Do You Need Protein Supplements?

​Do You Need Protein Supplements?
 
You may have been like me a couple of days ago and turned the radio on in the car and heard the story of ‘You shouldn’t take protein supplements!’ Now, if you’ve taken an interest in nutrition for a healthy lifestyle then this probably caused you to roll your eyes and carry on with your day just like when the media told us that saturated fats are bad for us and we shouldn’t eat much red meat…yawn!! However, this headline and story may have made you wonder if you should trust the story and reduce the amount of protein that you are consuming each day; if that’s you or if you know somebody who was taken by it then read on…

How much Protein Do You Need?
 
In the news report it also stated that the NHS recommends that an adult male should consume 55g of protein per day; this is horrendously low.
 
For sedentary people the actual amount of protein you would require per day is about 1g per Kilogram of bodyweight, so an average adult male weighs around 80kg so he would need 80g of protein per day but this is the lowest amount to avoid sickness in someone who literally doesn’t leave their house or move all day. If you happen to do any sort of exercise, have fat loss goals then your requirement goes up and if you have any performance, muscle building or strength goals then this goes up again. So for the population that want to live a healthy lifestyle, have a lean physique and exercise then a good rule of thumb is about 1.5g protein per kg of bodyweight and if you have performance or muscle building goals then approximately 2g per kg is a good amount; so this 80kg adult male now requires 160g per day, big difference from 55g!
 
Do You Need Protein Supplements?
 
NO...you probably didn’t expect me to say that did you? But stay with me. You can get all of your protein requirements from food however, you would need a lot of preparation time, lots of time during your day to sit down and eat 4-5 meals per day and a lot of money to buy the required food; if you’re like me and live a very busy lifestyle then this just isn’t feasible or realistic.
 
So, enter the dreaded protein powder, the main variety with the best make up is whey however, you can get lots of different sources to cater for your needs including beef and vegan ingredients. Firstly, protein powders are a SUPPLEMENT so they are to supplement your diet, meaning that if you’re eating McDonald’s 3 times per day and you think that drinking a couple of protein shakes are going to make you look like The Rock then you are sadly mistaken. However, if you have 3-4 solid meals per day that are healthy with moderate to high protein content and fit your goals but you need a convenient snack in between a couple of those meals then a protein shake is very handy and versatile indeed. You can blend it with an avocado if you are on a higher fat diet or a banana and oats if you need more carbs at the time. If you work all day then your boss probably wouldn’t be too pleased if you took several 20 minute breaks per day to eat your meals but you can easily drink a pre-blended shake in a couple of minutes whilst making the rest of the office a cuppa. So to summarise, protein shakes shouldn’t make up your diet but can provide convenience alongside your healthy, solid meals.
 
Why Trust Me Over The Media?
 
Well as most of us know, the media are out to get you to read their paper, listen to their radio shows and basically make money from you. They do this by jumping on any headline that they can make to get you hooked with no actual interest in helping the people who are reading/listening to it. I am the opposite, my sole purpose IS to help you lead a healthy lifestyle and to perform to your highest level whether that is being able to lift 150kg or being able to lift your children/grandchildren. I am a qualified Nutrition Coach having studied to a high level with the Body Type Nutrition Academy under the tutelage of some of the top coaches in the world headed by the brilliant Ben Coomber. I have helped numerous people from all age ranges and abilities perform better and live a healthier lifestyle.
 
I hope that this has helped to clear up and confusion on the subject. If you would like any more information or would like to find out more about my Personal Training and/or Nutritional Coaching then please visit www.mattsmallacombept.co.uk
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