Should You Be Taking A Protein Supplement When Exercising?

Protein is intrinsic to who you are; it makes up part of the structure of every cell and tissue in your body, and 20% of your bodyweight. Your wellbeing partly depends on protein, as your body need it to form new tissue, body enzymes and various hormones, but should you supplement your diet with it?

During exercise, protein is broken down for fuel, so a concentrated source of it to supplement your usual intake can be useful. Any athlete or exerciser needs to compensate for increased breakdown of protein during training, and strength athletes could also use a little bit of extra protein power as it can provide the stimulus you need for muscle growth and wellness.

Ideally, your protein supplement should contain high levels of amino acids. These organic compounds are vital components of muscle repair, as your body easily digests, absorbs and retains them for this purpose. According to the Food Standards Authority, adults should consume 55g of protein every day, but many dieticians agree that this simply is not enough for anyone who regularly trains. This is why the International Olympic Committee recommends around 1.2-1.4g of protein per kg of bodyweight a day for endurance athletes or 1.4-1.7g per kg for strength and power athletes.

According to Dr Lonnie Lowery, there is no problem for serious athletes to overfeed on protein: ‘I think there are real body composition advantages to eating upwards of 3g per kg every day. Overeating protein, within reason, will not make you fat. You’ll piss away a good deal of it, but so what? It won’t hurt you unless you’ve got kidney disease and you’ll have the assurance that your gym work is getting the required nutritional support.’

When it comes to when to take it, Lowery says, ‘I’m a fan of eating two meals of 50g of protein plus 50g of carbs at 30 and 90 minutes post-training. The rest of the day I limit carbs to fibrous grains, fruits and vegetables, but I try to get four more meals in of 30-50g of protein each. These can be protein from meat and eggs, or shakes.’

But all vitamin and mineral supplements have side effects, don’t they? Anita Bean says, ‘It used to be thought that excess protein could place excess stress on the liver or kidneys, but this has never been demonstrated on healthy people, only ones already suffering from kidney failure.’ However, as high levels of protein can lead to dehydration, you should be drinking plenty of water, especially when exercising.