Whether you’re an average Joe or a serious gym buff, consuming too many protein powders, bars and gels doesn’t make sense, according to experts.
The protein supplement craze has become a $20 billion-a-year industry thanks to the rise of exercise culture.
Handsome celebrities like Chris Hemsworth and Henry Cavill (who are both rumored to have used steroids to gain muscle mass for their roles in superhero movies) have promoted the products to their millions of fans, with the implication that if you eat more protein, you could look better. like them.
But what all the hype doesn’t explain is that your body can only process a certain amount of protein at a time, according to Julia Zumpano, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic.
She told DailyMail.com that eating more than 35 grams in one sitting (about 1.5 scoops of regular protein powder) is functionally useless and won’t build muscle. At that point, it’s just the excess calories that could make you gain weight.
In an Instagram video from May 2022, Marvel actor Chris Hemsworth shared a video of him making a protein shake with his friend in a promotional video for his fitness program, Centr.
Actor Henry Cavill, known for his rock-like body, has teamed up with protein powder company MuscleTech for a 2022 campaign.
He said consuming more than that, about the same as 1.5 chicken breasts, is basically throwing money down the drain, literally.
Your body will eliminate excess protein through urine because it does not use the excess nutrients.
What is especially concerning to experts is that the protein market is unregulated and some products are packed with highly processed ingredients that can increase your risk of cancer over time.
Others have been found to contain cancer-causing chemicals, such as lead.
Therefore, whenever possible, Zumpano tries to meet the needs of its clients with food.
“I always encourage food first,” he said.
Protein powder is made when natural protein sources, such as milk, eggs or soy, are processed and their other components, such as sugar, fiber and fat, are removed, according to Emily Gelsomin, a registered dietitian and specialist. in clinical nutrition from Massachusetts General Hospital.
After that, manufacturers sometimes add ingredients, such as herbs, sweeteners or other vitamins, Gelsomin wrote in a Harvard Health Blog.
Protein powders are regulated the same way as supplements, meaning they are not vetted by the FDA before going on the market, which is why Zumpano recommends researching protein companies before purchasing from them.
‘You just have to be smart about the supplements you buy, because not all are created equal. And not all of them are regulated. And you know, some of them, unfortunately, tell you that they have something that maybe they don’t have,” Ms. Zumpano told Dailymail.com.
Independent companies, such as the United States Pharmacopeia or the National Health Foundation, will test supplements and protein powders for companies interested in being verified, making sure the products contain what is on the label and nothing more.
They publicly report their findings and have an online database where you can check your supplement brand, if you have chosen to participate.
Protein powders can be made from animal products such as milk and plant products such as soybeans.
When purchasing protein powders, consumers can look for a USP or NSF seal on the packaging, which indicates that they have been tested and users can be assured that the product is safe and actually contains what is advertised.
Otherwise, it’s hard to tell what’s in the bottle.
In 2022, researchers at the nonprofit clean label project They found that 53 of the 134 protein powders they analyzed contained heavy metals, arsenic and BPA, all of which have been linked to an increased risk of cancer.
75 percent contained lead and 33 percent contained levels that exceeded at least one federal regulatory limit for chemicals.
When produced safely, protein products won’t harm you, Zumpano said.
In fact, he said, these are convenient options for many people, and if for some reason you can’t get enough protein in your diet, he might recommend mixing them with a protein shake or gel.
But getting protein from foods is better than using a supplement because foods contain a multitude of nutrients your body needs, making them a more balanced option.
Zumpano told this website that the body was designed to process food and it is not known if people get the same benefits from digesting supplements.
“When you think about putting protein in a more concentrated or synthetic form, that’s not the way our bodies are designed to absorb and digest,” he said.
Additionally, consuming more than 20 to 40 grams of protein at a time may be ineffective. according to research from 2018 from exercise nutritionists at Texas A&M and Lindenwood University.
The US protein supplement market reached a record $21 billion in 2023.
The researchers found that the body can only use a certain amount of protein at a time, with an upper limit of around 40 grams.
If you eat more than that in a single sitting, your body will eliminate it through urine or bowel movements, meaning you’re consuming extra calories with no added benefits.
“People have the misconception that they need more protein, when in reality most of us get adequate protein – our needs are quite low,” said Anna Daniels, a dietician and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association. he told The Guardian.
“For most of us who go to the gym for an hour a couple of times a week, we don’t need to consume additional protein.” [already] get from a healthy, balanced diet,” said Ms. Daniels.
There has also been some evidence that consuming too much protein can lead to kidney stonesheart disease and colon cancer.
Our body uses protein differently than other food sources, such as fat and sugar. Our body can store THESE around muscles and organs, but we can’t package proteins and store them for long periods of time.
“Humans are normally protein-efficient, which means that although we can use protein for energy (we have the metabolic pathways to do so), it is preferable for carbohydrates and fats to be the predominant fuel sources,” said Simin Levinson, Ph.D. registered dietician nutritionist and clinical professor at Arizona State University told fortune.
He added, “That’s because protein plays a critical functional role… and if that protein isn’t provided, we start breaking down the body’s tissues to produce those amino acids.”
Test Your Portion Control: Surprising Photo Comparisons Show How Wrong Most Americans Get About Portion Sizes
To illustrate how different perceived portion sizes are from those we’re told to limit ourselves to, DailyMail.com photographed both.
Instead, when we eat protein, our body breaks it down into its component parts, called amino acids.
Amino acids are sometimes called building blocks of life because our body uses them to build all the crucial microscopic parts that make us human.
There are 20 different types of amino acids and humans naturally produce 11 of them.
To get the other nine, we have to eat protein sources like soy, fish, poultry, eggs, beef, pork, and dairy.
Fitness and nutrition experts still disagree on the optimal amount of protein to consume daily, but medical authorities say you should aim for about 0.8 gram serving per 2.2 pounds (one kilogram) of body weight.
For the average American man who weighs about 199 poundsYou should consume about 72 grams of protein per day.
An average American woman weighing 170 pounds should eat about 61 grams.
But these recommendations change if you are physically active or approaching your twilight years.
“Some athletes doing intense training can improve their progress by consuming more than double the recommended daily dose, but this does not apply to most of us,” Ms Gelsomin wrote.
If you eat a balanced diet, it should be fairly easy to achieve these nutritional goals.
For example, there are 6 grams of protein in one egg, 21 grams of protein in half a cup of tofu, and 23 grams of protein in one boneless, skinless chicken breast.
But if, for some reason, you can’t reach these goals, Zumpano said you can supplement with protein products.
But you need to be informed about what you’re putting in your body, especially if you’re going to shell out money to do it.
‘You know, be very conscious of what you’re spending your money on. And what you’re taking,” Ms. Zumpano said.