Skip to main content

Too much protein and protein powder = problems

The effects of excess protein and protein powder

VHKprimus
VHKprimus g Andy Are
16 Post(s)
16 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: January 1, 2014
Posted

I've been looking for natural ways to gain protein and have found that if I want to get 260g protein a day so I can eat 110g carbs and 39g fat to lose weight, I would have to turn to protein powder. So I did some research and found some websites (some more creditable than others but all say similar things) and I found some worrying things about having too much protein since the recommended is 0.8g per kg of body weight meaning most people only need under 100g. (Quoted from:http://healthandwellness.kaplan.edu/articles/nutrition/Protein%20Supplements.html)

'Excessive protein intakes can cause a buildup of ketones bodies. When there is an excessive accumulation of ketone bodies, an abnormal but not necessarily harmful state called ketosis results. With progressively higher levels of ketone bodies, the body's pH is lowered to dangerously acidic levels, leading to a state called ketoacidosis. As your kidneys rid your body of these toxic ketones, you can lose a significant amount of water, which puts you at risk of dehydration, particularly if you exercise heavily. And dehydration from a ketogenic diet can make you feel weak and dizzy, give you bad breath, and lead to other health problems.'

 

There are so many things that are too long to quote so here are the links:

http://www.smh.com.au/executive-style/fitness/do-you-really-need-protein-supplements-20130522-2k0ss.html http://www.livestrong.com/article/543282-does-protein-powder-do-anything-bad-to-your-body/

 

What do you guys think? There are just too many contradictions in the fitness world that it gets overwhelming.

-Andy

 

Whisper
Whisper p+ Kostas Kroustaloudis
687 Post(s)
687 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Train for a sport Date Joined: September 9, 2011
Posted
Posted By: VHKprimus

I've been looking for natural ways to gain protein and have found that if I want to get 260g protein a day so I can eat 110g carbs and 39g fat to lose weight, I would have to turn to protein powder. So I did some research and found some websites (some more creditable than others but all say similar things) and I found some worrying things about having too much protein since the recommended is 0.8g per kg of body weight meaning most people only need under 100g. (Quoted from:http://healthandwellness.kaplan.edu/articles/nutrition/Protein%20Supplements.html)

'Excessive protein intakes can cause a buildup of ketones bodies. When there is an excessive accumulation of ketone bodies, an abnormal but not necessarily harmful state called ketosis results. With progressively higher levels of ketone bodies, the body's pH is lowered to dangerously acidic levels, leading to a state called ketoacidosis. As your kidneys rid your body of these toxic ketones, you can lose a significant amount of water, which puts you at risk of dehydration, particularly if you exercise heavily. And dehydration from a ketogenic diet can make you feel weak and dizzy, give you bad breath, and lead to other health problems.'

 

There are so many things that are too long to quote so here are the links:

http://www.smh.com.au/executive-style/fitness/do-you-really-need-protein-supplements-20130522-2k0ss.html http://www.livestrong.com/article/543282-does-protein-powder-do-anything-bad-to-your-body/

 

What do you guys think? There are just too many contradictions in the fitness world that it gets overwhelming.

-Andy

 

Hey man,

Since I have a degree on this, let me offer my opinion and knowledge on the matter.

When it comes to protein, YES, an athlete that weighs 80kg, needs under 100grams of protein to make maximum muscle gains and strength gains. 260 grams of protein is absolutely not necessary and its gonna make your pockets suffer. There has been studies with people that were on anabolic drugs that built 12kg of muscle in 4 months and they did that with 80 grams of protein and a 10% caloric suplus a day. So there is no reason to assume that a natural lifter than will obviously NOT build 12 kg of muscle in 4 months, needs any more than 0.8grams protein/kg of bodyweight.

Now comes the opposite theory, that there are people who consume 300 grams of protein and make excellent gains. What happens chemically is, the body uses the amount of protein it needs for muscle recovery and rebuilding and converts the rest into carbs for energy. So essentially the only difference between the 2 diets is the financial situation.

If you are a healthy adult with no kidney problems, a high protein diet will do nothing bad to you though. Its absolutely safe and if you want to spend money, you can follow it.

When it comes to fat loss, a high protein diet is beneficial in comparison to a high carb diet that adds up to the same calories. Thats because we have to take into consideration the thermal effect of different macros. Protein is harder to digest so you will burn more calories digesting it in comparison to carbs. But thats still a minor difference between the 2. If you are at 10% caloric deficit, you will lose weight no matter what. ( as long as your fat intake is at healthy level).

A lot of people get butthurt over this, and continue to consume A LOT of protein, but the reality is they are just buying expensive carbs. Old school bodybuilders like Dorian Yates knew this in the past and were consuming about 150 grams of protein ( but of course they were over 250lbs themselves.) If you want to have peace of mind though, rest assured that a high protein diet wont harm you by any means other than financially.

Thats all I have about this matter.
#HTH!
Kostas

Muscular Strength Athlete and Content Manager 6 Years Lifting Experience Bachelors in Molecular Chemistry/Biochemistry, Working towards Masters Lifting Style & Philosophy : Aikido, Energy, Balance, Flexibility, Posture
VHKprimus
VHKprimus g Andy Are
16 Post(s)
16 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: January 1, 2014
Posted
Posted By: Whisper

Hey man,

Since I have a degree on this, let me offer my opinion and knowledge on the matter.

When it comes to protein, YES, an athlete that weighs 80kg, needs under 100grams of protein to make maximum muscle gains and strength gains. 260 grams of protein is absolutely not necessary and its gonna make your pockets suffer. There has been studies with people that were on anabolic drugs that built 12kg of muscle in 4 months and they did that with 80 grams of protein and a 10% caloric suplus a day. So there is no reason to assume that a natural lifter than will obviously NOT build 12 kg of muscle in 4 months, needs any more than 0.8grams protein/kg of bodyweight.

Now comes the opposite theory, that there are people who consume 300 grams of protein and make excellent gains. What happens chemically is, the body uses the amount of protein it needs for muscle recovery and rebuilding and converts the rest into carbs for energy. So essentially the only difference between the 2 diets is the financial situation.

If you are a healthy adult with no kidney problems, a high protein diet will do nothing bad to you though. Its absolutely safe and if you want to spend money, you can follow it.

When it comes to fat loss, a high protein diet is beneficial in comparison to a high carb diet that adds up to the same calories. Thats because we have to take into consideration the thermal effect of different macros. Protein is harder to digest so you will burn more calories digesting it in comparison to carbs. But thats still a minor difference between the 2. If you are at 10% caloric deficit, you will lose weight no matter what. ( as long as your fat intake is at healthy level).

A lot of people get butthurt over this, and continue to consume A LOT of protein, but the reality is they are just buying expensive carbs. Old school bodybuilders like Dorian Yates knew this in the past and were consuming about 150 grams of protein ( but of course they were over 250lbs themselves.) If you want to have peace of mind though, rest assured that a high protein diet wont harm you by any means other than financially.

Thats all I have about this matter.
#HTH!
Kostas

Thanks so much for clearing that up. Since I rather eat as naturally as possible I was worried that taking in a lot of protein powder would cause problems later on.

philflorey
philflorey g Phil McAuliffe
163 Post(s)
163 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: March 3, 2013
Posted
Posted By: Whisper

Hey man,

Since I have a degree on this, let me offer my opinion and knowledge on the matter.

When it comes to protein, YES, an athlete that weighs 80kg, needs under 100grams of protein to make maximum muscle gains and strength gains. 260 grams of protein is absolutely not necessary and its gonna make your pockets suffer. There has been studies with people that were on anabolic drugs that built 12kg of muscle in 4 months and they did that with 80 grams of protein and a 10% caloric suplus a day. So there is no reason to assume that a natural lifter than will obviously NOT build 12 kg of muscle in 4 months, needs any more than 0.8grams protein/kg of bodyweight.

Now comes the opposite theory, that there are people who consume 300 grams of protein and make excellent gains. What happens chemically is, the body uses the amount of protein it needs for muscle recovery and rebuilding and converts the rest into carbs for energy. So essentially the only difference between the 2 diets is the financial situation.

If you are a healthy adult with no kidney problems, a high protein diet will do nothing bad to you though. Its absolutely safe and if you want to spend money, you can follow it.

When it comes to fat loss, a high protein diet is beneficial in comparison to a high carb diet that adds up to the same calories. Thats because we have to take into consideration the thermal effect of different macros. Protein is harder to digest so you will burn more calories digesting it in comparison to carbs. But thats still a minor difference between the 2. If you are at 10% caloric deficit, you will lose weight no matter what. ( as long as your fat intake is at healthy level).

A lot of people get butthurt over this, and continue to consume A LOT of protein, but the reality is they are just buying expensive carbs. Old school bodybuilders like Dorian Yates knew this in the past and were consuming about 150 grams of protein ( but of course they were over 250lbs themselves.) If you want to have peace of mind though, rest assured that a high protein diet wont harm you by any means other than financially.

Thats all I have about this matter.
#HTH!
Kostas

Hey Kostas

 

This is great advice. Thank you.

 

Just a quick, follow-up question: would keeping hydrated lower the albeit already small risk of ketoacidosis?

 

Cheers

Eat like a man Train like a beast Operate like a gentlemen Become a legend
Joey_Lopez
Joey_Lopez g Jose Lopez
226 Post(s)
226 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Train for a sport Date Joined: October 10, 2013
Posted
Posted By: Whisper

Hey man,

Since I have a degree on this, let me offer my opinion and knowledge on the matter.

When it comes to protein, YES, an athlete that weighs 80kg, needs under 100grams of protein to make maximum muscle gains and strength gains. 260 grams of protein is absolutely not necessary and its gonna make your pockets suffer. There has been studies with people that were on anabolic drugs that built 12kg of muscle in 4 months and they did that with 80 grams of protein and a 10% caloric suplus a day. So there is no reason to assume that a natural lifter than will obviously NOT build 12 kg of muscle in 4 months, needs any more than 0.8grams protein/kg of bodyweight.

Now comes the opposite theory, that there are people who consume 300 grams of protein and make excellent gains. What happens chemically is, the body uses the amount of protein it needs for muscle recovery and rebuilding and converts the rest into carbs for energy. So essentially the only difference between the 2 diets is the financial situation.

If you are a healthy adult with no kidney problems, a high protein diet will do nothing bad to you though. Its absolutely safe and if you want to spend money, you can follow it.

When it comes to fat loss, a high protein diet is beneficial in comparison to a high carb diet that adds up to the same calories. Thats because we have to take into consideration the thermal effect of different macros. Protein is harder to digest so you will burn more calories digesting it in comparison to carbs. But thats still a minor difference between the 2. If you are at 10% caloric deficit, you will lose weight no matter what. ( as long as your fat intake is at healthy level).

A lot of people get butthurt over this, and continue to consume A LOT of protein, but the reality is they are just buying expensive carbs. Old school bodybuilders like Dorian Yates knew this in the past and were consuming about 150 grams of protein ( but of course they were over 250lbs themselves.) If you want to have peace of mind though, rest assured that a high protein diet wont harm you by any means other than financially.

Thats all I have about this matter.
#HTH!
Kostas

Damn good info man, thanks for clearing that up!

2 year #SHF athlete I love to train hard and help others when they want it.
Whisper
Whisper p+ Kostas Kroustaloudis
687 Post(s)
687 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Train for a sport Date Joined: September 9, 2011
Posted
Posted By: philflorey

Hey Kostas

 

This is great advice. Thank you.

 

Just a quick, follow-up question: would keeping hydrated lower the albeit already small risk of ketoacidosis?

 

Cheers

Posted by: philflorey

Hey Kostas

 

This is great advice. Thank you.

 

Just a quick, follow-up question: would keeping hydrated lower the albeit already small risk of ketoacidosis?

 

Cheers

Being hydrated has a huge number of positive effects to the body so you should always try to be 100% hydrated. Water will flush unnecessary toxins and "bad stuff" from your blood so it will help keep your organs like your kidneys safe. When you are not drinking enough water, you are making your kidneys work harder anyway, regardless of your protein and fat consumption. So yes, if you go for a high protein diet, you should :

a. drink a lot of water
b. take in the necessary amount of fiber ( toilet issues..)

thats it :)
#HTH!
Kostas

Muscular Strength Athlete and Content Manager 6 Years Lifting Experience Bachelors in Molecular Chemistry/Biochemistry, Working towards Masters Lifting Style & Philosophy : Aikido, Energy, Balance, Flexibility, Posture
philflorey
philflorey g Phil McAuliffe
163 Post(s)
163 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: March 3, 2013
Posted
Posted By: Whisper
Posted by: philflorey

Hey Kostas

 

This is great advice. Thank you.

 

Just a quick, follow-up question: would keeping hydrated lower the albeit already small risk of ketoacidosis?

 

Cheers

Being hydrated has a huge number of positive effects to the body so you should always try to be 100% hydrated. Water will flush unnecessary toxins and "bad stuff" from your blood so it will help keep your organs like your kidneys safe. When you are not drinking enough water, you are making your kidneys work harder anyway, regardless of your protein and fat consumption. So yes, if you go for a high protein diet, you should :

a. drink a lot of water
b. take in the necessary amount of fiber ( toilet issues..)

thats it :)
#HTH!
Kostas

Haha! I'll be putting some prunes on the shopping list then...

As always, thanks for the advice

 

Cheers

Eat like a man Train like a beast Operate like a gentlemen Become a legend
kroty3003
kroty3003 g Anthony Aukett
95 Post(s)
95 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: October 10, 2013
Posted

<---------- always hydrated , drinking a bottle of red wine atm, wont be hydrated in a few hours ,

 

great post guys , cleared some questions , thanx

Anthony thanx for the great site Scott.
Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted

Wow... such amazing information here!

 

This is a common question too. You would have to REALLY be consuming a lot of protein to run into these issues if you have no pre-existing conditions.

 

Hydration is super important.

 

One more thing.. your fat seems VERY VERY low... why so low?

Need 1 on 1 coaching? Send me a direct message to learn more!
VHKprimus
VHKprimus g Andy Are
16 Post(s)
16 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: January 1, 2014
Posted
Posted By: Scott_Herman

Wow... such amazing information here!

 

This is a common question too. You would have to REALLY be consuming a lot of protein to run into these issues if you have no pre-existing conditions.

 

Hydration is super important.

 

One more thing.. your fat seems VERY VERY low... why so low?

I calculated it by following your meal plan video. Since in Australia we use the metric system, my lean weight is 50.82kg which is roughly 112lb according to google. In your video, you said if I wanted to lose weight, I would need to eat 0.35g of fat per pound of lean weight so 112x0.35 = 39.2g

 

Is that really low? I'm 17 by the way so I'm probably near the end of puberty sadly, since I'm so short (sigh).

Whisper
Whisper p+ Kostas Kroustaloudis
687 Post(s)
687 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Train for a sport Date Joined: September 9, 2011
Posted
Posted By: VHKprimus

I calculated it by following your meal plan video. Since in Australia we use the metric system, my lean weight is 50.82kg which is roughly 112lb according to google. In your video, you said if I wanted to lose weight, I would need to eat 0.35g of fat per pound of lean weight so 112x0.35 = 39.2g

 

Is that really low? I'm 17 by the way so I'm probably near the end of puberty sadly, since I'm so short (sigh).

Ow! We didnt know you are only 50kg! Then, yes, 40gr fat is plenty. Focus on adding some mass on your body though. Focus on touching the 60kg mark by next year and by then, up your fat intake to 50grams per day.

Muscular Strength Athlete and Content Manager 6 Years Lifting Experience Bachelors in Molecular Chemistry/Biochemistry, Working towards Masters Lifting Style & Philosophy : Aikido, Energy, Balance, Flexibility, Posture
willbert87
willbert87 g willbert willson
24 Post(s)
24 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: January 1, 2014
Posted
Posted By: Whisper

Hey man,

Since I have a degree on this, let me offer my opinion and knowledge on the matter.

When it comes to protein, YES, an athlete that weighs 80kg, needs under 100grams of protein to make maximum muscle gains and strength gains. 260 grams of protein is absolutely not necessary and its gonna make your pockets suffer. There has been studies with people that were on anabolic drugs that built 12kg of muscle in 4 months and they did that with 80 grams of protein and a 10% caloric suplus a day. So there is no reason to assume that a natural lifter than will obviously NOT build 12 kg of muscle in 4 months, needs any more than 0.8grams protein/kg of bodyweight.

Now comes the opposite theory, that there are people who consume 300 grams of protein and make excellent gains. What happens chemically is, the body uses the amount of protein it needs for muscle recovery and rebuilding and converts the rest into carbs for energy. So essentially the only difference between the 2 diets is the financial situation.

If you are a healthy adult with no kidney problems, a high protein diet will do nothing bad to you though. Its absolutely safe and if you want to spend money, you can follow it.

When it comes to fat loss, a high protein diet is beneficial in comparison to a high carb diet that adds up to the same calories. Thats because we have to take into consideration the thermal effect of different macros. Protein is harder to digest so you will burn more calories digesting it in comparison to carbs. But thats still a minor difference between the 2. If you are at 10% caloric deficit, you will lose weight no matter what. ( as long as your fat intake is at healthy level).

A lot of people get butthurt over this, and continue to consume A LOT of protein, but the reality is they are just buying expensive carbs. Old school bodybuilders like Dorian Yates knew this in the past and were consuming about 150 grams of protein ( but of course they were over 250lbs themselves.) If you want to have peace of mind though, rest assured that a high protein diet wont harm you by any means other than financially.

Thats all I have about this matter.
#HTH!
Kostas

So,for me...i had calculated the calories that i need to be take within a day using the scott herman calculator,

I found that,for bulcking body..i may need about 2750 at least for my curent weight.so what i am doing is,i take the anabolic gainer its contains of 1250 calories and 50 g of protein..menas that total of callories that i earn from the supplements is about 1450g..the rest of the calories i need to take from daily food that is 1300.taking 200g of bround rice,chicken brest,some vege and fruits.and then beef stick...hope some one will help me about this if im doing it wrong...

Whisper
Whisper p+ Kostas Kroustaloudis
687 Post(s)
687 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Train for a sport Date Joined: September 9, 2011
Posted
Posted By: willbert87

So,for me...i had calculated the calories that i need to be take within a day using the scott herman calculator,

I found that,for bulcking body..i may need about 2750 at least for my curent weight.so what i am doing is,i take the anabolic gainer its contains of 1250 calories and 50 g of protein..menas that total of callories that i earn from the supplements is about 1450g..the rest of the calories i need to take from daily food that is 1300.taking 200g of bround rice,chicken brest,some vege and fruits.and then beef stick...hope some one will help me about this if im doing it wrong...

Well, most people would tell you that its not right to take half of your calories from a supplement but I m gonna say thats ok because at the end of the day its just food..and its actually cheap. So alright, you seem to be on the right track. Just make sure you are at that 10% caloric surplus and train hard..and you will grow in mass/strength and character :)

Muscular Strength Athlete and Content Manager 6 Years Lifting Experience Bachelors in Molecular Chemistry/Biochemistry, Working towards Masters Lifting Style & Philosophy : Aikido, Energy, Balance, Flexibility, Posture
Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: willbert87

So,for me...i had calculated the calories that i need to be take within a day using the scott herman calculator,

I found that,for bulcking body..i may need about 2750 at least for my curent weight.so what i am doing is,i take the anabolic gainer its contains of 1250 calories and 50 g of protein..menas that total of callories that i earn from the supplements is about 1450g..the rest of the calories i need to take from daily food that is 1300.taking 200g of bround rice,chicken brest,some vege and fruits.and then beef stick...hope some one will help me about this if im doing it wrong...

Wow that is a BIG SHAKE! So what is the total result of all your calories in PROTIEN, CARBS, and FAT? for the day?

 

Calories: 2750

Protein: ?

Carbs: ?

Fat: ?

Need 1 on 1 coaching? Send me a direct message to learn more!
Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: VHKprimus

I calculated it by following your meal plan video. Since in Australia we use the metric system, my lean weight is 50.82kg which is roughly 112lb according to google. In your video, you said if I wanted to lose weight, I would need to eat 0.35g of fat per pound of lean weight so 112x0.35 = 39.2g

 

Is that really low? I'm 17 by the way so I'm probably near the end of puberty sadly, since I'm so short (sigh).

Oh ok, this looks good then. and don't worry.. puberty doesnt stop at 18.. it can go up to 20-21 :)

Just EAT, lift, hydrate, and REST! :) You got this!

Need 1 on 1 coaching? Send me a direct message to learn more!
muscular strength
 You must be a Member to view or reply this tread. Please Log In or become a Member .