What happens if you eat too much protein?

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annejackson2006
annejackson2006 Posts: 2
in Food and Nutrition
Does anything bad happen if you eat too much protein in your diet but you are under your target calories, carbs, and fat?
Thanks!
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Replies

  • LeAnn_Mae
    LeAnn_Mae Posts: 263 Member
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    I have heard that if you have too much protein and your muscles aren't using all of it then it will turn to fat. But that is only what I've heard, nothing to back it up.
  • dragonbug300
    dragonbug300 Posts: 760 Member
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    LeAnn_Mae, don't believe that rumor. If you eat too much of anything, it will be stored as fat.

    The concern with protein is that too much can cause kidney problems.

    If you're eating to lose weight and going over protein, you're probably not getting 'too much', since you're generally supposed to be eating less of everything.
    General rule: 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per kilogram of bodyweight.
    150 lb person needs about 52 g of protein a day. That's a lot. Going over that would be a tremendous chore.
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    LeAnn_Mae, don't believe that rumor. If you eat too much of anything, it will be stored as fat.

    The concern with protein is that too much can cause kidney problems.

    If you're eating to lose weight and going over protein, you're probably not getting 'too much', since you're generally supposed to be eating less of everything.
    General rule: 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per kilogram of bodyweight.
    150 lb person needs about 52 g of protein a day. That's a lot. Going over that would be a tremendous chore.

    Actually 52g of protein in a day *isn't* "a lot", and unless you're a vegetarian, it's not hard to go over that. An egg and cereal for breakfast, A chicken breast with my salad for lunch, and Fish with veggies and some other side for dinner (plus some snacks that are bound to have a little protein, at least) would easily send me over that - probably closer to 100g of protein.

    To the OP - going over is not a big deal, unless you're REALLY over for an extended period. I don't know how over you are - if it's just a little, you're definitely fine. If it's a lot, then figure out what % of calories you're getting from protein (grams of protein multiplied by 4 and divided by your total calories for the day). Stick to no more than 30-35% of your calories from protien (though most people don't regularly get that high unless they're specifically trying). (90-105g for a 1200 calorie diet) That's the higher-end of the recommended "safe" range. If you're regularly going over that, then you might want to tone it down a little.
  • ryzola
    ryzola Posts: 51 Member
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    I would easily be hitting 300-400g protein, daily, for the last 6 years (until recently). As a body builder it was extremely important.

    What happened that was detrimental? Nothing. I just went to the toilet a lot more.

    I've heard it all, kidney damage, turns to fat, etc. Rubbish.
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    I would easily be hitting 300-400g protein, daily, for the last 6 years (until recently). As a body builder it was extremely important.

    What happened that was detrimental? Nothing. I just went to the toilet a lot more.

    I've heard it all, kidney damage, turns to fat, etc. Rubbish.

    Actually it's not rubbish. Excess protein consumption CAN cause kidney problems. Don't dismiss this just because it doesn't fit your experience. It may not happen with everyone, but it can occur, especially in people who may have other health complications (which they may or may not be aware of) - which is many people on this site.

    Edited to add: I agree that most people shouldn't have to worry about it - most people don't eat over 25-35% of calories from protein unless they're really trying... which is the higher end of the recommended consumption. That said, it's just not a good idea to outright dismiss the possibility of complications when they *can* happen.
  • recipe4success
    recipe4success Posts: 469 Member
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    Does anything bad happen if you eat too much protein in your diet but you are under your target calories, carbs, and fat?
    Thanks!

    It really depends on the specific numbers involved. If you are not getting even close to your recommended amount of carbohydrate and fat, then you are not getting the nutrients that you need. If you are close to your carb and fat targets, and just a bit over in protein, this is fine.

    Keep in mind that even when you are being extremely meticulous with calorie counting, without eating in a laboratory setting when everything is weighed before and after you eat, you will not be right on with your calories or protein/fat/carb levels. That being said if you are eating 80% protein, 10 % carb, and 10% fat (as an example)...this is not healthy.
  • RDH0513
    RDH0513 Posts: 245 Member
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    Going over a little is not going to hurt you. I eat about 115 grams of carbs, 115 of protein, and 32ish of fat. I have just found that this is the point where my body feels most comfortable. Some say that isn't enough carbs but for me personally if I eat too much more than that I feel kind of sluggish. Try to think of it like this- protein feeds your muscles, and muscles burn more calories at rest than fat does. so you plenty of protein to keep your muscles fed!
  • bentobee
    bentobee Posts: 321 Member
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    That's the higher-end of the recommended "safe" range. If you're regularly going over that, then you might want to tone it down a little.

    I hit 99grams of protein yesterday without even trying!

    Peanut butter on toast for breakfast, turkey chili for lunch, greek yogurt snack, top sirloin for dinner, a glass of milk.... I was shocked when I saw what it added up to! I was still under my calories for the day by a lot too (300, plus the 1000 built in deficit!).
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    That's the higher-end of the recommended "safe" range. If you're regularly going over that, then you might want to tone it down a little.

    I hit 99grams of protein yesterday without even trying!

    Peanut butter on toast for breakfast, turkey chili for lunch, greek yogurt snack, top sirloin for dinner, a glass of milk.... I was shocked when I saw what it added up to! I was still under my calories for the day by a lot too (300, plus the 1000 built in deficit!).

    Keep in mind, that "safe range" is based on % of daily calories, not total grams. I gave the 90-105g as an example for a 1200 calorie/day diet, but if you're eating more than tat, then the higher end of the "safe range" would be more than what I listed. I regularly eat upwards of 100-120g of protein a day, but it is rarely higher than 35% of my daily calories.
  • thoughtful_pamela
    thoughtful_pamela Posts: 3
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    That is kind of the case. If you consume more than about 30g per hour than anything extra will just turn to waste and you'll poop it out
  • corgicake
    corgicake Posts: 846 Member
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    Protein should be based on weight and activity and remain relatively static as a number rather than being a percentage of total calories. If you eat more than your body needs, it's a type of calorie that happens to be more annoying for your kidneys to work with than others and takes longer to work with. If you're eating too much of it, you may be crowding out fat and/or carbs.
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    What happens if you eat too much protein?

    That's easy, you'll be more full and therefore eat less total calories. Therefore you'll lose weight avoid health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure, which are the real causes of kidney disease. High protein diets are not a significant cause of kidney problems. High protein is only an issue if you already have an existing kidney disease (like people with HTN and DM2 get, probably b/c they ate high carb and low protein for decades and gained weight).
  • itodd4019
    itodd4019 Posts: 340 Member
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    Your sweat will begin to smell like amonia

    yup, it will
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    Does anything bad happen if you eat too much protein in your diet but you are under your target calories, carbs, and fat?
    Thanks!

    Unless you have a pre-existing kidney condition, no nothing bad will happen.

    The excess protein will likely be converted into glycogen and used as fuel as you have stated you are in a calorie deficit.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
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    You'll be fuller and eat less

    :~)
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    That is kind of the case. If you consume more than about 30g per hour than anything extra will just turn to waste and you'll poop it out

    Not protein, the body will slow your digestion down to get as much of it absorbed as possible!
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
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    That is kind of the case. If you consume more than about 30g per hour than anything extra will just turn to waste and you'll poop it out
    thats a myth actually

    i find the more protein the better, as others have said it helps keep you satiated.

    as for someone saying 52 g's is alot and hard to get in a day, one can of tuna is over half of that amount, and my daily goal for protein is around 150 g's
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    I would easily be hitting 300-400g protein, daily, for the last 6 years (until recently). As a body builder it was extremely important.

    What happened that was detrimental? Nothing. I just went to the toilet a lot more.

    I've heard it all, kidney damage, turns to fat, etc. Rubbish.

    Actually it's not rubbish. Excess protein consumption CAN cause kidney problems. Don't dismiss this just because it doesn't fit your experience. It may not happen with everyone, but it can occur, especially in people who may have other health complications (which they may or may not be aware of) - which is many people on this site.

    Edited to add: I agree that most people shouldn't have to worry about it - most people don't eat over 25-35% of calories from protein unless they're really trying... which is the higher end of the recommended consumption. That said, it's just not a good idea to outright dismiss the possibility of complications when they *can* happen.

    It would be really interesting to see any studies showing excess consumption of protein causes kidney issues. I know excess consumption is not recommended for pre-existing conditions, but actually the cause - I don't think so.

    If you've got something you can post, that would be great.
  • thatjosiegirl
    thatjosiegirl Posts: 362 Member
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    It can cause kidney stones in some people.
  • slittle80
    slittle80 Posts: 80 Member
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    I've consistently hit 50-60% of my daily intake as protein for several years. If you do any type of resistance training, you need the protein to repair your muscles. For those that like numbers, that amounts to 250-350 grams of protein every day. No issues, and recommended by anyone that is involved in bodybuilding/power lifting/crossfit. If you break down your muscles, you have to repair them.

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