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Home » Categories » Health » Fitness / Exercise » Protein Supplements: Pro's, Con's and Side Effects » Printer Friendly

Protein Supplements: Pro's, Con's and Side Effects

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Submitted Friday, September 30, 2005
tritonnutrition (3,480)
Triton Nutritional Supplements
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If you want to maximize the time you spend in the gym - lifting, the right protein supplement is of paramount importance. No subject is of greater interest to bodybuilders, then protein. Muscle is mostly protein, therefore taking a protein that is efficiently used by your body, as well as getting the right amount of protein, means the difference between modest results and matrix-great results.

The Matrix of Protein
One of the top considerations in choosing a protein supplement is it's profile, it's pattern, it's matrix.The amino acid composition of various proteins make the difference in how well these proteins are digested and made available to build muscle. Experts are agreed that milk and egg based proteins have the most desirable amino acid profile, for proper assimilation and utilization by your body.

The right protein powder also greatly enhances you ability to go into an anabolic condition. In an anabolic condition GH, growth hormone is released into the blood stream, for great muscle gains. GH is required to grow muscle mass, and for general good health it preforms a variety of necessary functions, including boosting your energy level and helping to keep you young looking.

Whey Protein Powder
Besides having a great amino acid profile, whey based protein, has been shown to greatly aid in losing fat. Whey protein is composed of all the essential amino acids, and with the right balance to non-amino aids for enhanced absorption. For great muscle growth nitrogen retention is also benefited.

Look for products that use natural sweeteners, avoid ones that use chemical sweeteners like aspartame or sucralose. These chemicals have been clearly shown to affect the bodies metabolism in a negative way, not something any serious builder wants.

Egg Protein Powder
Egg protein has been recognized since forever by bodybuilders and nutritionists as a highly superior source of protein, with a fantastic amino acid profile. The bad rap eggs have received because of concerns over fat and high cholesterol, are highly bogus. There have been lots of studies, that indicate eggs are extremely healthful, especially if they obtained from natural chicken ranches where the the chickens free range, on the ground.

To meet the demand by informed lifters, supplement manufactures have developed egg based protein powers, that are highly efficient and great tasting as well.

I suggest that lifters consider a blend of both protein types, both egg and whey for optimum results.

How much Protein is needed
This is somewhat of a personal issue, since not everyone assimilates protein at the same rate. We all have different body types and some have digestive systems that may be over stressed or the reverse highly efficient. It's best to experiment a bit at first keep track of how many grams of protein you take per day, and adjust accordingly.

However, the generally recommended and understand amount of grams of protein required for bodybuilding purposes is a about 1 gram of protein for each pound of body weight. For example, if you weigh 170 lbs, you should be taking from all protein sources about 170 grams. If you feel this is not enough, add more gradually to see if it improves your results.

A recent study indicated that body builders can greatly minimize and the effects of over-training by taking approximately 1 gram of protein for each pound of body weight.

In any case, the protein supplements you take will greatly effect your results, so take some time and get a good one.

Side Effects to Protein Supplementation
Side effects are rare in taking protein supplements, since protein is one the 3 basic elements to food, besides fats and carbohydrates. However, some issues can develop when lots of protein is taken, some of which is not properly digested. Usually this relates to excessive gas in the intestinal track. If this occurs just reduce the amount of grams of protein you are taking, until this condition desists.



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Comments on this article:


» left by Melonie (2 years 67 days ago.)
Reader Rating: 2 out of 5
Actually it is 1 g of protein for every 1 kg of body weight which is equal to 1 g of protein for every 2.2 lbs of body weight. Therefore a person weighing 170 lbs should not consume more than 77.27 g of protein per day. In addition, although a person may be able to get away with consuming 1 g of protein for every 2.2 lbs of body weight it is not recommended that males consume more that 63 g per day and or that females consume more than 50 g of protein per day. Even in bodybuilding, there is no research that shows that more is better. If one chooses to consume more than the recommended daily allowance gas will not be their only problem. Research HAS shown that excess protein intake can cause kidney failure.
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» left by Anonymous (1 year 70 days ago.)
2 grms of protein per kg of body weight a day, if you are traing very hard or for a long time...       that is if you train every day....       example    80kg  is 160grms of protein

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» left by Adam from La (140 days 20 hours ago.)
Thank you melonie... you are absolutely correct... when I tell people that in the gym they tell me that I'm crazy and then I tell them that I have a MS in Nutrition and they shut their mouths.  You need 1 g per kg body weight, but if you are an athlete your needs may be higher between 1.2 to 1.7 g per kg body weight
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» left by steveo from u.k. (1 year 212 days ago.)
I have been doing weights 4 times a week for the last 6 months and i am always feeling tired, I find it hard to concentrate on reading and driving. Could this be a side affect of gaining muscle and not taking any supplements?? any advise much appreciated!
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» left by Anonymous (1 year 183 days ago.)
No, it's natural to feel tired after a workout. If you don't do cardio or stretches then it's pretty obvious why you feel more tired. Taking supplements wouldn't make you any less fatigue. I never find the point of supplements, since you can easily set up your diet/eat more and actually save money. Try taking more carbs and calories if you're feeling a lack of energy.

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» left by Anonymous (320 days 3 hours ago.)
sounds like not enough carbohydrate intake for an athlete. you have to take enough carbohydrate to fuel your muscles for the workout and for daily activities before and after. remember carbs are fuel and protein the building blocks.low carb intake can also starve the brain which uses carbs to function. do some research on carb intake to maks sure you are not starving yourself. if the problem persists, get a doctor checkup to make sure you don't have a medical condition such as anemia, mononucleosis,etc. good luck and remember, our bodies are only as good as the fuel we put in them.

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» left by Anonymous (148 days 23 hours ago.)
Mate its called 'over-training'. Take a few weeks off and give your body a good rest. You can only push your body so far before it needs to rest (im not talking about doing a weights session then feeling fatigued) and recover. Your bodies growth is determined mainly by your genetics and conditioning. We cant do anything about our genetics so we condtion our bodies to how we see fit. The idea is 'the harder you train, the more you grow'. Yes this is a valid idea but you can only do this for so long before this type of training starts having negative effects. The body cant cope with the stress being applied to it and it starts to breakdown causing injuries, loss of form and loss of strength. Other factors such as the amount of stress in your life and your lifestyle also contributue to whether you may be over-training and the severity of it.
 
A.Henson
16yr old athlete, trainer and sports fanatic.

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» left by Matthew Hansen from Dallas, TX (1 year 62 days ago.)
Reader Rating: 5 out of 5
Wow! I got a six pack and girls give me that little wink now and then!

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» left by Anonymous (1 year 46 days ago.)
Please let me know how much protein(natural and in powder form) should be consumed by a body builder enthusiast weighing 75 kgs and 5.6" tall?

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» left by Vai (234 days 13 hours ago.)
The right combination would be to take 1 gm. of protein for every pound of your body weight. So, if you are 75 kgs i.e. 165 lbs., you should take about 165 gms of protein through the day. You should not take the 165 gms in one go. Instead, break up your intake into 4 parts. Pre-workout, post-workout, afternoon, and evening. This will give your body enough protein to build muscle and will help you retain ur current muscle mass. Later, you should increase the protein to about 1.5 times your body weight in lbs.

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» left by Anonymous (1 year 30 days ago.)
Am average person requires 1 gram of protein for 1 kilogram of body weight daily in order to retain their muscle composition. The protein must be increased to 2 grams of protein for 1 kilogram of body weight or more when resistance training, which should be sufficient for muscles to grow.

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» left by Savy from India (1 year 29 days ago.)
Reader Rating: 1.5 out of 5
Hi I joined Gym 1 month back and going for weight training. My problem is I have some fat accumulated on my stomach area(fat tummy). I am 5 ft 8inch and 73kg of body weight. Should I start having any protein supplement now or should do my training for few months and then should start protein supplement ? My age is 34. Kindly suggest.

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» left by Jessica from United States-NC (1 year 13 days ago.)
I've heard alot about too much protien, but what are some side effects of too little protein?

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» left by Anonymous (352 days 19 hours ago.)
Reader Rating: 1 out of 5
it is an average artical was not that helpful for me..

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» left by Sonny from Philadelphia, PA USA (336 days 9 hours ago.)
Reader Rating: 1 out of 5
Bodybuilders and soy do not mix. I will not eat any soy products at all. Soy will make your hair grow, your balls shrink, and will make you weak due to the estrogen like harmones that are really present in soy milk. Do a search on soy. Whey protein isolate is the best. You need protein if you workout and it is hard to stuff yourself full of lean chicken breast everday so use a supplement.

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» left by pe from uk (322 days 3 hours ago.)
Reader Rating: 2 out of 5
Hello,
 
I am a doctor based in the UK.
 
Protein I feel should be attaied from natural sources..fish,red meat,eggs,beans,pulses etc.
 
Supplementing with shakes,bars is not necessary and not healthy.
 
Excessive gas and bloating is a problem Very often.This in turning causes a bloated stomach.
 
Too much protein in the body means extra work for the kidneys and liver which is not good.This overload shows in such things as dark circles under the eyes.
 
Over-use of protein also causes spots,can add excess weight,bad breath,dehydration.
 
My advise is ..concentrate on fitness..cardiovascular..running,swimming,rowing,cycling etc as well as resistance training for a lean,healthy look And body.Eat sensibly avoiding saturated fats and junk food.Dont smoke.Moderate alcohola nd have a balanced approach

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» left by emu from nd (293 days 8 hours ago.)
thank u sir, i truly believe u
 

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» left by Anonymous (84 days 16 hours ago.)
thnks sir, your point well taken

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» left by Abraham Akhikpemelo from Edo State, Nigeria (11 days 18 hours ago.)
I strongly dig your opinion, u're the best.

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» left by Anonymous (7 days 2 hours ago.)
Be natural, you are very much correct, I am 51 yrs, as active as electric shock. Athletic body, I rarely take pizza (junk food) ,I believe in my own preparation, most important is I am purely vegetarian, even not taking cold drinks, alcohol,wine, avoid taking sugar, but I love milk.
 
Bgwan

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» left by hemant apat from chandigarh (236 days 4 hours ago.)
thank you somuch for giving us so many knowledge about supplements
hemant apat...Rimt

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» left by john from delhi (150 days 23 hours ago.)
Reader Rating: 5 out of 5
i am 6 feet high and lacking in weight like anything only 55 kgs. doctors suggest physically am all right.so working out and consuming supplements can help me?? plz suggest wch supplement and how much?

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» left by Becky from Detroit (113 days 9 hours ago.)
Reader Rating: 5 out of 5
i have noticed that my urine is smelling stronger than usual since I have started using whey supplement shakes. has anyone else experienced this? i am unsure if the strong smell is a result of the protein or something else.

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» left by DoctorBudd from Oklahoma (90 days 19 hours ago.)
Wow! I have been using whey protein along with a strict healthy diet for awhile. Like I model my diet after the food pyramid and the mediterranean diet and I just kinda ,modified it for my own personal needs. Non of that yuppie low-carb crap diet stuff! You can't do that to yourself! Everything is essential to your body! Even fat! But I cannot stress the importance of carbs. You need that for energy! What I'm trying to say is, is that there is no secret diet or anything like that. You have to play it by the book if you want supplements to ever work for you. Additionally, no smoking or drinking! Or junkfoods! You have to cut it all out! It's not hard once you get into the swing of it. I've seen nothing but good. My mental health has actually got better too! I find myself finishing people's sentences, reading faster and an increase in short-term memory, I think this might have something to do with the creatine in the protein mixture that I have. Btw it's Cytogainer. And you have to give yourself time to recover whenever you work out, like maybe every other day. And remember, no shortcuts!

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» left by r from r (89 days 19 hours ago.)
Reader Rating: 4 out of 5
Is erectile dysfunction a side-effect of taking protein supplements ??
 
Which supplements should be taken for body building ?/

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» left by Andy from Singapore (48 days 18 hours ago.)
Reader Rating: 2 out of 5
What is the need of protein supplements??....I dnt think anybody should take suppliments to buid up their body..Natural Diet and natural proteins are good enough for that purpose...I have heard from sources that if you are takinh protein supplements that dehydrates your body and you should drink a lot of water...and also you will have to stop smoking and consuming alchohol which may be a part of your life...so it's you to decide what is good or not...
 
Anand

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» left by brooonz from kuwait (31 days 12 hours ago.)
Reader Rating: 5 out of 5
hi im training in the gym about 2 months my weight is 68.8kg i need to lifted to 75 kg my tall is 178cm im gonna try serious mass for protein sup any advices ? sorry for disturbing :)

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» left by soh from malaysia (24 days 11 hours ago.)
Reader Rating: 4 out of 5
hi there. may i know will protein supplements cause infertility or low sperm count? any doctor (the one from UK?) or nutritionist here to consult me on this matter? here is the myth: our body produces testosterone. as we take protein supplements which go to muscles building, our body system sense the presence of extra testosterone, and lowered the normal testosterone in our body. thus, our own testosterone level gets lower and causes less sperm production but the supplements we take goes to muscle building. is it true?

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» left by ANDY from INDIA (11 days 14 hours ago.)
Reader Rating: 4 out of 5
IM 18AND AND MY WEIGHT IS 50KGS AND HEIGHT IS '6'. 1 MONTH AGO I JOIND GYM AND HAD PROTIEN SUPPLEMENT. I GAINED JUST 3 KGS IS IT RIGHT AND AFTER WORKOUT MY LEG JOINTS HAVE SWEET PAIN IS IT OK..

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» left by Eric from Canada (1 hour 58 minutes ago.)
Reader Rating: 4 out of 5
   New Comment!   
hey I'm 16 and on my high school rowing team, and I wanted to build some muscle this year. What would be a good protein supplement for me and how much of it should i take?

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