Does Too Much Protein Supplement Affect Your Health?
Protein supplement has become a number one topic for gym goers, and also on the Internet. With worldwide increased interest in health and fitness, protein has become a topic that gets discussed among bodybuilders, doctors, health enthusiasts, and nutritionists. Belief is varied, in that, some say you cannot get enough protein, whilst others believe that you can get too much protein. The question we discuss is: “Does too much of a protein supplement affect your health?”
A fact that you may not be aware of is that, you can have too much protein. The reason is that the body does not store protein, but instead will turn the protein into fat, which then in turn, is stored in the body. With the storing of fat in the body, you become overweight, and consequently are not able to keep the physique that you were aiming for. Unfortunately, if you are taking in too much protein, there are other health problems that you should be aware of.
Many people, who take protein on a regular basis, are unaware that an overdose of protein can lead to ketosis. Ketosis is a condition where there are too many ketones in the blood stream, which can ultimately lead to damaging the kidneys. Dehydration is also a result of too much protein. So, as you can see, very serious health problems can occur when you take in too much protein, or too much of a protein supplement. As discussed earlier, any weight gain that you have with absorption of too much protein will be the least of your worries.
How much protein should you have, to remain healthy? Is there a guideline so that you can be sure that you aren’t over doing it? As an athlete, you need .6 to .8 grams of protein for each pound of body weight. Many bodybuilders, however, take in about one gram of protein for each pound of body weight, and most do not have any problems with this. This is very common for strength trainers.
The protein that you take in can come directly from food, or from protein supplements, however, a combination of solid foods and liquid protein supplements is recommended. If you are intending on replacing food with protein supplements, you should realise that you can have too much protein supplement, regardless of how much or how little protein you are actually taking in.
You see your body needs solids and liquids. It is true that liquid protein is easier for the body to absorb, which is why a liquid protein supplement is recommended immediately after working out. However, your body needs to go through the act of digesting food, and it works harder at digesting protein, which in turn burns more calories. It is important to realise that the body needs both solid and liquid supplements, for the very best results of body shape and from a health perspective.
Again, bodybuilders do need more protein than sedentary people, and even more than some other types of athletes. However, remember the ‘all things in moderation’ rule, and understand that taking in more protein supplement than you actually need is not going to help you reach your goals. By taking in more protein supplement than the body can use, you will become overweight and in poor health. Like any sport, careful administration of supplements is a vital role in reaching your goals.
