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Skip to Article Content- Vitamins and Supplements Lifestyle Guide
- Getting the Most From Supplements Your guide to the benefits of taking vitamins and supplements.
- Vitamins and Supplements Glossary What does that vitamin label mean? A vitamin and supplement glossary of terms.
- How Many Supplements Should I Take? How many supplements should you take each day? Get answers and facts here.
- Your Guide to Protein Powders Got protein? What you should know about whey and other protein powders.
- Understanding Prenatal Vitamins Get the basics on prenatal vitamins and your baby's health.
- Iron Supplements Explained Who needs iron supplements? Get the facts on how iron works.
- Vitamins that Fight Inflammation Facts on which vitamins and supplements may help decrease inflammation.
- Nutritious & Delicious Foods Find out how these tasty and nutritious foods can benefit you.
- How to Use Supplements Wisely A handy guide to taking supplements wisely.
- Supplements to Boost Your Mood Depressed? Get the facts to see if supplements can help improve your mood.
- Natural Sleep Supplements If you're in search of a good night's sleep, try these natural sleep aids.
- Energy-Enhancing Supplements Low on energy and tired all the time? Find vitamin fixes here.
- Libido-Boosting Supplements Can dietary supplements help put the spark back in your sex life?
- Chronic Pain Supplements Don't let chronic pain keep you grounded. Find out which supplements ease pain.
- Supplements for Skin & Beauty Which vitamins help keep you looking your best? Get the facts here.
- Arthritis & Joint Pain Supplements Find out which supplements can help ease joint pain.
- Memory-Boosting Supplements Fortify your memory naturally with the right vitamins.
- Allergy Vitamins & Supplements Vitamins and supplements to help ease bothersome allergy symptoms.
- Supplements for People With Cancer If you have cancer, you may have special nutrition needs. Vitamins may help.
- Supplements for Cold and Flu Can vitamins help you stay healthy during flu season?
- Evaluating Supplements What should you know before taking vitamins and supplements?
- Heart Health Supplements Find out which supplements can help lower cholesterol.
- Weight Loss Supplements Stuck in a diet rut? Find out if supplements can boost your weight loss efforts.
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Do You Need Protein Powders?
What Are Protein Powders? continued...
“All of those are valid reasons for trying to get more protein into your diet, and protein powders are one way to do that,” says Lewin.
But there’s a big caveat, Lewin adds: it doesn’t take that much protein to achieve those goals. Most Americans already get about 15% of their daily calories in protein. To build a pound of muscle, Lewin explains, the body needs between 10 and 14 additional grams of protein per day.
“That’s not really that much. Some of these powders have 80 grams of protein per serving. You don’t need that. All your body is going to do is break it down for energy. And too much protein can be hard on your kidneys and your liver.”
Protein Math
So how can you tell if you’re already getting enough protein? Do the math.
- Recreational athletes need 0.5-0.75 grams of protein daily for every per pound of body weight
- Competitive athletes need 0.6-0.9 grams per pound
- Teenage athletes need 0.8-0.9 grams per pound
- Athletes building muscle mass need 0.7-0.9 grams per pound
The maximum amount of protein that most adults can use per day is 0.9 grams per pound of body weight.
So if you’re an adult athlete who wants to build muscle mass, and you weigh about 175 pounds, the most protein you would need per day is 157.5 grams. That sounds like a lot, but one 4-ounce hamburger contains 30 grams of protein, 6 ounces of tuna has 40 grams, and a single ounce of cheddar cheese has 7 grams.
How to Use Protein Powders
If you calculate your protein intake and determine that you’re notgetting enough for your athletic needs (some signs of too-low protein intake: you’re unusually fatigued, feel weak when lifting weights or doing other strenuous activity, or are recovering from injuries slowly) how can you best use protein powders to help you improve your performance?
First, ignore the conventional wisdom, which says to take protein powders immediately after a workout. “Before, during, and after a workout, carbs are what your body needs. They’re what your body uses for fuel, and what your muscles run on,” says Lewin. “Yes, protein is also important for recovery after a workout, but research shows that at that point, the body needs fuel with a 4-1 or 5-1 ratio of carbs to protein.” Since most protein powders have at least 20 grams of protein per scoop, you’d need about 80 grams of carbs to go with that scoop to get the proper proportion of nutrients!