| CyndiM |
02-05-2010 06:07 AM |
Not exactly weight loss but always a hot topic
Protein Supplement Myth Revealed by Body of Work
Quote:
Such supplements are top sellers. But a growing body of research shows you don't need protein supplementation unless you are a professional-level athlete in intense training or perhaps gravely ill from starvation or a wasting disease, and even then the need would be a case-by-case call.
The new studies highlight the fact that the most benign thing about protein supplements is that you're only wasting money. You reap little benefit and instead put yourself at risk for kidney, bone and heart disease.
Do the math
Medical researchers have advised against protein supplements for years for the average person. But many sports trainers continue to push them on amateur athletes simply because they don't know any better.
You do need protein when you exercise, particularly when you try to build muscle through weightlifting or other forms of resistance training. The process of building muscle involves causing damage to muscle filaments and then rebuilding them, and this requires more protein.
Yet unless the Mr. Universe competition is in your future, your diet likely supplies all the protein you need. The math is quite simple. When training, you need about a half gram of protein per pound of body weight. So a 180-pound male needs about 90 grams of protein a day. That's the amount of protein in a cup of milk or yogurt with breakfast (8-12 grams), a can of tuna with lunch (40 grams), and a six-ounce steak with dinner (42 grams).
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