You Really Need to Know *This* About Protein Supplements

Dietary protein is an important part of your fitness journey. From building muscles to give you your dream abs or to help you lose weight by keeping you full for longer, including protein in your meal plan is a must.  

Dr Sanjay Shah, General Physician, Fortis Hospital, Mulund and clinical nutritionist Shweta Mahadik, Fortis Hospital Kalyan answer your burning questions about protein. 

"There are many questions when it comes to protein intake as well as many different opinions on this subject. The amount of protein every person requires varies based on various factors such as age, sex, health and activity level. Ideally, your daily food should provide you with the required protein. But many sports trainers continue to push them on amateur athletes simply because they don’t know any better," they say.

So the question arises, do you need protein when you exercise, particularly when you try to build muscle through weightlifting or other forms of resistance training? The answer is yes. The process of building muscle involves causing damage to muscle filaments and then rebuilding them, and this requires more protein.

WHY DO WE NEED PROTEINS?

Protein is an essential macronutrient made up of amino acids. Your body can make some of these amino acids on its own, but not all of them. These chain-like compounds can be broken apart and put back together in a nearly endless variety of patterns that are used to create different kinds of cells. So, besides needing protein to build and rebuild muscles, it is also required to create new cells.

ANIMAL Vs PLANT Vs DAIRY PROTEINS

The complete proteins found in animal products are your best source of the essential amino acids that your body cannot produce on its own. Dairy products are also high in protein, as are certain green leafy vegetables and legumes.

Too much protein can put a strain on your kidneys, so if you’re using protein supplements to lose or maintain weight without working out, you need to balance your diet with fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats and between 1-2 litres of water per day. Tofu, soya milk, lentils, chickpeas, pinto beans, almond milk, nuts and oilseeds are rich sources of protein for vegetarians and vegans.

HOW TO CONSUME PROTEINS SUPPLEMENTS THE RIGHT WAY?  

A healthy individual needs 1 gram of protein per kg body weight per day. However, when training, you need about a half gram of protein per pound of body weight. Now comes the questions of ‘how much protein?’, ‘what kind of protein?’, or ‘whether protein supplements should be consumed on non-workout days’.

If you want to slim down or need more protein in your diet, feel free to have a protein shake on your off-training days. For example, if you skip breakfast or have a business meeting to rush to in the morning, drinking a protein shake can replace a meal and provide you with the energy needed to function optimally. However, these cannot replace meals; their role is to supplement your diet and not replace it.

But there is a catch. The risk factor here is that all food and beverages provide calories. Protein supplements in the form of shakes and bars are no exception. These supplements work best when used as part of a training program since they fuel your muscles into growth and increase fat burning. 

DO YOU REALLY NEED PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS IF YOU AREN’T WORKING OUT?

Incorporating protein supplements in your diet with no workout at all is not recommended. If you go overboard, you may end up gaining weight — especially if you have a sedentary lifestyle. You might also develop hyperaminoacidemia (excess of amino acid in the bloodstream) with nausea and diarrhoea symptoms; other health concerns may include kidney problems. It is the organ’s function to metabolise the protein, but extra intake will slow down the kidney’s metabolism. 
Thus, if you need to consume more protein and don’t exercise, it is best to have natural sources of the macronutrient, as mentioned above, coupled with minimum exercising. Remember to keep the nutrition factor high, and the calorie counts low if you aren’t exercising-- to burn off extra calories.