ExRx.net

Hey guys,

When in doubt, come ask the experts. ; )

I've read a lot of the articles here on ExRx, and a pretty good portion of the threads dealing with protein, but I haven't seen it addressed anywhere; can you eat too much protein? Are there any negative consequences?

I noticed the articles I've read here mentioned the negative effects of too many carbs, and too much fat, but not too much protein.

Feel free to direct me to an article I might have missed too.

Thanks guys.

For the average person, probably not. I'm saying this off the top of my head. I've seen this busted as a myth, in many articles. I'm sure there is a point where you couldoverload the kidneys, but the averge person, even in the US probably won't reach that point.That said, an excess of protein probably won't help gain muscle either. You just require adequate amounts and a stimulus for growth, plus calories. However, if you have a person that has an EXISTING kidney condition, cut it back. I don't have info off the top of my head, so will do (or you can) a quick search on studies on this topic.
Tim

There have been tests conducted up to something like 1.5 g/lb of bodyweight with no serious side effects. Dehydration and constipation can be an issue so drink extra water. John Berardi recommends a minimum of 1 g/lb. Tom Venuto recommends up to 2g/lb prior to body building competitions as it aids in cutting.

http://www.bodybuildingforyou.com/artic ... tein-3.htm

Stu

Thanks guys.

Yeah...my situation is essentially that I'm carrying about 35 lbs of fat that I've finally decided to get rid of. After a very long hiatus, I've been back at the gym for a little over a year. I focused mainly on weight training, cause that's what I like to do most, but in the last month started taking the cardio seriously to burn off my fat.

I've noticed recently that the weight training is getting more difficult despite having not raised much of anything. So...like I mentioned, I read some articles here and I suspect it's a lack of protein. I did the math and it would be very hard for me to eat enough protein, so I'm considering a protein supplement. I'm going to try to take just enough to meet my requirements, but I just wanted to make sure I wasn't putting myself at any serious risk if I take too much of the supplement or something like that.

Thanks again guys.

You should probably examine the rest of your diet as well.

The weight training will get more difficult just because you're losing weight as well. I went through the same thing when I started doing cardio heavy to lose bodyfat too. The more weight you lost, and the faster you lose it, the more strength you'll lose as well, making it more difficult to lift heavy weights relative to what's heavy for you. Not to mention, hitting a lot of cardio you burn through all your energy stores, which is what is the purpose of cardio for fat loss. You try to burn through your energy that's created from carbs and go into the fat energy stores. The problem with this is, you don't have much energy left to lift. It just happens. The best fat/weight loss you can do will come from a balanced resistance/cardio exercise program and smart diet. It will take longer, but it will be more beneficial and balanced than trying to do it all at once.

one of the best advices I heard on the topic!

Consuming excessive amounts of protein is not only bad for your liver and kidneys but also promotes vitamin and mineral deficiencies. It is also linked to osteoporosis and some forms of cancer.

I would stick to eating no more then 1 - 1.5 grams of protein per lb of bodyweight. This article will break it down for you.
http://www.illpumpyouup.com/articles/beware-of-eating-too-much-protein.htm

It's never been proven that excess protein is harmful. However this is true:



You do need balance. Carbs have to be present in sufficient quantity to allow the protein to be used for building muscle.

The amount recommended here and other places is 1-1.5 grams per lb of bodyweight. In my post earlier, I mentioned Tom Venuto's recomendation os 2g. That was in a specific circumstances, bodybuilers cutting just before a competition. It is not a long term recommendation.

Stu

Am I the only one who disagrees a little on this one?

Bodybuilders, gym rats, many strength coaches will all tell you to eat as much as you can but the recommendations from dieticians is usually about
1.0 to 2.0 grams per kilo bodyweight, not pounds. American culture makes dairy and meat cheap but your body needs carbs and fat for energy. Yes, you will need to increase protein intake when training, espeically resistance training, but the average American already exceeds their daily protein requirement, often by 50% to 100%.

One last note - protein does not build muscle. Training, builds muscle. Protein provides necessary building blocks. If your workouts are too tough its probably not because of inadequate protein - I would look at carb intake, fat intake, sleep, and rest as culprits first.

It's one thing to get what you need to prevent disease, it's another to get the optimal amount you need to support growth.

That said there is a limit but it's about 35% protein. This is still well over 1g/lb. You need some fat and carbs. They call too much protein "rabbit starvation".

It's not training that builds muscle. Training causes stress and damage to muscles. Muscle is built as a reaction to the stress and training after the training stops. Muscle is built during the recovery period in the presence of adequate nutrition including adequate protein.

You may possibly need as much as 2g/lbs in the most extreme situations. I usually eat 1g/lb to maintain while cutting at a minimum. I always eat more to bulk. Also carbs are very individual. If you compare me to your typical ectomorph, we have vastly different needs with regards to carbs. Me being an endomorph who does not handle carbs well at all. But I do eat more fat to make up for it, because you do need a certain amount of energy to build muscle.

Thanks Stu you clarifying my point. Training breaks down muscle, forcing the body to repair and adapt to additional stress. This recovery builds muscle.

But my point remains, and is often overlooked: Simply eating additional protein does not build muscle.

Max dietary intakes of Pro from RDs is 1.7 g/kg, which is about 0.8 grams of Pro per pound body weight. So round up to 1 g/lb and you're getting more than enough.

But let's stop fostering the myth that you need 250 grams+ to build muscle.

It depends on how much you weigh. We've been over this. Some of the foremost experts recommend 1 to 2 grams per pound. Also .8 grams per pound is widely recognized as a minimum to maintain. See the above posts.

I don't believe you need the 1.0-2.0 lb/ of body weight to build muscle. It is an absurd amount of protein to think you need 300g per day to get stronger. So I do agree with you. If all that was getting pumped into muscles body builders would look like Arnold with in a year. More importantly than the quantity of protein is when you take it along with a very nuitritional diet. The only thing protein does for you is provide the amino acids which are required to build/repair muscle. Like what was stated, it is the building blocks.

A great article on here justifies that pretty well, it was a discussion between Berardi and Phillips. http://exrx.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4007

So in my personal opinion to build muscle the fastest you need
-Good Program
-Well balanced diet which means get a high amount of minerals & vitamins, carbs and protein before and after weightlifting, and rest.