I have been jaw-dropping impressed by a man’s body once in my life. I remember it well. I was living in Tennessee and a bunch of girls went to see The Prestige…and in this one scene, Hugh Jackman literally took my breath away. I’m not saying I’m hard to impress, it’s just incredibly unusual for muscles to impress me. I have a friend who really appreciates muscular men. From time to time she’ll point out guys she finds really attractive. I just smile and think to myself… that guy is obviously a self-absorbed a-hole. I know it’s a hasty generalization, but seriously, men who have HUGE muscles are usually too busy looking at themselves in the mirror to even realize that there are other things going on in the world.
These super macho muscular men are usually obsessed with protein supplements. I don’t like protein supplements for two reasons. First, I like keeping things natural. Secondly, I cannot imagine that taking protein supplements long term can be good for your health, not to mention it’s likely to be indicative of certain personality traits. Let me elaborate.
First of all, let’s begin with how much protein you need in a day. The average healthy person needs 0.8g of protein/kg. SO… if a man weighs 150 lbs and is not a body builder, he needs about 55 grams of protein a day. This is easily obtainable through diet (even a vegetarian diet!). Anyway, when you begin weight lifting, your protein needs go up to anywhere from 1.0-1.7 g PRO/kg; that 150 lbs man would need 68g-116g of protein if he started weight lifting.
So now you’re thinking, see! You need more protein! Well hold on to your britches, I’m not done yet. If you were to eat this in a day:
· Breakfast: 1 med sized apple, 1.5 cups cheerios, 1.5 cup non-fat milk
· Lunch: Turkey Sandwich (2 slices of turkey, 2 slices of whole wheat bread) 15 baby carrots
· Dinner: 1 med baked potato, 1.5 cups chili beans
That gives you only 1615 calories and a whopping 71g of protein! And seriously, if you’re a male, you know you eat more than 1600 calories, meaning you’re probably getting more than 71g of protein a day, meaning you probably don’t need to be taking protein supplements to build those great big manly muscles.
So what’s wrong with taking protein supplements? Well, as far as the studies show, nothing is wrong with taking the recommended doses. However, I think supplements of any kind should be taken sparingly. Virtually the only supplements I promote are vitamin D and omega-3s. Calcium supplements are important for those prone to osteoporosis. As far as multivitamins go, go ahead and take one, but is it necessary? Not if you have a balanced diet.
Protein is so easily obtained in your diet that there is absolutely no reason to go out of your way to supplement it. I also think the source of protein should be taken into consideration. Getting your protein from plant based sources will provide you with lots of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and fiber! Getting your protein from supplements is going to give you a whole bunch of rubbish that you can’t even pronounce (read the ingredients).
As I said, there are no long term scientific studies stating that protein supplements are in any way detrimental to your health when taken in the correct dosage. But when we eat excess amounts of protein, our body produces more urea, which must be filtered through the kidneys. Now this is purely my speculation, but when you overuse ANYTHING for an extended period of time, it’s more than likely going to get worn out faster. Overloading your body with excess protein, vitamins, and minerals may stress your kidneys or overwork them, especially if practiced over a number of years. If you insist on supplementing, you should at least try to drink plenty of water to help filter everything out.
People supplement protein so that they can have “better athletic performance.” Why can’t you get that protein from regular food? The average protein supplement gives you about 25g of protein, which hopefully by now you realize isn’t necessary when you’re eating three meals a day. However, having a high protein snack after lifting has shown to enhance training results. If you want a high protein snack after weight lifting try one of the following
- Low fat cottage cheese and fruit
- Low fat yogurt
- Hummus and carrots
- Peanut butter and celery (be careful with peanut butter, it’s really high in calories
- Peanut butter on a slice of whole wheat toast
- A simple glass of milk (soy is preferable)
- 1 oz of mixed nuts
Other high protein foods include
- Lentils and rice
- Beans and a whole wheat tortilla
- Oatmeal
- Tofu and vegetables
- Chili and cornbread
Earlier I said that protein supplements are indicative of certain personality traits. When someone tells me they’re taking protein supplements, I often too quickly write them off as “one of those.” One of those who feels their body is inadequate so they have to take protein supplements to have a “nice” body. I know I’m stereotyping, but jocks get stereotyped for a reason. In fact, I find muscles to be a huge red flag. Muscular guys are often stereotyped as being mean or dumb, and if I have to choose between intelligence and muscles, intelligence is going to win every time. It’s like; oh you can bench press 200 lbs?! Awesome, what
an accomplishment, but do you know the rate limiting steps in glycolysis or who you’re going to vote for in the next presidential elections? Because that is something actually worth talking about. It’s cool that you can do a one-handed push-up, but can you do anything else?
So what’s the take home message? Protein supplements really aren’t necessary, and they might hurt you if used consistently over a number of years. Get your protein from good sources likes beans, nuts, whole grains, and vegetables. You can easily get enough protein from your diet. If you’re still convinced that you need supplements, at least drink a lot of water. And please understand that I’m not hating on exercise. Exercising is really important for your health. Strength training will help improve your muscle mass which will help you when you’re old and brittle. I’m just saying exercising your brain is equally important.
