October 13, 2015
The 5 Biggest Protein Powder Myths
Despite its widespread use and popularity, there are still several fairly persistent myths surrounding protein powder. Let's dive right into the research, then, and see what the science says about some of the biggest protein powder myths out there.
- You can only absorb 30 grams in one sitting - Decades ago, faulty research assumed that because the average person can only absorb 10g of amino acids per hour and the typical bodybuilder ate every three hours, than the human body absorbs about 30g of protein per hour. There is literally no science to back this up. The truth is that, if you ingest more protein than your body can handle that a given time, it simply waits in your gut until it can be absorbed. There is no magic time limit.
- Protein powder makes you bulky - It is true that protein is the main ingredient for muscle growth, but it is by no means all that is involved. First of all, your workouts needs to be specifically designed to provide the proper stimulus. Then, your diet needs to contain an excess of calories. Also, hormonal levels – specifically testosterone – play a key role. The point is that protein powder on it's on is not going to turn you into a big, hulking bodybuilding.
- Protein powder is bad for your kidneys - The kidneys do have to work hard to process protein, that much is true. But, individuals with healthy kidneys will have no difficulty here and, if your diet is balanced, there should be no concern. Even individuals with kidney problems can still take protein powder, they simply have to monitor their protein intake with the help of their doctor.
- Protein is bad for your liver - Again, there is no evidence that a proper level of protein intake in a healthy person is going to harm the liver. Often, these concerns come from extreme cases, wherein huge amount of protein were taken or the liver was already damaged. Even when taking high-quality protein supplements, it's important to maintain a proper balance of all the necessary nutrients.
- High protein intake weakens your bones - Because protein is made up of amino acids, which are... acids, some concern has arisen that increasing your protein intake can lessen the integrity of an individual's bone structure. While this does seem to make logical sense, there is no evidence to support the conclusion. In fact, there is some evidence that certain protein powders can even increase bone density. It should also be noted that protein supplements are generally used alongside resistance training which has been proven to greatly increase bone density.