Oct 5, 20205 min read

Supplement Sunday - Protein Powders and Drinks

Today we are talking about another trendy supplement. It is not just the body builders drinking them any more, its college girls, moms, dads, and it seems everyone. They are becoming more and more popular. You can find them in every nutrition store, Target, Walmart, drug stores and all over the Internet.

What is protein powder?

Protein powders are powdered forms of protein that come from plants (soybean, peas, rice, potatoes or hemp), eggs, or milk (casein or whey protein). The three most commonly used are whey, soy and casein protein. Whey is water-soluble milk protein and is a complete protein (it has all nine of the amino acids that are necessary for human dietary needs), so it has a lot of advantages. People that are vegan prefer soy protein. It does not dissolve as well in water, and some people don't like the taste as much as much as the others.

The amount of protein per scoop can vary. Usually, supplements used for building muscle contain more than those for weight loss. The prices also vary widely. The powders may contain other ingredients as well such as added sugar, artificial flavoring, thickeners, vitamins and minerals (even toxic chemicals). We will touch on this again.

In some specific circumstances, they can be useful. They are easy and convenient sources of complete , high quality protein, but remember most people even athletes can get everything they offer by eating sources of lean protein in a clean and healthy diet like meat, fish, chicken and dairy products. So when do you want to use them?

If you are going vegan - People who pursue a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle eliminate a number of common protein sources from their diet, including meat, chicken and fish. In the case of vegans, they eliminate eggs and dairy as well.
When you are growing — teenagers need more protein to fuel workouts as they are still growing and use more in general. As a guideline from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, teenage athletes need 0.5 to 0.8 grams of protein per pound a day. (This is calculated in pounds, while we adults are done in kilograms.) So for example, my 130 lb. soccer player would have needed 65 - 104 grams per day.
Recovery from an injury, a surgical incision or pressure wound that is not healing (your body needs protein to repair cells and make new ones)
Long endurance training like half marathons or triathlon
Difficulty eating or an impaired appetite (as a result of cancer treatment or frailty from older age)
A serious condition that requires additional calories and protein to get better (burns or illness)
There is some research that protein supplementation in diabetics helps maintain normal glucose levels

Some signs you might not be getting enough protein are if you are unusually tired, weak when lifting weights or doing other strenuous exercise, or are recovering from injuries slowly.

How can you tell if you are already getting enough protein - Let's do some protein math (no groaning)

The following is the daily recommendations from the American College of Sports Medicine and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:

The average adult needs 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. In the United States, we usually use pounds, so you divide the pounds by 2.2. For example 165 pound person would weigh 75 kilograms and require 60 grams of protein a day. (Is your head spinning?)
A recreational athlete requires 1.1-1.4 grams of protein for every kilogram, so our same adult would need 82-105 grams per day.
Competitive athletes need 1.2-1.4 grams per day and those involved in ultra-endurance sports may need up to 2 grams per kg of weight per day (our guy now needs 90-105 grams per day if he is competitive and 150 grams per day if he is a marathon runner).

Does that make sense? So, the most protein you would need in a day is 150 grams (if you weighed 165 pounds and are running in the Boston marathon). That sounds like a lot, but most Americans already get about 15% of their calories in protein. Ok, and I know we would like to think we are all competitive athletes, but I think most of us are just plain old average adults - recreational athletes if we are doing well!! For building muscle, you need 10-15 grams of additional protein a day, so it doesn't take much more to get that amount. Here are some common foods and their grams of protein:

4 ounce hamburger (20 grams)
4 ounce Salmon filet (24 grams)
4 ounce chicken breast (32 grams)
Egg for breakfast (6 grams)
6 ounces of plain Greek yogurt at lunch (18 grams)
Cup of milk (8 grams)
One ounce of mixed nuts (6 grams)
1/2 cup Tofu (10 grams)
4 ounces of tuna (32 grams)
Slice of cheddar cheese (7 grams)
One tablespoon powdered peanut butter (4 grams) which is only 25 calories - Clark will love that!
One tablespoon peanut butter (4 grams) which is about 90 calories
Clark's Vital Protein Collagen Powder she throws in her smoothies (18 grams)

It doesn't take much real food to get enough protein. Some of the protein powders on the market have 80 grams of protein per serving. You don't need that. All your body will do is break it down for energy and too much protein is hard on your kidneys.

How to use protein powder or drinks?

If you calculate your protein need and you are not getting enough for your athletic needs, how can you best use the powders?

First, despite what most people do and say to take the protein powders immediately after working out; carbohydrates are what your body needs before, during, and after a workout. They are the fuel of the body and what your muscles run on. Protein is important in recovery, but in a ratio to carbs of 4-1 or 5-1.

If you use a powder with 20 grams of protein, that would be 80 grams of carbohydrates to get the proper proportion.

For a better "recovery drink" try a fruit smoothie with milk/yogurt, or a glass of chocolate milk (8 grams of protein).

The best way to use protein powder is throughout the day as a snack or meal replacement. Although, you know I would prefer you to eat real food. I often use protein powder in a shake for my meals on "the go." I put it in my morning smoothies or overnight oats, it is so important to have protein at breakfast.

What are the risks?

They are a dietary supplement and like all supplements not regulated by the FDA. It is left up to the manufacturers to regulate their safety, ingredients and labeling. That is why it is important to research and use products that are independently tested.
We really don't know long term effects. There are very few studies.
They may cause GI distress. People with dairy allergies or lactose intolerance can experience gas, diarrhea, etc. with whey or casein protein.
They may have added sugars and calories that you have to calculate into the mix. Some protein powders have as much as 23 grams of added sugar. You add that to your glass of milk and you have a 1200 calorie meal. Not so good, if you are trying to lose weight or are diabetic.
Toxins in protein powders. (Yikes). Researchers found that many protein powders contain heavy metals (like lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury), pesticides, other contaminates linked to cancer. OK, that is scary!!!
Just because your protein is a powder doesn't mean you have to settle for one with a label that reads like a science experiment.