Do you need protein supplements?

Hi folks,

As a trainer this is one of the most common questions I get asked, usually by lads who want to gain weight &/ or increase muscle mass. Basically it comes down to the extent of our protein requirement. It differs from source to source but to maintain your current state we need about 75% of our body weight (kg’s) in grams per day. If you want to gain muscle you need to take up to 150% of your bodyweight in grams of protein (as well as the right weights training of course).

So how much protein are you getting from your food? Well a chicken breast may be approximately 20g, tinned tuna 30g, & don’t forget to count in things like bread with up to 4g per slice. Make a quick food diary of a typical day’s intake & see how much you are getting. 

Shakes tend to boast as much as 50g protein per serving! However research suggests we can only digest approx 30g per intake & that’s only if we have the right combination of other compounds present (including BCAA’s & carbohydrates). You can buy these as add-on supplements but why pay more when the right balance is naturally present in real food? It’s cheaper & contains valuable extra vitamins / minerals, & doesn’t need the added sugars to make them taste nice.

Shakes became fashionable when some research emerged saying that you have a 20min ‘window’ to get protein inside after a workout. Since then, other research says that there is no rush for protein & that as long as protein source is eaten between exercise & bedtime then that’s fine.

So I’m sure you can see it’s much better all round to get your protein from varied foods such as:

•         Lean meat (turkey, chicken)

•         Fish

•         Eggs

•         Nuts

•         Dairy products

•         Soya products

The only situation that I’d advise protein shakes is when someone’s training is really intense (such as an athlete) or that their muscle weight is so huge, that they cannot realistically eat the required amount from food alone.

Hope this sheds some light on the topic.

James