Protein supplements have become synonymous with exercise and muscle gain, but are they actually good for you? Commonly associated with beefy men at the gym, it goes without saying that most of us don’t really know what we’re getting into when we take protein supplements. People around the world spend billions of pounds on nutritional weight gain aids, which allegedly promise to enhance your athletic performance, decrease the risk of fatigue and change your body composition. They even suggest themselves capable of enhancing your looks. Commercial protein supplements can contain whey, soy, egg albumin or wheat, among other ingredients. Protein supplements can also be in the form of isolates, which is a pure protein source; concentrates, which are less pure; hydrolysates, which are chemically or enzymatically digested so that they are quickly absorbed; or blends which a combination of various protein sources. With so many on the market, which are actually useful to you?
So are there any benefits to protein supplements? Studies have shown that they can bolster your strength, with those who take them reportedly have 33 per cent fewer medical visits, 28 per cent fewer visits due to viral or bacterial infections, 37 per cent fewer visits due to muscle problems and 83 per cent fewer visits due to heat exhaustion. Researchers have also found that protein can help to reduce blood pressure. Supplementation with soy protein can even help to reduce the markers of prostate cancer development. Whey proteins have the capacity to enhance the immune function and antioxidant activity, as well as improving cardiovascular health. But it’s not all good news. Protein supplements aren’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which means that the supplement manufacturers don’t need to register their products with the FDA. This lack of monitoring could mean that contaminants could be in the products, such as arsenic, mercury and lead.The recommended daily intake of protein for adults is 0.75g of protein/kg of body weight. This means that you need around 45 to 56g of protein each day. Excessive protein intakes could lead to a build up ketones bodies, and when there is an accumulation of these, an abnormal but not necessarily harmful state known as ketosis could result. As kidneys remove these toxic ketones each day, you could lose a significant amount of water and this leads to a risk of dehydration. If you exercise heavily, this could exacerbate the problem and could put your health under serious risk.
Protein supplements for healthy adults who participate in recreational sports aren’t usually needed. If you’re active then you probably don’t require supplements and using them will be counterproductive, as the extra calories will cause you to gain weight (one gram of protein provides as many kilocalories as one gram of sugar). Athletes and vegetarians are the minority in terms of people who may need supplements to up their protein intake. Athletes, especially those who train with weights and burn a large amount of calories, may need extra supplementation. However, their need for extra protein can almost certainly be obtained through a higher protein diet, so protein supplements still wouldn’t be needed. As with any supplements or protein blends, it’s advised that you seek medical advice before beginning a course of dietary additions. You may find that your diet offers you enough of the vitamins and minerals that you need, therefore potentially putting your health at risk by overdosing on certain minerals and nutrients.
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