How reliable are protein supplements advised by gym instructors? Know their ill effects

The most common place where you will hear about protein is by the bulky weight machines in a gym. You will see people in the gym drinking their protein shakes after completing their workout because it is suggested by their gym instructors. While nothing has been more recommended than the gym to the young, rather than the assorted doses of protein supplements, they believe that their expensive over-the-counter protein powders help clients to enhance their performance and enable muscle repair and building.

As a dietician, I repeatedly get asked questions regarding protein supplement recommendation every day. What are the best protein supplements on the market? Are they safe? The bigger question is, “Are protein supplements even necessary for young adults going to gym?”

Remember that nutrients are much better absorbed from food than from pills and any concentrated supplements form. 

Protein requirement

The current recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of protein for adolescents is 0.8- 1.0 g protein/kg body weight/day. So if you weigh around 50 kgs, you need only 45-50 grams of protein. That rounds up to almost 10-15 percent of your daily calorie intake. The requirement changes for children, pregnant or lactating woman. Sportsmen and athletes too, depending on their activity level, need 1.5 - 2 grams of protein per kilo of their body weight.

There are a lot of factors that we analyse before recommending a protein supplement. It is mainly depending on individuals and what their fitness goals are. “But the most important thing to remember is to have lots of water to wash out your post processed protein waste.” 

People who do heavy physical exertion, such as professional athletes, may require about 1 to 2 grams of protein for each kilogram of lean body weight, this is not required for the typical person working out in the gym to maintain fitness. Too much protein supplements can cause nausea, loss of appetite, diarrhoea and can even stress the liver and kidneys. Excessively consumption of these high protein supplements often stress kidney and liver functions and over the years, can also lead to organ failure.

Some of these high protein supplements suggested by the gym trainer also contain undeclared substances including androgenic steroids. Long term use of steroids also leads to many health problems. According to the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority almost one in five sports supplements contain banned substances including stimulants and anabolic drugs. It warned that any supplement may not be safe to use.

Most protein supplements use whey as their primary ingredient; so isn’t it simplest to ingest natural forms of whey from food, like milk. If you follow a vegan diet, or you are lactose intolerant, soy works as well too for you,”

Read | WHO launches 'Quit Tobacco' App for smokers to kick the cigarette butt - Know more

Here is a quick guide for you to know the total grams of protein you are consuming on daily basis:

• 200 ml of milk - 6 grams
• 1 bowl dal - 7 grams
• 40 grams of paneer- 7 grams
• 100 grams of chicken- 21
• 1cup soya - 7 grams
• Cereals like chawal, roti - 2.5 grams
• 1 whole egg - 7 grams
• 1 egg white - 5 grams

Now you can decide if you really want to take protein supplement or you can meet your requirement by taking up natural protein food sources.  

The author is a clinical dietician at the Masina Hospital, Mumbai.

(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own and do not reflect those of DNA.)