Ask a Nutritionist

Why Use Protein Powder?

I see you recommend using protein powders, surely if your diet is correct you shouldn't need supplements? Also there seems to be a lot of recommendations to remove dairy from your diet for weight-loss and wellness, this again would require you to supplement with calcium tablets etc, wouldn't eating real food be better for you?
Mel

Not every one needs protein powder but whey protein is a convenient way to allocate protein needs over the day - essential for a lot of our athletes and people with health problems such as lactose intolerance, IBS, low thyroid, chronic fatigue, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and post operation as well. Most of our clients are in the 30-60 year old bracket and need to lose 10 -25 kilos of fat to be healthy and Whey Protein is very useful in these situations. If you reduce calories you must keep protein levels at the usual amount other wise you will lose lean tissue and your metabolism will slow. (yo-yo dieting)

1. Whey protein is the best form of available protein for the human body, it contains all of the amino acids plus calcium.
2. Whey protein activates hormones which counteract hunger - an enemy of weight loss
3. Whey protein is low carb and low fat therefore low calorie - your body uses more energy digesting protein ( the thermic effect).
4. Whey enhances immune function and nourishes cells
5. People need more protein at the onset of a fitness program than after a year of training when their body is adapting, 24-35g of protein after exercise provides all the amino acids for cell repair and recovery.
6. If you want to change the shape of your body - then a diet containing 20- 25% of its calories as protein or 1.5 - 2g of protein per kilo is crucial.
7. Pregnancy also requires protein.
8. Your hormones, enzymes, skin, blood vessels are all made from proteins - which need to be supplied in the diet on a regular basis.

We don't advocate a high protein diet, carbohydrates are very important, however if you are losing fat ie: wanting to go from 35% body-fat to 20% body-fat - then protein is important so that you do not lose muscle and regain all your lost weight. Yes eating real food is always the best option - but take a look around at the state of our obesity problem, it's obvious that most of us have no idea how to eat.
Here's a good article on Protein.

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Will extra protein help build muscle mass?

It depends. If I were a money hungry protein marketer, I’d say “sure thing” and then proceed to sell you a massive tub of something with a name like GET HUGE or BULK UP along with an assortment of supplements promising everything from ripped biceps to slabs of muscle in as little as 12 weeks. But that alone will probably just make you fat and poor.

The truth is that protein is just one part of the equation. Not that I’m knocking protein at all, if you are planning on gaining as much permanent muscle as possible, then it’s critically important that you are eating the right type and amount of protein at the right time every day. It takes more protein for your body to grow new muscle than to keep the muscle it already has. So firstly you need to find out how much protein you need a day to maintain your existing muscle, how much you need to recover from training and then how much you need to support new muscle growth. The rest is all dependent on your over all diet, your training, your age, sex and body-type. Don’t make the mistake of believing that you can gain 10 kilos of muscle in a short period. It takes months to develop quality muscle.

For best results and to eliminate any guess work, find out your body composition and calculate your present lean mass. Make sure you are eating adequate calories spread out over the day. Base your protein requirements between 1.4 - 2 grams per kilo no more. Then spread the protein evenly over the day. If your body fat percentage is high, get it down to 14% before you try to gain more muscle. Protein is only part of the equation, your diet needs to provide all the necessary nutrients for full athletic performance. For example a deficiency in zinc will interfere with testosterone production. Water, which comprises up to 70% of your muscle weight is hugely important too, as well as Omega 3 fats which form the membranes of all your cells.

Before you spend hundreds of dollars on worthless supplements. Sit down with a sports nutritionist and get a personalised food plan. One that fits in with your life style and budget.