if you are still interested in using protein shakes, powders and supplements, talk to your doctor.
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What Is Protein Powder Used For
Bone, muscle, and skin are all made up of proteins. Its necessary for the body to make molecules like enzymes and hormones.
Other essential factors where protein powder is used:
In particular, if you start taking protein powder but make no other dietary changes, it wont miraculously melt fat off your body. However, when used in combination with a low-calorie diet, protein powder can help you shed more fat mass than you otherwise would.
There is some evidence that protein powder, especially whey protein that works quickly, can help muscles heal faster.
Protein can aid in muscle tissue repair in addition to helping muscles grow. As a result, athletes may take protein powder to improve the recovery process from post-exercise muscular soreness.
Depending on how physically fit you are, protein powder will have different effects on strength and muscular growth. Protein is necessary for the growth of muscles. Athletes and people who go to the gym often drink protein shakes because they are thought to help with bodybuilding after strength training.
Men and women both benefited from taking extra protein. But because older people need more protein than younger people, it may not work as well as it did when they were younger.
Whey Is An Excellent Source Of High Quality Protein
Whey is a liquid that separates from milk during cheese production. The protein part of whey is called whey protein.
It is a complete, high quality protein that contains all of the essential amino acids. In addition, it is very digestible, absorbed from your gut quickly compared with other types of protein (
These qualities make it one of the best dietary sources of protein available.
There are three main types of whey protein powder:
Concentrate is the most common type, and it is also the cheapest.
As a dietary supplement, whey protein is widely popular among bodybuilders, athletes, and others who want additional protein in their diet.
Summary
Whey protein has a very high nutritional value, and it is one of the best dietary sources of high quality protein. It is highly digestible and absorbed quickly compared to other proteins.
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Protein Powder Benefits For Muscle Gain
While you may think only body builders or professional athletes need to worry about building muscle, it’s actually something that matters for everyone. In addition to regular aerobic exercise, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends that adults do some strength training at least two times a week, working all major muscle groups.
Thats because building lean muscle not only adds definition to your physiquethink sculpted arms and absit can also protect your bones as you age. Ensuring you get enough protein in your diet is important to preventing the loss of lean muscle that naturally happens to all of us as we age.
Heres how it works: Your body uses amino acids found in proteins to strengthen and repair muscles, and these types of amino acids can only be obtained through the food you eatthose nine essential amino acids. So its important to pay attention to the type of protein you consume when youre looking to build or maintain muscle.
XS Protein Pods, which use a whey-based protein, were designed for people looking for the ideal protein to support their fitness efforts. The pods help build lean muscle and fuel physical performance. They are also a complete protein, which means they have all nine essential amino acids in the right amounts. Nutrilite Organics Protein Powder also has all nine essential amino acids, just in lower amounts.
Dont Replace Meals With Protein Shakes
Use protein powders as a supplement to your meals and snacks, rather than a replacement. You should try to gain most of your protein intake from a balanced, nutrient-rich diet. Some high-protein foods include eggs, chicken, yogurt, fish, seeds, nuts, pulses and soy products, such as tofu. As well as providing protein, these foods will also provide countless other essential vitamins and minerals, says Williams.
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Do Protein Shakes Work Muscle Gain And Weight Loss
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People drink protein shakes for multiple reasons, including muscle gain, weight loss, and injury recovery.
While many foods provide you with a lot of protein such as eggs, meat, poultry, milk, and legumes protein shakes and powders have become a popular, high-quality source of this nutrient.
If you wonder whether these shakes will give you the results you want, youre not alone.
This article focuses on the effectiveness of protein shakes for muscle gain and weight loss.
In this case, protein shakes provide amino acids, also known as the building blocks of proteins.
Dietary supplements come in many forms, from powders to capsules to liquids. While you may find ready-to-drink protein shakes in liquid form, you can also purchase protein supplements in powder form.
Many types of powdered protein supplements are available from either animal- or plant-based sources.
For instance, the most popular animal-based protein powders are whey and casein, both usually derived from cows milk. However, if you have a milk allergy, egg white protein may be a suitable choice.
As for popular plant-based proteins, you can take your pick from soy, pea, hemp, or rice protein.
Lastly, as their name implies, dietary supplements are meant to help you complete or enhance your diet.
What Are The Benefits Of Protein Powders
Anti-Cancer Properties: Whey protein concentrate has been used in the treatment of cancer.
Protein powder can be a healthy alternative for people who have a hard time getting the recommended amount of protein each day through their diet.
Immune System Booster: Consuming protein powder on a daily basis can help to strengthen the immune system. It is the perfect supplement to speed up the healing process after an illness or injury.
Studies have demonstrated that whey protein used as a supplement decreases blood pressure and both LDL and total cholesterol.
Maintain Healthy Skin: A diet with greater protein content, such as one that contains protein powder, can aid in slowing and even repairing the effects of ageing.
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The Scoop On Protein Powder
- By Emily Gelsomin, MLA, RD, LDN, Contributor
Eating enough protein is not just for athletes or would-be Schwarzenegger types. It is necessary for a healthy immune system and required for organs like your heart, brain, and skin to function properly. The nutrient is also touted for its ability to help control appetite and enhance muscle growth.
How much protein you need typically depends on your exercise routine, age, and health. And whether to supplement protein intake with a protein powder has become a common query.
If Buying Protein Shakes
Only ever buy protein shakes or supplements from a trusted source. If you have doubts about a product, research it before you purchase. Any product that claims to boost muscle without exercise is lying. There is no miracle drug or powder. Exercise is key. Ideally you want protein shakes that provide all 20 amino acids. These shakes will be most effective in aiding muscle growth. But aiding growth is all theyll do you must do the hard work yourself.
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Insufficient Protein Stunts Muscle Growth
If your diet has insufficient protein, your muscles will find it harder to grow regardless of how hard you exercise. A shortage of protein means your body is unable to effectively repair and build your muscles. You will almost certainly experience some muscle growth but far less than you would if your diet was protein-rich.
Bulking Up Or Slimming Down: The Scoop On Protein Powder
Protein powders are commonly associated with vigorous fitness activities such as bodybuilding or powerlifting. For the everyday person, protein supplements have become a lot more common for a person to either gain muscle mass or to lose weight. Although this may seem like a simple equation, there a few things to consider before introducing a protein supplement into your diet. We sat down to talk with nutrition therapist Jacque Schwartz, RDN, LMNT, to get the big scoop on protein powder.
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What Is Protein Powder And Should I Try It
Nutrition
Three registered dietitians give the scoop on this popular protein supplement.
If youre looking to include more protein into your post-workout meal or snack, you might be curious about protein powder. But what does protein powder do, and should it be a part of your fueling regimen?
Protein powder is protein thats extracted from animal sources, such as casein and whey, or plant-based ones like soy and peas, said Julie Upton, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D. and co-founder of Appetite for Health.
Manufacturers will then generally add essential nutrients, flavors and coloring agents to create a finished powder that can be blended with water or other liquids, as well as used as an ingredient in recipes, she said.
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What is the best protein powder?
First, lets identify the different kinds. Classified as a dietary supplement, protein powders are often available in three forms concentrate, isolate and hydrolysates. The main difference between these forms of protein powder is the way they are processed, said Sarah Koszyk, M.A., R.D.N. and author of 365 Snacks for Every Day of the Year.
When it comes to identifying the best type of protein powder, Koszyk said there are minimal studies that compare the three types of protein. And the ones that do exist dont have any conclusive findings that deem one as the nutritionally superior choice.
Benefits of Protein Powder: The Role It Plays in Recovery
The Bottom Line
How To Choose A Protein Powder
When choosing a protein powder, youll want to consider several factors, including:
- Protein source. Protein powders contain either animal-based or plant-based protein sources. Examples of animal-based proteins include casein, whey, collagen, and egg. Plant-based protein powders often contain pea, rice, or hemp protein. Some vegan blends also contain whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
- Additional ingredients. Look for protein powders that have as few ingredients as possible. Always check the labels carefully, and consider avoiding products containing artificial sweeteners, colors, and flavors.
- Quality testing. Because the Food and Drug Administration doesnt evaluate the safety, equality, or effectiveness of protein powders, its best to choose products that are third-party tested to ensure purity and potency.
- Safe for sport. Competitive athletes may also want to choose a protein powder that has been tested for banned substances by an organization like NSF International or Informed Sport.
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What Is The Difference Between Protein Powders
Protein powders come in a variety of forms from lactose-derived types like whey and casein to plant-based forms like pea and hemp powder. Depending on your diet, some of these proteins will be more or less effective for you. Whey is the most commonly used protein because your body can metabolize it quickly, and it offers a long list of health benefits.
However, whey is derived from milk during the cheese-making process, so this type of protein powder may not work for people who follow a plant-based diet or have a lactose allergy. Anyone looking to build muscle will certainly want to consider using whey. It contains many of the essential amino acids your body needs. It can be broken down quickly to aid your body in recovery, making it a great protein powder to use in a shake that you plan to drink before or after the gym.
How Much Should You Take In
The minimum amount of protein that you should take in for building muscle is 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight . Any additional protein that exceeds the daily minimum for muscle gain just helps to speed up the healing process.
Even though there has been debate over a maximum amount of protein you should take in, it is my belief that it is not possible for somebody to take in too much protein, however, if you take in huge amounts of protein it is a good idea to supplement your diet with calcium and magnesium since excessive amounts of protein has been proven to deplete the amount of calcium and magnesium in the body. However, I emphasize high protein ingestion for more than one reason. Not only do muscles require the marvelous ingredient to repair and grow but also three-quarters of the solids in the body are comprised of proteins.
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May Support Healthy Metabolism And Lean Muscle
A high protein diet especially when combined with strength training can help you build muscle.
Because muscle aids metabolism and energy production, building muscle is a great way to keep your metabolism healthy .
This is especially true if you follow a calorie restricted diet to lose weight.
Thats because extreme calorie restriction may result in muscle loss in addition to fat loss. This loss of lean muscle may slow your metabolism, making it easier to regain weight once you go off the restrictive diet .
Conversely, eating sufficient amounts of protein, combined with strength training, may help prevent this muscle loss and resulting metabolic slowdown .
A 13-week study in older adults with obesity found that those who consumed an extra 20 grams of protein weekly gained 2.8 pounds more muscle mass than those who ate less protein .
Plus, in a 6-week study, individuals followed either a low or high protein diet, which included shakes. Each diet was calorie-restricted. Notably, those on the higher protein plan gained 2.4 pounds more muscle and lost 2.9 pounds more fat .
Your body also uses more energy to digest protein than it does fat or carbs, which means that you burn more calories in the process. This effect called the thermic effect of protein may provide a slight metabolism boost. (19,
22 ).
The women in the high protein group also retained significantly more muscle mass than those on the standard protein diet .
All the same, more studies are needed.
Can Protein Shakes Help You Gain Weight: Which Type To Use
There are a variety of protein powders on the market that you can use to gain weight, some of which are healthier than others. The most common protein powder for weight gain is whey protein or plant-based alternatives, such as soy.
Many brands create protein powder blends or mass gainers specifically targeted at weight gain. These blends contain a higher calorie content by combining protein with carbohydrate sources, such as oat, cereals and potato, or sources of healthy fats, such as flaxseeds and avocado, says Williams.
Powders which contain high levels of amino acids are beneficial for weight gain because these are absorbed quickly into the bloodstream and promote muscle growth and recovery, adds Wiener. You should also try to avoid pre-made shakes as these often contain extra levels of sugar, and other additives that will not be beneficial to you or your training.
- Read more about how protein powder is made
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Protein Is Important For Your Health
Protein is essential to repair muscles, strengthen bones, help you stay energized and to support healthy skin, teeth, hair and nails, says Dr. Dawna Venzon, a registered dietician and a principal research scientist for Nutrilite products with more than a decade of experience in the nutraceutical industry. We all need to ensure were getting an adequate amount of protein each day.
The body can make certain amino acids itself or modify others from food, but it cant store them. And there are nine essential amino acids our bodies need that only come from food sources, which is why you need to pay attention to your daily protein intake.
You can get your recommended amount of protein each day through meats, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products, or it can be from plant-based sources like peas, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds. It can also be from protein powder.