Aghazarian Sebouh

Akl Georges
Attalah Elie
Nassoura Laura
Karam Jessica

PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS

What are proteins?

Proteins are substances which are made up from Amino Acids and are the building block of our
whole body. Almost everything in a human body contains proteins including our muscles,
tissues, hair, nails, etc.
It is proven that, if you do not have enough protein in your body you cannot build muscle mass,
because the body needs to break protein down to amino acids to build muscles. Proteins are also
necessary to repair and rebuild your muscles.

How much protein is enough?

As a general guide, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA), in the USA, for protein is 0.8
grams per kilogram of body weight of adults.
In a diet that is well balanced, with high quality protein sources (lean animal foods, nonfat dairy
products, or soy) there is very little chance that protein will be inadequate to meet the needs of
most people for muscle growth, even for body builders.
For one thing, bodybuilders and athletes usually pack on the calories to meet their energy needs,
so their food intake is already quite high, and if a well-balanced diet is eaten, there will be more
than enough protein in whole foods.

It is also important to note that there is a universal formula stating that 55 to 60 percent of
calories should come from complex carbohydrates, 20 to 30 percent should come from fat, and
only 15 to 20 percent from protein.

Is More Protein Helpful?

More protein than what is needed for your specific needs for the growth and repair of body
tissues is simply expensive and extra calories. Extra calories that are not burned for fuel will be
stored as body fat, and this means weight gain. There is no advantage for weight trainers or the
regular guy to consume extra protein, and it certainly doesn’t help to “burn fat”. 

What are protein supplements?

Protein supplements are substances made in laboratories for replacing meals and daily needs for
proteins. They come in different shapes such as pills, powders, shakes, bars and other.
Several researches done in the past have proven that there is no biological advantage in
consuming individual amino acids. Some people take them because of the claim that they are
absorbed more quickly and effectively. However, this isn't true. The body’s digestive system was
primary designed to consume and utilize proteins in whole foods, and it has plenty of enzymes to
break down proteins for the needs of the body.

What are the side effects?

A little extra protein won't do much harm for most people, so feel free to have a protein bar now
and then. Anyhow, there is a risk of an overload and that’s why you should be very careful. Also
note that consuming too much protein does not increase muscle mass or improve performance,
and it has potentially serious side effects.

It is proven that a protein overload can cause:

Fat deposition: Concentrated protein from supplements may easily exceed daily
requirements. Any protein you eat, either from supplements or natural food, that is not used
to build and repair muscle, skin and other body tissues, is converted to fat.
 Gastrointestinal effects: Protein supplements usually contain milk, egg or soy proteins.
The most immediate side effect is excess gas formation.
Dehydration: The body produces extra urea when it must convert excess protein from
supplements into body fat. This causes blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels to rise, and
hydration levels to decrease, possibly causing dehydration.
Calcium loss: The mechanism that is used by our body to excrete excess proteins involves
also the excretion of calcium leading to urinary losses and thus a low blood level of calcium.
Gout: It is a medical condition that usually presents with recurrent attacks of acute
inflammatory arthritis (red, tender, hot, swollen joint) and is usually caused by elevated
levels of uric acid in the blood.
Damage to the kidneys: People who have kidney problems may suffer an accelerated loss of
kidney function if they consume too much protein. Loss of kidney function may be observed,
even if total daily protein is as little as 1.3 grams per kilogram of body weight.

<< Eating in moderation and making sure all the nutrients are consumed >>