Protein Follow-Up

Kelly Gonzalez
Busy Bodies
Date Published: May 13, 2009
Protein follow-up: Precautions about too much protein

Last week I wrote an article about the benefits of supplementing your diet with protein powder to aid in weight management and athletic performance. In this weeks article I wish to emphasize and elaborate on a very important topic regarding protein: consuming adequate amounts. As I stated in the last article the recommended daily intake of protein is .80 g/kg of bodyweight. That’s .36g/ lb. of bodyweight. Yes, bodybuilders and some athletes do increase this amount by quite a bit when necessary, but excess protein in your diet can be detrimental to your health. More is not always better.
Protein is an essential macronutrient. Unlike glucose, it cannot be stored anywhere in the body. When ingested the necessary nutrients are broken down into amino acids and fill the body’s protein needs, the excess is converted to FAT! Please don’t be fooled into thinking that all that excess protein is being stacked in the form of muscle on your biceps! Protein has calories- 4 calories/gram. Any extra calories beyond what your body needs leads to weight gain.

Now, let’s consider another scenario. You are not eating more calories then you normally would or need to, but you are getting more calories from protein than other food sources. High protein diets have shown to aid in weight loss, mainly because you lose the water weight related to carbohydrates.

*High protein diets are not recommended by the American Heart Association.

See, when you ingest too much protein the body forms toxic ketones. Ketones can make you feel nauseous and even decrease your appetite so weight loss may result. The liver and kidneys have to work very hard to digest the excess protein and flush the ketones out of your body, thus, you urinate more and lose water weight, and it can even lead to dehydration, which puts stress on the heart. Ouch, now the liver, kidneys and heart are hurting.

Not only are you losing water, but you may be losing calcium from your bones as well. Calcium is needed to digest protein. When there’s an insufficient amount of calcium and too much protein your body has to pull calcium from your bones, which you eventually excrete. Ever heard of kidney stones? They don’t sound pleasant, so be careful. Plus, all that weight bearing exercise that is meant to prevent osteoporosis may be counterproductive if you’re constantly losing calcium through protein digestion.

Protein Know How:

1. Only 15% of your total daily caloric intake should come from protein. More than 30% can put stress on the kidneys
2. Cut back on animal protein sources, because they are harder for the body to digest, may be higher in cholesterol, and saturated fat. Incorporate more vegetable protein into your diet.
3. If you’re taking in more protein than necessary, be sure that you are exercising- it helps your kidneys work more efficiently and burns extra calories.
4. Drink plenty of water to aid in digestion and prevent dehydration.
5. Be sure you are getting adequate amounts of Vitamin B. You need adequate amounts of Vitamin B to utilize protein. Many protein rich foods have sufficient amounts, but if you are supplementing with extra protein you may want to consider supplementing with Vitamin B6 in particular as well.
6. Protein shouldn’t be solo. Don’t forget about the other food groups! You don’t want to miss out on vitamins and minerals.
7. Protein supplementation is best for boosting athletic performance when used at certain times like before or after training or before bed. You don’t need excessive gram upon gram of protein all throughout the day. Protein requires portion control too.

Bottom Line: You don’t see many Americans with Kwashiorkor, a protein deficiency. You’re mostly likely getting more than enough protein in your diet. Protein powders are a great supplement, but be sure that the added protein is not putting you over the limit as it can cause health problems in the future. The most important thing to keep in mind is BALANCE.