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Protein Supplements Debate

Do You Really Need Protein Supplements?

Question:

Do resistance trainers require additional protein via supplementation through protein powders?

If you were to ask this question to Flex, Men's Health, Muscle and Fitness magazines, or any of the bodybuilding gurus down at your local gym or on the internet, the answer to this question would probably be a definite yes. If you were to ask exactly the same question to anyone else who has half a clue as to what they are saying, the answer would be a definite maybe, verging on a definite no.

The fact of the matter is that if you are getting enough protein in your diet then there is absolutely no reason to supplement with additional protein. For the hard core bodybuilders reading this who have just collapsed as a result of uncontrollable laughter, I will say that again. The fact of the matter is that if you are getting enough protein in your diet then there is absolutely no reason to supplement with additional protein.

This, for some, is obviously going to be very controversial to say the least. The following section is therefore going to concentrate on the words of the experts who lead the field of anatomy, physiology and nutrition. It is also important to note at this stage that we are not talking about "chemically enhanced" weight trainers, or sports professionals, we are only talking about natural trainers.

How Much Protein?

An individual's requirement for protein is still one of the most hotly contested areas of nutrition, with anything from 2 to 5 grams per kilo of body weight being recommended for intensive weight training programmes. However, the general consensus of opinion suggests a maximum protein intake of 2 grams per kilo of bodyweight.

The Evidence No 1

The Authors

William D. McArdle
Professor Emeritus
Department of Family, Nutrition, and Exercise Science,
Queens College of the City University of New York.

Frank I. Katch
Professor
Department of Exercise Science,
University of Massachusetts.

Victor L. Katch
Professor
Division of Kinesiology Department of Movement Science
Associate Professor, Paediatrics
University of Michigan.

The Source

Exercise Physiology - 2nd and 5th editions

This is an interesting quotation from the above source. It is interesting in the fact that the quotation is taken from the 2nd edition of the book, and upon close examination, the quotation is virtually exactly the same in the 5th edition of the very same book.

The conclusion to this is simple. You either believe the above authors in what they are saying or you do not. If you do not then you are saying that these eminent people have looked closely at all the endless studies regarding the amount of protein required, and have either dismissed the studies out of hand or that they have concluded that all the latest studies are incorrect, or that they still do not offer any conclusive evidence to support their claims in order to justify a change in the information that they have provided in their 5th edition.

This is not say that the authors of this book have to be right in what they are saying. The point that I am trying to make, which will become apparent, is that their opinion coincides very closely to the opinion of many other eminent authors.

The Quotes

* " Despite the beliefs of many coaches, trainers, and athletes, eating excessive protein provides little benefit. Protein intakes greater than three times the recommended level do not enhance work capacity during intensive training. For athletes, muscle mass does not increase simply by eating high protein foods. If lean tissue synthesis resulted from all of the extra protein intake consumed by the typical athlete, then muscle mass would increase tremendously. For example, eating an extra 100 grams ( 400kcal ) of protein daily would translate into a daily 500 grams ( 1.1lb ) increase in muscle mass. This obviously does not happen."

* " The diets of endurance and resistance trained athletes often exceed two to three times the recommended intake, usually as meat."

* " These findings showed that endurance exercise training increased net protein catabolism and bodybuilding protein requirements not evident for the bodybuilding group. The researchers recommend that bodybuilders could reduce their typical abnormally high protein intakes, while endurance athletes could possibly benefit from increased protein intake above the RDA level. "

* " Re-examining the current protein RDA seems justified for athletes who engage in heavy exercise training. This examination must account for increased protein breakdown during exercise and augmented protein synthesis in recovery. Increasing protein intake to 1.2 grams to 1.8 grams per kg body mass daily is reasonable in some situations. "

( The RDA of protein is 0.83 grams per kg body mass daily )

The Evidence No 2

The Authors

Louise Burke
Head of the Department of Sports Nutrition at the Australian Institute of Sport,
Dietician to the Australian Olympic Team for the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games.

Vicki Deakin
Researcher in Human Nutrition at the University of Canberra,
Consultant Dietician with the ACT Academy of Sport.

The Source

Clinical Sports Nutrition - 2nd edition.

The Quotes

* " Athletes are a group of individuals who are constantly striving for optimal performance. Because of this, many of them may fall victim to false or unsubstantiated claims concerning diet and nutrient supplements. For example, the protein and amino acid supplement market in the United States is a multi million dollar industry sustained by a motive to sell product rather than to encourage optimal nutrition through food. It is common to observe individuals consuming protein and amino acid intakes that would clearly be in gross nutrient excess. Another problem of many supplements is that they replace other components of the diet that may have known factors ( e.g. vitamins, minerals, fibre, antioxidants ), or as yet unknown factors that are critical for optimal body functioning. "

* " For the most part, resistance training athletes, who are not energy restricting, consume protein that is already in excess of their protein requirement. "

* " However, only in the elite athlete ( who is training very hard every day ) is there a significant impact on dietary protein requirements, with a maximal requirement of 1.6 grams per kg daily. For the resistance trained athlete, there also appears to be a homeostatic adaptation to the stress of the exercise, where very well trained athletes require only marginally more protein than sedentary persons and those in the early stages of very intensive resistance exercise may require up to 1.7 grams per kg daily. "

* " A dietary protein intake that represents 15% of the total energy intake with an energy sufficient diet should cover the requirements for nearly all endurance athletes. "

The Evidence No 3

The Authors

Dr. Paul Insel
Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences at Stanford University California,
Principle Investigator on several nutritional projects for the National Institutes of Health ( NIH ).

Dr. R. Elaine Turner
Registered Dietician and Assistant Professor in the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department at the University of Florida.

Don Ross Co Director of the California Institute Of Human Nutrition.

The Source

Nutrition

The Quotes

* " Strength athletes consuming 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day showed an increase in body protein synthesis compared to athletes consuming 0.9 grams of protein per kilogram per day. However, when protein intake was increased to 2.4 grams per kilogram, protein synthesis did not increase above what was achieved on the moderate protein intake ( 1.4 grams per kilogram per day ). A final recommendation of 1.6 grams 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram per day is based on adding a standard safety margin. "

* " You cannot force your body to build muscle by pumping in more protein than you need, any more than you can make your car run faster by adding more gas to a full tank. Extra protein does not build muscles; only regular workouts fueled by a mix of nutrients does. "

The Evidence No 4

The Authors

Susan M. Kleiner
PhD Nutrition and human performance, Associate Member of Sigma Xi, Member of the American College of Sports Medicine,
National Strength and Conditioning Association,
American Dietetic Association,
Sport, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutritionalists,
Fellow in the American College of Nutrition.

Maggie Greenwood Robinson
PhD in nutrition counselling, co author of 19 books in the field of health and fitness.

The Source

Power Eating

The Quotes

* " At Kent State University, two exciting findings emerged. First, increasing protein intake to 1.4 grams triggered protein synthesis ( an indicator of muscle growth ) in strength trainers. There were no such changes in the low protein group. Second, upping protein intake from 1.4 grams to 2.4 grams produced no further protein synthesis. This latter finding suggested that a plateau had been reached, meaning that the subjects got more protein than they could use at 2.4 grams. "

* " Protein needs change with both energy intake and training goals. Make sure to cover your protein needs during all four diet stages. "

Bodybuilders

* Maintenance: 1.4 grams per kilogram of bodyweight a day.

* Building: 1.6 grams per kilogram of bodyweight a day.

* Tapering: 2.0 grams per kilogram of bodyweight a day.

* Cutting: 2.0 grams per kilogram of bodyweight a day ( 2.2 for those eating mostly vegetarian ).

Strength / Speed Athletes

* Maintenance: 1.2 to 1.4 grams per kilogram of bodyweight a day.

* Building: 1.4 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of bodyweight a day.

* Athletes who strength train in addition to their regular sport ( cross trainers ): 1.4 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of bodyweight a day.

A Word Of Warning For Bodybuilders And Weight Trainers

The following information is especially relevant to bodybuilders who only ever talk about how many plates per side that they can lift, or how much protein they consume daily. Ironically, a negative nitrogen balance can happen even when protein intake exceeds the recommended amount, as a direct result of the body catabolizing protein due to a lack of other energy nutrients.

For example, a bodybuilder who undertakes a regular and heavy bodybuilding routine may well consume enough or even more protein than they require. However, the fact of the matter is that they may also be consuming insufficient carbohydrates and fats in which protein then becomes a primary energy source, resulting in a negative nitrogen balance and a subsequent loss of lean muscle tissue.

The protein sparing effect of carbohydrate and fats are especially relevant during muscle growth periods coupled with the high energy requirement of that muscle growth training.

The highest amount of negative nitrogen balance occurs during starvation diets, or diets which restrict carbohydrate, such as fat loss diets and the diets of many hardcore bodybuilders who become absolutely fixated with their daily protein intake. A reduced carbohydrate intake serves only to deplete glycogen reserves, which in turn triggers a deficiency of protein and a subsequent loss of muscle.

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