PROTEIN POWDERS
Benefits: Increasing muscle mass/strength – Research has shown that 30 to 50 grams of powdered protein per day can increase muscle mass and strength in older people and younger athletes who are engaged in resistance training exercise. Consuming more protein than this showed no benefit. Getting protein from non-meat sources avoids the cholesterol, saturated fats and malignancy risk.
Maintaining muscle mass – a modest increase of 16 additional grams of powdered protein/day has been shown to maintain muscle mass in those not engaged in resistance training. Adding protein to a sedentary lifestyle has repeatedly been shown to not increase muscle mass or strength.
Fall reduction – Many older adults do not get adequate protein. Calcium intake (700 mg/day) combined with powdered protein (58 grams/day) in elderly people has been shown to reduce falls and reduce hip fractures by 46%.
Weight loss – obese young men given extra protein, and placed on a calorie restricted diet & exercise lost more weight than the control group that did not get extra protein. A similar study in women showed benefit as well.
Diabetes – 20 grams of a protein powdered drink 15 minutes before a meal significantly reduced postprandial blood sugars.
Quality: The FDA nor any other U.S. regulatory agencies routinely test protein powders/nutrition drinks for quality & safety. Absence of active ingredients and potentially harmful compounds (heavy metals, etc) is a major issue.
Some protein powders do not dissolve adequately.
How much should you take & when? Daily protein intake has traditionally been based on activity level: 0.4 gram/pound for sedentary people and 0.6-0.8 grams/pound for athletes. For a 175 lbs person, this equates to 70 grams/day for a sedentary individual and 105-140 grams/day for athletes.
Typically, a maximum of 30 grams of protein can be synthesized by the body at one time. Therefore, spreading protein intake throughout the day is best. Consuming a protein “shake” after a workout is also ideal.
Safety: The products listed below have been shown to mix well, be free of heavy metals and contain what is listed on their labels.