Should You Use Protein Supplements?

One of the regular questions I get asked by clients is should I take protein supplements? The information below should enable you to make your own decision whether you think protein supplements are good for you or not.

What is Protein used for In the Body?

Protein is essential for the growth, maintenance and repair of body tissue. Protein is a part of every living cell and some tissues, like skin, muscle, tendons, ligaments, hair and the core of bones and teeth are predominantly made up of protein. However, in addition to this structural role, proteins perform an enormous variety of physiological functions inside the body:

• All enzymes are proteins. Enzymes control both the rate and the pattern of all chemical reactions that take place in the body, including the digestion of food and the extraction of energy from it.

• Some hormones are made up of protein. These are chemical messengers that alter the normal physiological activity of cells within the body and cover a wide range of functions, for example insulin is a hormone that controls blood glucose (sugar) levels.

• Antibodies are proteins. These are produced by white blood cells and move directly into the bloodstream to fight infection.

• Although not a primary source of energy, protein does provide us with 4kcal per gram

It may seem logical that because of the importance of protein in our body, we would need to consume a lot of it on a daily basis. However Protein only needs to make up between 10-15% of your total calories.

Sources of Protein

Protein is plentiful in the British diet. Meat and dairy products will provide a good supply of protein; a significant amount will also come from nuts, grains, cereal and pulses.

Protein Requirements

Unless there is insufficient carbohydrate stores, protein will not be used for energy production.  Add to this the fact that protein turnover within the body is continual and that there is usually a large pool of amino acids available for protein synthesis, you can see that dietary protein needs on a daily basis are really quite small.

Protein needs per day = 0.8g per kg body weight per day. This is equivalent to 10 –15% of total calories. This guideline is an estimate for a healthy, sedentary adult and would be sufficient for the majority of the UK adult population. (Ref: DH1991).

This requirement applies to people who maintain a desirable body weight and composition. Individuals who have a relatively high amount of body fat need to work out their needs based on their desirable weight, as research has shown that fat tissue has a lower rate of protein synthesis than lean tissue. Because of this, strength training athletes who have a large amount of muscle mass and a low percentage body fat may have higher requirements. The consensus opinion from various research studies would estimate this to be about: 

Do We Need Protein Supplementation?

Most sources clearly state that a normal balanced diet provides adequate protein for most people, even body builders, and that the wide spread use of protein/amino acid supplements is a complete waste of time and money, and may compromise health status. Protein based supplements are not a substitute for a poorly planned diet. However, there are certain circumstances when they may be useful:

• Strength and power based athletes with a large build, or those on very heavy training schedules (a strength athlete weighing 80kg may need as much as 144g a day)

• An athlete on a calorie restricted or fat loss programme, if they simply cannot consume enough protein from food alone with their calorie allowance.

• Vegetarian athletes: A well planned vegetarian diet may still meet the protein requirements of athletes though this may be harder to achieve; low fat dairy products are relatively rich in protein but plant sources are generally lower so it is essential to eat the right combination of plant based proteins

Many protein-based supplements are engineered to be meal replacements for athletes so may actually contain a better nutritional combination than a protein only supplement.

Health Risks of Excessive Protein Intakes

There are no health or performance benefits in taking in more protein than we actually need. Many studies have been performed in this area, but as yet the evidence is not conclusive as to the damage caused by high protein intakes.

The body will use its required amount of protein in relation to the demands put on it. The remainder can then do one of the following:

• May contribute to reduced bone density by increasing urinary calcium excretion.              

• The nitrogen-containing element of protein is converted to urea in the liver and excreted in the urine.

• High protein intakes have been shown to be dangerous for individuals with kidney and liver disease and may lead to problems following long term over consumption.

• A high protein intake can lead to the accumulation of ammonia in the blood that is toxic, particularly to brain cells.

• Excess protein (if it contributes to more energy than the body needs) is stored in the body as fat and this can lead to obesity.

• A high protein intake from animal products is associated with high intakes of saturated fat and therefore, increased cholesterol. In turn this may lead to the development of Coronary Heart Disease. 

If you like eating meat there is no need to worry if your protein consumption is a little higher than needed every now and again. However, if you consistently consume considerably more than 10–15% of your total calorie intake as protein, you could increase your health risks.  

(Information sourced from YMCAfit)