For athletes and workout fanatics, protein supplements have become the performance enhancer of choice. But is it really necessary in order to stay healthy and build muscle? If you want to bulk up, it’s considered the norm to down a protein shake or snack on an energy bar sprinkled with protein powder, but it could be a waste of time. Protein is vital for our bodies as it is used to build new cells – in order to function properly, every cell and organ in your body needs protein. The average man needs around 64g each day, and women need 48g.
If you’re going to supplement your diet with protein, you should find how much is in your diet first – chances are you don’t need to add any additional supplements to your daily intake. For example, a 250g portion of salmon, steak, pork loin or chicken contains between 50 to 60g of protein. Three eggs contain around 20g, and a cup of milk and quinoa each contain 9g and 8g respectively. There’s even protein in fast food, from meat-topped pizzas to burgers. In other words, you can get enough protein from just your diet without having to supplement it with protein shakes.
Many people don’t now how much protein they eat on a daily basis, so if you’re already consuming a high quantity, you could be supplementing unnecessarily. There are risks attached to consuming too much of this nutrient, as your body can only use around 50g of protein at one time. Anything over that will be stored as fat, which can counterbalance your efforts at the gym. So if you can eat a more balanced diet to get your daily dose, why would you opt for a supplement of artificial colours and flavours? Simply choosing wholesome ingredients, to get the full array of vitamins and minerals your body needs, is a healthier way of eating, rather than relying on supplements to give you your dose of body-boosting nutrients.