Gaining & Losing Weight
Following the protein craze
By Nikki McDonald
Trying to build thick muscle fast and think a steady diet of protein shakes will do the trick? We wouldn't blame you if you did. With bodybuilder magazines pushing high-priced protein shakes and bars like they're the miracle cure for the 98-pound weakling, you'd be forgiven for thinking that an all-protein diet is the only way to bulk up.
"Believe it or not," says Manuel Villacorta, a San Francisco-based registered dietician/nutritionist who works with many athletes serious about weight training, "there is such a thing as too much protein, even for bodybuilders." You can drink as many protein shakes as you can stomach, he says, but there's very little research to indicate that going over recommended amounts results in bigger muscles.
In fact, because your body doesn't excrete unused proteins, he says, you're more likely to gain fat than muscle. That’s because your muscles can only use so much protein, and your body stores away the extra protein in the form of unwanted fat.
Even though some sports shakes, which contain unhealthy amounts of sugar, now brag that they contain upwards of 150 grams of protein per shake, you're probably already getting your recommended allowance of proteins from the foods you eat every day, says Villacorta. For every ounce of meat or cheese you consume, for example, you take in seven grams of protein. A glass of milk or yogurt gives you about eight grams of protein, and a half cup of beans gives you about seven grams.
So how much protein is enough? If you're doing light weight training, says Villacorta, you'll want to consume between 0.7 to 0.9 grams of protein per day for each pound you weigh. If you're serious about bulking up and are actively trying to gain muscle, you'll want to go up to one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight.
And, advises Villacorta, the next time you're thinking about where to get those proteins, pass on the sugar shake and sit down to a plate of sushi or cooked salmon instead.
Nikki McDonald is a freelance writer and editor based in Minnesota. She has previously worked as the editor in chief of Digital Photography magazine and executive editor of MacAddict magazine, among others.
Manuel Villacorta is a registered dietitian/nutritionist located in San Francisco, California, providing nutrition counseling in weight management and various nutrition-related topics. He can be found on the web at http://www.mvnutrition.com.
"Believe it or not," says Manuel Villacorta, a San Francisco-based registered dietician/nutritionist who works with many athletes serious about weight training, "there is such a thing as too much protein, even for bodybuilders." You can drink as many protein shakes as you can stomach, he says, but there's very little research to indicate that going over recommended amounts results in bigger muscles.
In fact, because your body doesn't excrete unused proteins, he says, you're more likely to gain fat than muscle. That’s because your muscles can only use so much protein, and your body stores away the extra protein in the form of unwanted fat.
Even though some sports shakes, which contain unhealthy amounts of sugar, now brag that they contain upwards of 150 grams of protein per shake, you're probably already getting your recommended allowance of proteins from the foods you eat every day, says Villacorta. For every ounce of meat or cheese you consume, for example, you take in seven grams of protein. A glass of milk or yogurt gives you about eight grams of protein, and a half cup of beans gives you about seven grams.
So how much protein is enough? If you're doing light weight training, says Villacorta, you'll want to consume between 0.7 to 0.9 grams of protein per day for each pound you weigh. If you're serious about bulking up and are actively trying to gain muscle, you'll want to go up to one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight.
And, advises Villacorta, the next time you're thinking about where to get those proteins, pass on the sugar shake and sit down to a plate of sushi or cooked salmon instead.
Nikki McDonald is a freelance writer and editor based in Minnesota. She has previously worked as the editor in chief of Digital Photography magazine and executive editor of MacAddict magazine, among others.
Manuel Villacorta is a registered dietitian/nutritionist located in San Francisco, California, providing nutrition counseling in weight management and various nutrition-related topics. He can be found on the web at http://www.mvnutrition.com.
Aaron_Matthew wrote:
But I'm kind of disappointed with parts of this article. It's still perpetuating the bodybuilder idea that you need to consume 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.
Last I checked, the actual conversion was 0.85 grams per KILOGRAM of bodyweight--up to 1.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight if you're training.
Mar 27 8:22 AM
Aaron_Matthew wrote:
The building-blocks of protein are called amino acids. There are 20 of them. 13 of these amino acids are essential, meaning the body cannot create them and they thus have to come from our diet. A "complete protein" is one containing these 13 essential amino acids in the proportions we need them.
Meat is the obvious source of complete protein, because what can be a better source of the essential amino acids than muscle fiber?
The only other complete source of protein is soy.
Mar 27 8:17 AM
Jacquez wrote:
Mercersburgguy, didn't you read what this said? Just make sure you get the protein requirements you need. Building muscle not only takes protein, but you also need a certain amount of carbs and fats for the energy required to turn that protein into muscle. If you eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day and find you're still coming up short of the calories you need every day, then add a shake to get you to that level.
Also. Beans with Rice is a more complete protein than any meat.
Jul 17 6:24 PM
mercersburgguy wrote:
I am trying to loose weight I am trying to eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day I was wondering would drinking a Whey shake after working out help me at all?
Apr 30 2:48 AM
metlboy wrote:
Beans aren't complete, but chances are something else you eat during the day will complete them. And soy is as complete a protein as beef.
Apr 22 3:51 AM
AlexinRio wrote:
Beans are not a complete protein.
Mar 30 4:05 PM