Whether you’re an average Joe or a real gym bunny: consuming too many protein powders, bars and gels is pointless, according to experts.
The protein supplement craze has grown into a $20 billion a year industry thanks to an increase in workout culture.
Good-looking celebrities like Chris Hemsworth and Henry Cavill – both of whom are rumored to have used steroids to land their superhero movie roles – have promoted the products to their millions of fans, with the insinuation that consuming more protein would make you look better. can see as them.
But what the hype doesn’t explain is that your body can only process so much 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 powders – is functionally useless and won’t build muscle. At that point, it’s only the excess calories that can make you fat.
In an Instagram video in May 2022, Marvel actor Chris Hemsworth shared a video of himself making a protein shake with his friend in a promotional video for his fitness program, Centr.
Actor Henry Cavill, known for his rocky body, teamed up with protein powder company MuscleTech for 2022.
She said consuming more than that, about the same as 1.5 chicken breasts, is essentially throwing money down the drain – literally.
Your body will eliminate excess protein through your urine because it cannot utilize the excess nutrients.
What particularly worries experts is that the protein market is unregulated and some products are teeming with highly processed ingredients that increase your risk of cancer after a while.
Others have been found to contain cancer-causing chemicals such as lead.
That is why Zumpano tries to meet the needs of its customers with food wherever possible.
“I always encourage food first,” she said.
Protein powder is made when natural protein sources, such as milk, eggs or soy, are processed and stripped of their other components, such as sugar, fiber and fat, according to Emily Gelsomin, a registered dietitian and clinical nutrition specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Then manufacturers sometimes add ingredients such as herbs, sweeteners or other vitamins, Ms. Gelsomin writes in a Harvard Health Blog.
Protein powders are regulated the same as supplements, meaning the FDA does not screen them before they hit the market. That’s why Ms. Zumpano recommends researching protein companies before buying from them.
‘You just have to be smart about the supplements you buy because they are not all the same. And not all of them are regulated. And you know, some of them, unfortunately, tell you that they have something in them that maybe they don’t have,” Ms. Zumpano told Dailymail.com
Independent companies, such as the United States Pharmacopeia or the National Sanitation Foundation, will test supplements and protein powders for companies interested in verification, ensuring that the products contain what is listed on the label and nothing else.
They publicly report their findings and have an online database where you can view your supplement brand, if they have chosen to participate.
Protein powders can be made from animal products such as milk and plant products such as soy.
When purchasing protein powders, consumers can look for a USP stamp or NSF stamp on the packaging, which indicates that they have been tested and users can rest assured that the product is safe and actually contains what is advertised.
Otherwise it is difficult to know what is in the bottle.
In 2022, researchers from the nonprofit organization Clean Label Project found that 53 of the 134 protein powders they tested 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 legal limit for chemicals.
If produced safely, protein products won’t hurt you, Ms. Zumpano said.
She said these are convenient options for many people, and if for some reason you can’t get enough protein in your diet, she might recommend mixing in a protein shake or gel.
But it’s better to get your protein from food than using a supplement, because food contains many of the nutrients your body needs, making it a more balanced option.
Ms Zumpano told this website that the body is designed to process food and it is not known whether people get the same benefits from digesting supplements.
“If you think about putting protein in a more concentrated or synthetic form, that’s not the form that our bodies are built to absorb and digest,” she said.
Furthermore, consuming more than 20-40 grams of protein at a time may actually be ineffective. according to research from 2018 from exercise nutritionists from Texas A&M and Lindenwood University.
The U.S. protein supplement market reached a record high of $21 billion in 2023.
Your body can only use a certain amount of protein at a time, with an upper limit of about 40 grams, the researchers found.
If you eat more than that at a time, your body will eliminate it through urine or your bowel movements, meaning you’ll be taking in extra calories for no added benefits.
‘People have the misconception that they need more protein, when in reality the majority of us get enough protein – our needs are quite low,’ says Anna Daniels, dietitian and spokeswoman for the British Dietetic Association. told The Guardian.
“For most of us who go to the gym for an hour a few times a week, there is no need to take in the extra protein we (already) get from a balanced, healthy diet,” Ms Daniels said.
There is also evidence that excessive protein consumption can lead to diabetes kidney stonesheart disease and colon cancer.
Protein is used differently in our bodies than other food sources, such as fat and sugar. Our bodies can store these around muscles and organs, but we cannot package proteins and store them for long periods of time.
“Humans tend to be protein sparing, meaning that while we can use protein for energy – we have the metabolic pathways to do that – it is preferable that carbohydrates and fats are the main fuel sources,” says Simin Levinson, a registered dietitian nutritionist . clinical professor at Arizona State University Fortune said.
He added: ‘That’s because proteins play such a crucial, functional role… and if that protein isn’t supplied, we start to break down body tissues to produce those amino acids.’
Instead, when we eat protein, our body breaks it down into its component parts, called amino acids.
Amino acids are sometimes called the building blocks of life because our bodies use them to build all the crucial microscopic pieces 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 need to eat protein sources such as soy, fish, poultry, eggs, beef, pork and dairy.
Fitness and nutrition experts still don’t agree on the optimal amount of protein you should consume daily, but medical authorities say you should aim for around 0.8 grams of serving per kilogram of body weight.
For the average American male who weighs approximately 199 poundshe should eat about 72 grams of protein per day.
An average American woman who weighs 170 pounds should eat about 61 ounces.
But these recommendations change if you are physically active or approaching your senior years.
“Certain athletes undergoing intense training can improve their progress by consuming more than double the RDI, but this is not true for most of us,” Ms. Gelsomin wrote.
If you follow a well-rounded diet, achieving these nutritional goals should be fairly easy.
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 are unable to achieve these goals, Ms. Zumpano said you can supplement with protein products.
But you need to be informed about what you are putting into your body, especially if you are going to spend money to do so.
‘You know, just be very aware of what you spend your money on. And what you bring,” Ms. Zumpano said.