Should I Use Protein Powders for my Health, Training and Performance?
Protein powders are probably one of the biggest sellers in the nutrition and fitness industry with a range of flavours and types available. When thinking about the amount of protein we need on a daily basis, just how necessary is it to have protein powders in our diet?
Photo by Samer Daboul from Pexel
Why are Protein Powders so Popular?
There are 4 main reasons that explain the rise in popularity of protein powders:
· Protein powders have become a convenient and efficient way for people to meet or increase their overall daily protein intakes.
· They can be used as a way to build muscle mass and repair in a process known as ‘muscle protein synthesis’ following strength and resistance training (1).
· For athletes and sports people who typically engage in high volumes of training, protein supplementation can be a practical way of ensuring adequate quality and quantity of protein while keeping your calorie levels down (2).
· Some people can experience a poor appetite that is brought on following exercise known as ‘exercise-induced poor appetite’ (3). In this case, they may find that taking protein powders is an easier way of getting calories and protein into their diet when their appetite is low versus eating a large meal.
How Much Protein Do We Need?
The current Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of protein for a general population of inactive adults (over 18 years) is approximately 0.8g/kg of bodyweight per day which typically equates to 45-56g of protein per day for women and men aged 19-50 years respectively (4). This is the minimum amount of protein needed to meet your basic nutrient needs and prevent protein-related deficiencies.
Most people in the UK are likely consuming more protein than the recommended RDA with approximately 64g for women and 88g for men reported (4).
Who Needs Higher Amounts of Protein in Their Diet?
Higher amounts of protein are required in certain population groups. Various factors including a person’s age, body size and body weight, pregnancy and lactation (5) as well as activity levels, training and recovery demands can influence a person’s protein requirements (2).
Ageing Population
Older people who are inactive have higher protein requirements (1.2-2.0g/kg of protein per day) (6) in order to prevent the progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength and function which can result in a muscle disease known as sarcopenia (7).
Recent research suggests that older muscle may be slower to respond and less sensitive to the intake of protein (8). However, the good news is that this can be overcome by increasing the amounts of protein in the diet (40g doses per meal) to switch on muscle protein synthesis (8).
Interestingly, resistance training is the safest and most effective treatment for improving muscle mass and function in older adults (9)!
Sports, Athletes and Exercise Training
If you are exercising regularly (greater than 3 times a week), then your protein needs will be greater than inactive, sedentary individuals. Sports team players and athletes as well as people who participate in strength and resistance training have higher protein requirements for muscle growth, repair and performance as well as hormone production and immune function which are all important for recovery (10).
The current evidence supports the need for roughly twice as much protein than that of sedentary individuals at approximately 1.2-2.0g/kg bodyweight a day, particularly for athletes who are involved in moderate amounts of intense training (11). Athletes who are involved in high volumes of intense training are recommended to have 1.7-2.2g/kg bodyweight a day of protein (12).
In order to achieve this, it is important to ensure that you include protein in each meal, ideally in each snack. For example, peanut butter on toast or hummus with vegetables. This is because protein should be spread out throughout the day instead of feeding large amounts at once. Ideally, consuming protein every 3-4 hours can support muscle recovery and repair and reduce muscle breakdown (13). (More information on optimising your intake of protein to come in an upcoming blog post!).
By combining resistance exercise and the consumption of adequate amounts of high-quality protein, this can result in improvements in muscle mass and strength ie muscle protein synthesis (14).
So, Who Could Benefit from Using Protein Powders?
A healthy, balanced diet which includes high-quality sources of protein will usually provide enough protein to meet the increased requirements associated with exercise alongside the essential vitamins and minerals required for general health (15).
For those who are physically active including regular gym go-ers, those who engage in sports as well as athletes, it is possible to obtain your daily protein requirements through whole-food sources of protein (2). So, there isn’t an exact NEED to consume protein powdered supplements.
BUT, If you are struggling to meet your protein needs and have already tried to include more high protein foods in your diet, then protein powdered supplements can be used as a convenient and effective way of meeting your protein intakes as they typically provide 20-25g of protein per serving.
There are various ways in which protein powders can be incorporated into your daily meals including into yoghurt bowls, smoothies, homemade snack bars or brownies, porridge and my favourite breakfast option - overnight oats!
Summary
Protein powders can be used as a convenient and a useful way to get adequate amounts of protein into your diet if you are struggling to meet your protein requirements or if you are on the go.
However, it is important to recognise that protein powdered supplements do not tend to provide the essential vitamins and minerals needed for our health that are naturally found in protein-rich foods. Also, you can meet your daily protein requirements alongside exercise and training by eating high-quality sources of protein throughout your day. Therefore, it is always best to focus on food first when thinking about reaching your protein targets around training wherever possible.
Below is a table with the amount of protein provided by various animal and vegetable protein sources for use as a guide when incorporating protein throughout your daily meals and snacks!
Written By Emily Stynes, ANutr, Registered Associate Nutritionist with contributions from Clare Farrell, SENr, Performance Nutritionist
References
1. Cintineo HP, Arent MA, Antonio J, Arent SM. Effects of Protein Supplementation on Performance and Recovery in Resistance and Endurance Training. Front Nutr [Internet]. 2018 Sep 11 [cited 2021 Jun 2];5. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6142015/
2. Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, Cribb PJ, Wells SD, Skwiat TM, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017 Dec;14(1):20.
3. Deighton K, Stensel DJ. Creating an acute energy deficit without stimulating compensatory increases in appetite: is there an optimal exercise protocol? Proc Nutr Soc. 2014 May;73(2):352–8.
4. Protein - British Nutrition Foundation [Internet]. [cited 2021 May 23]. Available from: https://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritionscience/nutrients-food-and-ingredients/protein.html
5. Energy and protein requirements [Internet]. [cited 2021 Jun 13]. Available from: http://www.fao.org/3/aa040e/AA040E03.htm
6. Baum JI, Kim I-Y, Wolfe RR. Protein Consumption and the Elderly: What Is the Optimal Level of Intake? Nutrients [Internet]. 2016 Jun 8 [cited 2021 Jun 6];8(6). Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4924200/
7. Cruz-Jentoft AJ, Bahat G, Bauer J, Boirie Y, Bruyère O, Cederholm T, et al. Sarcopenia: revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis. Age and Ageing. 2019 Jan 1;48(1):16–31.
8. Moore DR, Churchward-Venne TA, Witard O, Breen L, Burd NA, Tipton KD, et al. Protein Ingestion to Stimulate Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis Requires Greater Relative Protein Intakes in Healthy Older Versus Younger Men. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. 2015 Jan 1;70(1):57–62.
9. Latham NK, Anderson CS, Bennett DA, Stretton C. Progressive resistance strength training for physical disability in older people. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews [Internet]. 2003 [cited 2021 Jun 6];(2). Available from: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD002759/full
10. Nutrition for sport and exercise - British Nutrition Foundation - Page #1 [Internet]. [cited 2021 Jun 2]. Available from: https://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/an-active-lifestyle/eating-for-sport-and-exercise.html?start=2
11. Bandegan A, Courtney-Martin G, Rafii M, Pencharz PB, Lemon PW. Indicator Amino Acid–Derived Estimate of Dietary Protein Requirement for Male Bodybuilders on a Nontraining Day Is Several-Fold Greater than the Current Recommended Dietary Allowance. The Journal of Nutrition. 2017 May 1;147(5):850–7.
12. Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA. How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2018 Feb 27;15(1):10.
13. Areta JL, Burke LM, Ross ML, Camera DM, West DWD, Broad EM, et al. Timing and distribution of protein ingestion during prolonged recovery from resistance exercise alters myofibrillar protein synthesis. The Journal of Physiology. 2013;591(9):2319–31.
14. Pennings B, Koopman R, Beelen M, Senden JMG, Saris WHM, van Loon LJC. Exercising before protein intake allows for greater use of dietary protein-derived amino acids for de novo muscle protein synthesis in both young and elderly men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Feb;93(2):322–31.
15. BDA. Sport and exercise [Internet]. [cited 2021 Jun 6]. Available from: https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/sport-exercise-nutrition.html