Common Misconception about Protein

skinnytayy · October 2010

Nearly everyday, someone on the message boards posts a topic asking if too much protein is a bad thing. Then a boatload of others tell me something to the extent of "the more, the merrier ... you'll build more muscle". Now before I even tell you the effects of too much protein, I'll tell you how to figure out how much protein YOUR body needs. Protein should make up for 15% of your calories daily. To figure out how much protein you need, multiply your body weight x 0.36. So for me, I weigh 198 currently. I should take in 71g of protein daily.

Okay, now for the bad news.

Make sure you check your goals on here (especially if you custom set them). If you are getting more protein than you should, you need to manually change it to the number you got from the formula above. Here's why. For starts, it doesn't matter if I were to consume 100g of protein a day. I'm not going to look like John Cena in the morning. A LOT of people think that the more protein you eat, the bigger your muscles get. This is SO UNTRUE! Your muscles DO need protein so don't get confused. Protein plays a VERY important role in building muscle so you want a 6 pack or killer arms, protein is ESSENTIAL. However, the human body will only use what it needs. So my body only needs 71g of protein but I consume 100g. Guess what happens? The remaining 29g will get stored as fat. Now, if you go over on protein every now and then, don't freak out!! Once in a while will NOT hurt you. I just want everyone to be clear on this.

Now, I'm sure a few people out there would LOVE to get super ripped. So they take in say, 30% of calories from protein. This is where it gets dangerous. If 30% of your calories are coming from protein, it CAN harm your body. When you have a diet that high in protein, it causes a build up of toxins, ketones. Then your kidneys go into overdrive to rid the body of these toxins and you can lose a significant amount of water thus putting you at risk of dehydration. Then you do intense workouts while being dehydrated and you dehydrate yourself worse. Dehydration puts a strain on your kidneys as well as your heart so its important to really practice eating a balanced diet. I really hope no one freaks out from this and tries to cut out protein completely. So to end this, I'll explain why your body needs protein.

Protein is ESSENTIAL because it helps regulate fluid balances in your body, synthesizing enzymes and hormones, and regulating such vital functions as building antibodies against infection, blood clotting, and scar formation. Protein is also a building block for our muscles, bones, cartilage, skin, hair, and blood.

Hope this helps many of you that having trouble figuring out how much protein you truly need. Also, keep in mind, I'm not doctor so I don't know everything. Athletes could need more protein, some people could need less, etc. This is just a guideline to follow. But If you are truly worried about having too much protein or not enough then talk to your doctor about it

briteyes · October 2010

thanks for posting this. gonna go check my protein goals.

one question though... the total protein needed is based on our daily activity level... so if i workout on top of my daily activity level, wouldn't I then need more protein, just like I need more calories, etc?

ashiteru · October 2010

THANKS! THATS GREAT TO KNOW

Laceylala · October 2010

Can you point us to some of the documents you've read regarding this 15% protein only?

Also, I was under the assumption (having read more than a few articles and posts on MFP) that carbs, especially the "white variety", turn into fat as well if you aren't eating properly and exercising...so what is the difference if we are eating more protein versus carbs?

hill242 · October 2010

I do not agree with statements you have made. The main thing I want to dispute is that "excess" protein will not turn directly into fat.
I'll just post a link to my source rather than paste it here. The comments are very informative as well.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/dietary-protein/

erickirb · October 2010

Nearly everyday, someone on the message boards posts a topic asking if too much protein is a bad thing. Then a boatload of others tell me something to the extent of "the more, the merrier ... you'll build more muscle". Now before I even tell you the effects of too much protein, I'll tell you how to figure out how much protein YOUR body needs. Protein should make up for 15% of your calories daily. To figure out how much protein you need, multiply your body weight x 0.36. So for me, I weigh 198 currently. I should take in 71g of protein daily.

I agree that too much protein is not great for you but the "healthy" range of protein is between 10% and 30% of total caloric intake. The more you workout the closer you should be to the 30% as protein helps repair muscles and also helps to maintain muscle while trying to lose weight.

Mindful_Trent · October 2010

I workout almost daily and as a result, eat 30% protein and have had no negative heath consequences. It is my opinion that most people eat way too many carbs... carbs, fats and protein are all essential, but there's no reason I need to be getting 55% of my calories from carbs every day. I do 40/30/30 and it is working for me. I don't think there's any one size fits all, and some people do need more than 15% of calories from protein. I naturally eat this much protein - I don't have to try to get it this high.

When I eat more high quality protein it keeps me fuller longer, and I feel better. I eat plenty of healthy carbs and healthy fats to go with it. I try to get most of my protein from real foods - meats, vegetables, beans, dairy,etc. rather than resorting to protein bars/drinks/etc. I only use a high quality protein powder (vegan, additive free) on days where I need an easy post-workout protein boost.

Err... edited to fix some wording I had that made no sense... lol. Sometimes what I'm thinking doesn't translate well in a post.

Laceylala · October 2010

I workout almost daily and as a result, eat 30% protein and have had no negative heath benefits. It is my opinion that most people eat way too many carbs... carbs, fats and protein are all essential, but there's no reason I need to be getting 55% of my calories from carbs every day. I do 40/30/30 and it is working for me. I don't think there's any one size fits all, and some people do need more than 15% of calories from protein. I naturally eat this much protein - I don't have to try to get it this high.

When I eat more high quality protein it keeps me fuller longer, and I feel better. I eat plenty of healthy carbs and healthy fats to go with it. I try to get most of my protein from real foods - meats, vegetables, beans, dairy,etc. rather than resorting to protein bars/drinks/etc. I only use a high quality protein powder (vegan, additive free) on days where I need an easy post-workout protein boost.

Exactly what I was thinking as well...to me it is the carbs that get us. Or me at least.

carl1738 · October 2010

I disagree with your figure of 15%. While that may be fine for a person with a sedentary lifestyle, a person that regularly exercises needs much more than that to build and maintain muscle mass. According to Men's Health, 1 gram of protein per pound of target body weight is a reasonable target. That would mean that a person who wants to weigh 160 pounds should try to consume 160 grams of protein per day. This applies to both men and women. Professional atheletes and people that engage in strength training such as weight lifting are recommended to consume 1.2 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. A Dutch study from the early 1990's found that while kidney function was increased in protein heavy diets, there was no harm detected from such a diet. Furthermore, it takes more energy (or calories) to digest protein in your body than it does either fat or carbohydrates, which means that eating a diet rich in protein will keep your body's metabolism higher, even while resting. While it is true that a diet high in protein isn't going to transform you into John Cena overnight, a diet too low in protein can actually harm your muscles by not giving them enough materials to repair themselves after exercise, resulting in lower lean muscle mass and a decreased metabolism. A decreased metabolism means you won't burn as many calories, which leads to weight gain, and we certainly don't want that!

EDesq · October 2010

I also DO NOT agree with Your statements. It amazes Me that people can come in here and so many places and make such generalized statements and some people take these statements as Fact! Why are people who are VESTED in Changing their Lifestyle and Losing weight NOT willing to DO their OWN Research, and for that matter also SELF Motivated. Much of the information that is out there is also conflicting, even from the "Experts." It's important for people to RESEARCH, READ and Synthesize the information. It is also Important to know what YOU are trying to accomplish with your Body and how YOUR Body acts. There is sooo much out there about caloric intake, nutrients, exercise...that each of us have got to do our own research and decide for ourselves what actually works. These BOLD people with these blanket statements, basically knows what works for THEM, Right Now.

I implore people to be PROACTIVE in their own Process of Lifestyle Change, Self Motivation, wt loss and/or maintenance. Otherwise you may end up failing at your goals. TMI can confuse and make people lose focus; MAKE a Plan, stick to it, if You don't see progress, then Tweek it. But don't follow everybody who comes along that "sounds" like they know what they are talking about.

After Research and Experimentation of what works for Me and what I am trying to accomplish, I use the 40/30/30 concept (Carbs/Protein/Fat) espoused by The Zone and South Beach Eating Plans; 1700mg Sodium, and about 25-30g Sugar ( My Sugar intake mainly coming from Fruit and Dairy.) This WORKS for ME...Not only because I have researched but I also SEE and FEEL that it WORKS for My BODY.

skinnytayy · October 2010

I think everyone is taking this the TOTALLY wrong way. For starts, I said myself that 15% is not an EXACT number. It is a GUIDELINE. For athletes, it will be more. For people doing intense workouts (as I am), it will be more. If you are 200lbs of pure lean muscle you will need more than an average 160-170lb man with just little muscle.

I am not stating opinions and/or pulling this from where the sun doesn't shine, I'm stating facts.
Ketones are a toxin. FACT. The kidneys can be overworked due to excessive build ups of ketones. FACT. The human body can lose a lot of water while flushing ketones out. FACT. Dehydration is a loss of water in the body. FACT.

There are always going to be people who don't agree with anything so I'm not going to waste my time arguing with any of you. The average joe will NEVER need as much as an athlete. Athletes with low BMIs have lots of lean muscle mass and they'll need about 1g per pound to maintain muscle mass. FACT.

Sources:
http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/content/nutrition/art2059.html
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50900
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=11234
http://pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/protein_myth.html
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/randy11.htm

If you read those articles, it basically says the things as I have done. Specifically read one the last one. Maybe I just have a terrible way of wording things but the article on the bodybuilding site is a lot of what I'm trying to say.

skinnytayy · October 2010

thanks for posting this. gonna go check my protein goals.

one question though... the total protein needed is based on our daily activity level... so if i workout on top of my daily activity level, wouldn't I then need more protein, just like I need more calories, etc?

Most definitely. I didn't really point out this fact but the more active you are, the more protein you'll need. Sedentary people would need about 10-15% of calories to be protein but when you do intense workouts or are generally a more active person, you'll need more. The more you work your muscles, the more the protein you will need to maintain them, help them repair, etc.

AnAbsoluteDiva · October 2010

When I'm training for a marathon, I up the carbs. When I am training for a show, I up the protein. When I'm with my girlfriends, I up the fat.

It's all in how you live.

Sort of like Gatorade. Blows my mind how many people will drink two jugs of that in an hour to "replenish lost sodium" (gimme a break) and the only sweating they've done is walking to the mailbox.

First question always, always, always needs to be "how do you live" and based on THAT, you know what you need to eat.

Beebee78 · October 2010

I have to disagree with your statement about excess protein being turned into fat. Unless my personal trainers qualification in nutrition and diet is complete bunkem and he talks poo....

Excess protein is broken down and expelled from the body NOT stored as fat. Carbs however are stored for future use xxx

edorice · October 2010

Can you point us to some of the documents you've read regarding this 15% protein only?

Also, I was under the assumption (having read more than a few articles and posts on MFP) that carbs, especially the "white variety", turn into fat as well if you aren't eating properly and exercising...so what is the difference if we are eating more protein versus carbs?

If you have un-used protein it will get converted to fat. If you have un-used carbs it will get converted to fat. Of course a diet high in fat just get directly stored as fat and no energy is needed for that to occur.

I prefer more protein than 15%. It's best to get lean protein so that you can avoid ketones.

AnAbsoluteDiva · October 2010

Folks, protein does not turn into fat and carbs do not turn into fat.

Calories are STORED as fat.

skinnytayy · October 2010

Folks, protein does not turn into fat and carbs do not turn into fat.

Calories are STORED as fat.

http://1stholistic.com/nutrition/hol_nutr_does-excess-protein-turn-to-fat.htm

Mindful_Trent · October 2010

Folks, protein does not turn into fat and carbs do not turn into fat.

Calories are STORED as fat.

http://1stholistic.com/nutrition/hol_nutr_does-excess-protein-turn-to-fat.htm

I think you're all saying the same thing, just looking at it differently. Yes, excess protein is stored as fat, but that is true of ALL calories consumed (for the most part) - carbs, fat and protein. From what I can tell our bodies don't look at carbs/fat/protein individually - it's your excess calories in total that matter. As long as you're at a healthy deficit overall, your body isn't going to be storing new fat.

Most people are perfectly fine on a wide range of calorie splits of carbs/protein/fat - really, I lose the same now on 40/30/30 than I did on 55/15/30, but I FEEL a lot better on higher protein.

Taylor - thanks for clarifying that you agree that it's not a flat 15% protein rule for everyone - that's what your initial post seemed to suggest, which is what my original response was disagreeing with. I agree that you CAN eat too much protein, but there's a pretty wide range that is healthy. You'd probably have to eat a VERY high protein percentage over a long period of time to do actual damage.

fivefatcats · October 2010

Personally, I shoot for 1g protein per lb of body weight. The POSSIBLE health risks of eating too much protein almost always involve someone with compromised kidney function to start with. Also, it is recommended that women on high protein diets take extra calcium because the acids released by the body as it digests protein are absorbed with the help of calcium.(http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Side_Effects_of_Too_Much_Protein_in_the_Diet)

It makes a difference where the protein comes from too. I aim for lean proteins and also use whey protein supplements.

Any excess calories, regardless of the source, are stored as fat (http://1stholistic.com/nutrition/hol_nutr_does-excess-protein-turn-to-fat.htm).

The key is being mindful of what goes in!

SHBoss1673 · October 2010

There are some valid points here, a few that are overblown, and some others that are just plain wrong.

I will address only the concept of what happens to excess protein in the body.

Protein is utilized in the liver, some is broken into it's component amino acids and reused (after certain processes) as building blocks for our muscles, some is converted into glucose and circulated about the body for energy use, some is converted into fat, and some is directly used as energy via the liver. The remnants is something called ammonia, enzymes in the liver convert ammonia (toxic to the body) into urea, which is taken to the kidneys and disposed of.

Now, saying that extra protein is converted to fat is mostly wrong in that it is an incomplete statement. ANY extra calories taken in are converted to fat (whether they be carbohydrates, fats, or proteins) the difference is in the process by which these calories take to become body fat. With protein, since it's not a primary energy source, and a more complex structure, the breakdown and delivery is slower, which means you won't spike blood sugar and you won't store lots of fat by eating a little extra.

The question becomes, CAN you get fat eating too much protein. Well, yes, if it's eaten as part of to many calories overall, but probably not if you are still under your calories or at maintenance.

One other thing I wanted to address, one doesn't become ketogenic by eating extra protein, one becomes ketogenic and can risk severe dehydration, by eating to little carbohydrates. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it's something to be very conscious of. Dehydration is dangerous, far more dangerous than most people think. Ketosis happens when our body changes from a carbohydrate burning metabolism to a protein/fat burning metabolism. Many people do this without issue, but it does come with it's own set of rules and restrictions, and so it's not something to take lightly. Also it DOES NOT let you lose weight faster, maybe you do just because you kick a carbohydrate habit, or because it helps you eat healthier, but not because of they type of calories. You will see an immediate and dramatic loss when you first convert from a carb metabolism to ketosis, because your body no longer holds on to much of it's extra water (glycogen stored at muscle sites), but this is water weight, not fat loss.

jbcutfan · October 2010

the amount of protein in your daily calories is fine as long within your calorie limits. I'm on a low fat, medium carb, high protein diet. The protein helps fit the hunger and also sustains your muscle mass that burns more calories than fat. I typically range from 80-100 grams of protein a day.

Common Misconception about Protein

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