Proteins are made in your body and there are some that are essential that are not made from your body that have to be taken in from the diet. It is important to consume complete proteins - emphasis on COMPLETE. The hype in today’s media is protein, like it is some magical thing that will make you lose fat and gain muscle. The truth is, to find the amount of protein you need a day, take your weight and divide it by 2.2. The number that comes out is the amount of protein your body needs to repair and function maximally. The thing with protein supplements that you have to be careful about is their amino acid composition. If they are only from one source, they can actually decrease the ability of your body to absorb other amino acids. They act as a blocker in your digestive system. If your body is unable to digest all proteins, it can not function maximally. In meat, all of the amino acids are present. If you are a vegetarian, then it is important to pair foods like beans and rice to make complete proteins.
It is true that protein is important to repair and build muscle, but if you eat too much of your diet from protein and not enough from carbohydrate, it can be detrimental to your body. Too much protein can damage your kidneys. If carbohydrates are restricted, your body will go into a state of ketosis where it uses fat and breaks down proteins to make ketones for use by the brain and other tissues for energy because they are deprived of glucose. (Atkins diet) Ketosis is an acidic state, and if your body becomes too acidic, body organs can be damaged.
If you are considering protein supplements, take a good look at your diet and see if you really need them. Your body can only make a certain amount of muscle each day, no matter how much protein you eat over your daily recommended amount. It is good to have about 5-8g of protein after working out to speed up recovery, but that can easily be consumed by eating a non-fat yogurt which also has good carbohydrates and lots of calcium.
Sorry this is so long, I just want you to be aware. Protein supplements are expensive and most of the time people do not need them. You can do research - but be sure to do it on accredited sites. Not sites that are trying to promote the sale of supplements. Ultimately, your body will absorb and use protein from food better than any supplement. But the choice is yours.
Sorry that was so long. My boyfriend is into weight lifting and he gives into all those supplementation things. I am an exercise sport major and no matter what I tell him, he will not believe me until he hears it from one of his lifting magazines. He has spent lots of money on supplementation, and in the past year, I have not seen any change in his muscle growth.
If you eat too much protein, your body just uses it to make energy. And penny for penny, protein is expensive calories to just burn away!
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