As a Personal Trainer I get asked on a regular basis whether or not I recommend using protein supplements and how much they enhance the results garnered from training. However, as with most things health and fitness related, there is no “Yes / No” answer to this question and I only recommend protein supplements on a case by case basis depending on a client’s individual needs. To better understand whether protein supplements may help you, let’s first establish what protein is and its biological function.
First of all protein is not just one singular substance, but rather an umbrella term that defines a group of different compounds that are found in the human body. All proteins are made up of building blocks called amino acids, of which there are 21 different kinds. These amino acids can be arranged in a variety of ways to form every one of the vast number of proteins needed by the human body. The main function of these different proteins is to build and repair tissues and most importantly as it relates to fitness, are the building blocks of skeletal muscle. Therefore, if building muscle is one of your goals, then ensuring that your body has enough protein is essential.
There are a number of variables that have to be considered on a case by case basis that determine whether an individual will receive any benefit from protein supplementation. I’ve listed them below:
What is your goal? - Unless one of your main goals is to build muscle, then protein supplementation is most likely going to be a waste of time. For example an endurance athlete that primarily undertakes cardiovascular training will require in the region of 1.2-1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. So an 80kg athlete would need around 96-112 grams of protein per day. In a healthy balanced diet this is a very achievable number without additional supplementation. However, if building muscle mass is your primary goal and you are aiming for maximum protein synthesis, then you should be aiming for 1.6-1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. So in this instance the same 80kg person would need around 128-144 grams of protein per day. Whether or not you need to supplement your diet with additional protein will depend on your answer to the next question.
What is your daily protein intake from your regular diet? - Now that we have established what your daily protein requirements are depending on your goals, we now need to work out roughly how much protein you are already getting from your normal daily meals. The best way to do this is using a nutrition tracking app such as My Fitness Pal. I can’t stress enough that this doesn’t have to be an exact science, if you’re aiming for 145 grams of protein per day and you have calculated that you are having 135 grams, then you’re probably good. Conversely, if your current diet is only providing you with 120 grams of protein, then supplementing your diet with a scoop of lean protein powder each day will likely benefit you.
3. What is your training volume? - The amount of protein your body needs is based on how much you break down each day. Protein catabolism (breaking down) occurs through physical activity, specifically high volumes of resistance training. It is the catabolism of muscle protein that stimulates the anabolic process of protein synthesis and subsequent increase in muscle mass. The more protein that is broken down as a result of training, the more that is required to repair and build new tissue. Therefore, the amount of training that you do will impact how much protein you need to consume each day. If you are carrying out resistance training only a couple of times a week, you will not likely receive any benefit from protein supplementation. Whereas, somebody that is in the gym lifting 5-6 times per week is more likely to do so.
4. When do you train? - It has been found that for protein synthesis to be maximized, a single 20 gram dose of protein should be ingested during the early recovery recovery period (~5hr) after training. If you like many people tend to train in the evening after dinner - say 8 or 9 o’clock at night - then having a protein shake after your workout might provide you with some additional benefit, as otherwise you wouldn’t be getting your next does of protein until the following next day.
If you are unsure as to whether using protein supplements will benefit you or not, then consider your answers to the above questions. Remember your answers may be entirely different to somebody else, don’t try something just because someone you know swears by it. As a Personal Trainer it’s my job to provide appropriate nutritional and training advice to every one of my clients according to their individual needs. This is the sole reason why I have been able to achieve such great results - you can read some of my client testimonials here. If you need any further help, then please feel free to get in touch anytime.