Protein Myths That Just Won't Die
by Will Brink
From MuscleMedia, July, 1997

When it comes to the topic of bodybuilding nutrition, there are many myths that lurk around like demons in the shadows. They rear their ugly heads when you least expect them and threaten to destroy the efforts of noble bodybuilders who are determined to build stronger, leaner, more muscular bodies. Of all the myths that pop up from time to time, the "protein myth" could be the most persistent — it just won't go away.

The conservative medical community perpetuates the myth that athletes don't need additional protein. But this same community turns from the face of scientific evidence on many issues. With respect to high doses of Vitamin C for the prevention of cancer, heart disease, and colds, there are literally hundreds of studies supporting its effectiveness. Yet, the medical community's response is usually, "There's still not enough data." Try explaining you're on a high-protein diet because you're trying to build your body to your doctor, and he/she will respond, "Don't do that; it's excessive and can lead to kidney disease." Is there one decent study to back up that claim? No! In this article, I'll address, once and for all, the protein myth.

MYTH 1: ATHLETES DON'T NEED EXTRA PROTEIN

When will this one go away? The average MuscleMedia reader is probably thinking, "Who in the world still believes this ridiculous statement?" The answer is, a great number of people do. Don't forget that the high-fat, low-protein diet recommendation is alive and well with the general nutritionist, doctor, and the "don't-confuse-us-with-the-facts" media. For the past half century, scientists using poor study design with sedentary people have held firm to the belief that bodybuilders, runners, and various other athletes don't need more protein than Mr. Potato Head... er, I mean the average couch potato. However, in the past few decades, researchers using better study design with real athletes have come to a different conclusion altogether. They found (as bodybuilders have known for years) that active people need far more protein than the RDA recommends to maintain their hard-earned muscle tissue.

In a recent review paper, one of the top researchers in the field of protein metabolism, Dr. Peter Lemon, states, "These data suggest that the RDA for those engaged in regular endurance exercise should be about 1.2-1.4 grams of protein/kg of bodyweight (150%-175% of the current RDA) and 1.7-1.8 grams of protein/kg bodyweight (212%-225% of the current RDA) for strength exercisers. Another group of researchers in the field of protein metabolism came to similar conclusions. They found strength-training athletes with a protein intake of 0.86 grams/kg of bodyweight (approximately the RDA) suffered a decrease in whole-body protein synthesis. (In other words, they lost muscle, folks!) Their recommendation was 1.76 grams/kg for strength-training athletes to maintain a positive nitrogen balance. This same group found that endurance athletes also need a lot more protein than the RDA and that men catabolize (break down) more protein than women during exercise.

How does this information relate to the eating habits of the average bodybuilder and the advice that has been found in bodybuilding literature for years? The most common advice for protein intake from the bodybuilding magazines, by various writers, coaches, bodybuilders, etc., is one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. So a 200-lb guy should take in 200 grams of protein per day. How does this number compare to the above research findings? Let's see, since scientists work in kilograms (kg), we have some converting to do. One kilogram is equal to 2.2 lbs. So, 200 lbs divided by 2.2 lbs gives us 90.9 kg. Multiply this by 1.8 (the high end of Dr. Lemon's protein recommendation), and you get 163.6 grams of protein per day. How about the nutritionists and doctors? What do they recommend? The RDA is 0.8 grams of protein/kg of bodyweight. So a 200-lb or 90.9-kg guy with a protein intake of 0.8 grams/kg would consume 73 grams of protein per day. Who is closer to Dr. Lemon's recent protein intake recommendations? Obviously, the bodybuilder.

Some bodybuilders use 30% as the proper percentage of calorie intake from protein. There may be a time when the bodybuilder wants to exceed this percentage: e.g., during dieting. It is well established that carbs are "protein sparing," so more protein (perhaps up to 40%) is needed as a person reduces carbs during dieting. Let's say our 200-lb friend reduced his calories to 2,000 calories per day in an attempt to reduce his bodyfat for a competition, prepare for summer at the beach, or win Bill Phillips' Lamborghini Diablo. Back to the math: 40% protein x 2,000 calories = 800 calories from protein or 200 grams of protein (800 calories . 4 calories per gram of protein). As you can see, he's dieting but still within the range of the current research recommendations. And, protein is the least likely nutrient to be converted to bodyfat.

Bottom line? High-protein diets are better for reducing bodyfat, increasing muscle mass, and helping the hard-training bodybuilder achieve his/her goals.

MYTH 2: HIGH-PROTEIN DIETS ARE DANGEROUS

The average Muscle Media reader may still be bothered by another myth about protein intake: that is, "High-protein diets are bad for the kidneys and will lead to osteoporosis." What are the medical facts behind these claims? For starters, the kidney-function damage caused by high protein diets is based on studies done with people who had preexisting kidney problems.

One of the jobs of the kidneys is to excrete urea (generally a nontoxic compound) that is formed from ammonia (a very toxic compound) which comes from the protein in our diets. People with kidney problems may have trouble excreting urea, and a high-protein diet increases the stress. How this logic gets extended to, "A high-protein diet is hard on the kidneys of healthy athletes," I have no idea.

Now for the medical facts. There is not a single study, published in a reputable, peer-reviewed journal, using healthy adults that has shown any kidney dysfunction whatsoever from a high-protein diet. In the real world, where millions of athletes have been following high protein diets for decades, there has never been a reported case of kidney failure in a healthy athlete attributable to a high-protein diet. If the high-protein diet were putting undo stress on our kidneys, we would have seen many cases of kidney abnormalities. As a trainer of many top athletes, I've known guys who ate much more than what the above research recommends (even more than 600 grams of protein per day!) who showed no kidney dysfunction, and I personally read the damn blood tests! Bottom line? One to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight will have no ill effects on the kidney function of a healthy athlete. Period.

What about the osteoporosis claim? That's a bit more complicated, but the conclusion's the same. The pathology of osteoporosis involves a combination of many risk factors and physiological variables such as macronutrient (carbs, proteins, fats) intake, micronutrient (vitamins, minerals, etc.) intake, hormonal profiles, lack of exercise, gender, family history, etc. The theory is high-protein intakes raise the acidity of the blood, and the body must use minerals from bone stores to "buffer" the blood and bring the acidity down, thus depleting the bones of minerals. Even if there were a clear link between a high-protein diet and osteoporosis (and there isn't), athletes have few of the above risk factors, as they tend to get plenty of exercise, calories, minerals, vitamins, and have positive hormonal profiles. There are millions of athletes who follow high-protein diets without any signs of premature bone loss. Bottom line? A high-protein diet doesn't lead to osteoporosis in healthy athletes who have few risk factors, especially if the protein intake is within the range discussed in this article.

MYTH 3: ALL PROTEINS ARE CREATED EQUAL

How many times have you heard this ridiculous statement? Yes, to a sedentary couch potato who doesn't care that his butt is the same shape as the cushion he's sitting on, protein quality is of little concern. However, research has shown repeatedly that different proteins have various functional properties athletes can take advantage of. For example, whey protein has been shown to improve immunity in a variety of situations.

Whey protein is also high in branched-chain amino acids which are beneficial to athletes. I could go on all day about the various functional properties of different proteins, such as nitrogen retention and IGF stimulation. The fact is that science is rapidly discovering proteins with unique amino acid ratios have very different effects on the human body. Bottom line? Realize the important differences between proteins, and then choose your proteins wisely; you'll soon be on your way to a muscular body.

CONCLUSION

The protein myths discussed in this article have been lurking around for so long that they've just been accepted as truth. Now there is the proper research to kill these fallacies and dispel the protein myths.

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