I was going to put this in the Fitness/Health thread but thought I might get more varied info posting in a separate thread that more people might read.
Who can tell me in simple language WHY the new-ish focus/obsession with adding protein powder to every thing from drinks to pancakes to (just saw this this morning) CHIP DIP.
Are we all lacking protein if we have a relatively healthy diet? Is this just a cha-ching from the protein powder companies and influencers?
How much is enough - and how much is too much?
Is protein powder products part of your everyday things you ingest? How do you use it? How much? What has it improved for you??
Iām pretty good on health trends but lately, geez, itās EVERYWHERE. I mean, CHIP DIP!!!
(second to protein powder is the ānewerā colostrum rage)
Good question! Iāve noticed the trend as well.
I use Orgain Organic protein powder blended with unsweetened almond milk and a few ice cubes maybe once or twice a week because I donāt always feel like eating breakfast ( typically eggs or Greek yogurt/berries/nuts).
I use Orgain regularly. I have added to oatmeal and smoothies. I use it primarily post exercise. I also like Corepower, a liquid, to supplement my protein intake.
I think protein powders are a thing because of the realization that we need more protein than a lot of us are getting. Body builders are using it but also middle-aged and older people because peeps are catching on that we start losing muscle mass beginning in our 30s and we need protein to build and maintain muscles. The easiest quick and dirty number Iāve heard is half your body weight in grams. When I first started tracking it I realized I was way under most days.
Iāve tried powders, but they just arenāt my thing. I do protein bars almost every day, however.
My formula for protein is a minimum of 1 gram of protein/kilo of weight. So, a 165 lb human is 75 kilos and should be consuming a minimum of 75 grams of protein. Thatās basic health and subsistence IMO.
And older people should consume even more. There are legit studies out there that recommend 1.25x to 2x of protein of body weight in kilos.
I use one scoop of Orgain unflavored protein powder in my morning pancakes. Otherwise, Iām mostly eating protein and veges for the rest of my meals each day.
When I had my back surgery, I was supposed to eat an extra serving of protein each day to aid recovery. I decided to drink the protein, rather than risk not getting enough by eating it. I made a shake once a day, and immediately noticed I felt so much better.
That was five years ago, and I still drink a shake as my afternoon snack. It also helps curb my appetite.
@sushiritto is right about the more technical calculations, but if we have to get the metric system involved my eyes glaze over so I stick with half of body weight. His 165-pound person would get 75 grams of protein, and mine would get 82. Close enough for govt work. But I agree thatās a minimum. I weigh less than 165 and regularly get 90 grams of protein daily.
I think part of one reason people undereat protein is that most people think red meat when they think of protein and weāve been told lots of red meat isnāt good for us. I donāt care for any dairy so no protein from eggs or cheese, etc. Thatās why I rely on protein bars. I can see why protein powders are attractive to some.
My son uses protein powder and has done for years. He is into bodybuilding. He claims to know everything about how to properly supplement the diet with it. He usually mixes it into smoothies with ice, water, oatmeal, peanut butter and berries. He also just mixes it with water and drinks it like that. Yuck.
I use this from Costco after working out with fruit like strawberries and milk (your choice) with some ice cubes, some peanut butter and banana and itās delicious but helps in weight loss and maintaining muscle mass
FWIW protein powders are considered ādietary supplementsā like vitamins and not regulated, so you canāt be sure of what exactly they contain unless they are NSF regulated/third party tested. Many brands are, but Orgain, owned by Nestle, is not. (I happen to like Orgain but itās disappointing they arenāt.)
I lost a lot of weight - about 50 lbs - by shifting to low(er) carbs and high(er) protein - about 45/30/25 carb/protein/fat - with calorie control (~2,200) plus exercise and weights a few times per week. For the weights, I wanted to add muscle not just stay fit so my target was 1g protein per pound of body weight and that was easier by boosting with protein powder or shakes as snack replacements
My D has protein drinks because she has a hard time consuming sufficient protein due to her very low stamina. She prefers the drinks very chilled and isnāt a fan of the bars.
I donāt follow much social media, so I may have missed out on this apparent trend. My experience is more with working out, including bodybuilding. I have known many persons who are in to bodybuilding that believe they need to eat huge amounts of protein and use a variety of protein powder/drinks to up their protein intake. Persons who regularly work out and are trying to build muscle also often eat a large number of calories, which tends to provide more than enough protein, without supplementation. I believe for most bodybuilders or others in to working out that have a reasonable diet, such products provide little additional benefit.
The primary benefits I can see would more relate to persons who consume a limited number of calories, rather than bodybuilders. For example, if you are only eating 1500 calories per day, then you may need to choose foods carefully to get sufficient protein. This is particularly true if you are on diet or otherwise in a situation such that your body is catabolizing larger than normal amounts of lean muscle. Another group might include persons with special medical needs, such that they cannot easily consume a traditional diet or have unique protein needs.
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I use the site https://cronometer.com/ to track nutrition. It says I average roughly 1g/lb (>2g/kg) protein, without any protein powder or other supplements, which is far beyond any major recommendation I have seen. Rather than protein powders, I typically include a traditional meat product in ~2 of my ~6 smaller meals per day. Some of the other meals have non-traditional protein sources, such as beans or cereal+milk. I typically get 20-25% of overall calories from protein.
As a middle aged female ectomorph, I have to work very hard to keep muscle. Since I have started paying attention to protein, I have seen a huge gain in strength. I lift four times per week. I do use protein powder, itās hard for me to get the proper amount via food alone.
What protein powder do you use? I am losing so much muscle even though I lift, walk, workout.
If I go by @sushirittoās advice (which is what I see from others too) I have to have at least 59 grams per day of protein. But Iām 60āso I need more like 1.25x to 2x that 59 grams. I just canāt eat that much. Ugh.
from the protein powder companies and influencers?