Too much protein?

[Anthony]

I was wondering, is it possible to consume too much protein a day?

[Shortdave]

Possible, but highly unlikely.

[Anthony]

yeah i was thinking i wouldnt be able to eat that much anyways to have too much protein if its possible

[baza]

Most of us probably do. I think it's often over exaggerated on how much we, both bodybuilders and average lifters should be taking. Bro science.

[O-Train]

^^^ agreed ^^^ If you compared a natural bodybuilder (the natural part is important) and a long distance runner. Most likely the runner would have higher protein requirements because their activity is highly catabolic. I've posted a review article on nutritional requirements so it is somewhere on this site.

[Shortdave]

Yes but there is a difference between more than you need and too much, too much implies negative consequences.

[Forever]

Yes but there is a difference between more than you need and too much, too much implies negative consequences.

Agreed.
I consciously try and eat more then I need because I would rather have more protein than my body requires than not enough.

[Anthony]

Agreed.
I consciously try and eat more then I need because I would rather have more protein than my body requires than not enough.

same with me

[bcaamuscle]

You probably only need half the protein that marketing and BB mags tell you that you need. Personally I eat 200g a day. 4 shakes give me 100g, the rest is solid food. Just eat when you're hungry and you'll grow anyway as long as you're taking the proper food groups and macros (chicken, red meat, fish). I don't think a surplus of protein would cause any negative effect, just make you crap more lol

[juced_porkchop]

I dont thnk so.
I use 5-6 scoops ed of say lipotropic protein with no issues.
feel great.

[baza]

Yes but there is a difference between more than you need and too much, too much implies negative consequences.

Can you honestly tell me you know for sure how your protein intake is effecting your kidneys and the rest of your body?

[Forever]

Can you honestly tell me you know for sure how your protein intake is effecting your kidneys and the rest of your body?
Can you?

Don't be a pussy :D

[JonnyO]

I dieted a guy down to contest shape on 120g protein a day tops, the rest was carbs and veggies....goes right against the flow of "normal dieting" and he was peeled. He had kidney issues and his doctor allowed that amount for only a short period but he was fine.

Before and After.

[Shortdave]

Can you honestly tell me you know for sure how your protein intake is effecting your kidneys and the rest of your body?


No, I can't. I can tell you for sure that I can lift heavier and recover faster when I am at 200gr+ of protein a day.

Even if, and for me that is a huge IF, too much protein causes kidney problems, how much is too much? Is it different for a 300lbs man than for a 97 year old woman? If I drink extra water will that negate any extra work that my kidneys may have to do?


and I will leave this post with a response by John Berardi

ISSUE #1 — Many physicians believe that high protein diets cause kidney dysfunction

RESPONSE #1 — This is FALSE according to everything science now knows to be true. This presumption states that if you take a healthy person and put them on a high protein diet, the protein will somehow negatively influence the kidney, damaging it and causing renal disease. To this end, there is absolutely no data in healthy adults suggesting that a high protein intake causes the onset of renal (kidney) dysfunction. There aren’t even any correlational studies showing this effect in healthy people.

Any studies that show a correlation between renal (kidney) dysfunction and protein intake are in those with some type of diagnosed, pre-existing renal (kidney) disease like diabetic nephropathy, glomerular lesions, etc. Even research into protein restriction for renal patients can be controversial. (Shils, Modern Nutr in Health & Dis, 1999).

Besides, you’ll likely recognize a serious pre-existing kidney condition; the signs and symptoms will clue you in long before you happen upon it with a routine blood test (especially if there's a noted family history of diabetes mellitus and hypertension).

Since an exhaustive search of the published literature will likely not yield a single study showing that the amount of protein in the diet causes, or is correlated with, the onset of renal dysfunction in otherwise healthy individuals, the fact that this notion prevails is puzzling to say the least!
But even if a doctor were to find an obscure reference that might suggest a relationship between a high-protein diet and kidney disease, there are numerous studies showing otherwise. Here are a few of them:

a) Ann Intern Med 2003 Mar 18;138(6):460-7
The impact of protein intake on renal function decline in women with normal renal function or mild renal insufficiency.
Knight EL, Stampfer MJ, Hankinson SE, Spiegelman D, Curhan GC.

b) Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 2000 Mar;10(1):28-38
Do regular high protein diets have potential health risks on kidney function in athletes?
Poortmans JR, Dellalieux O.

c) Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1999 Nov;23(11):1170-7
Changes in renal function during weight loss induced by high vs low-protein low-fat diets in overweight subjects.
Skov AR, Toubro S, Bulow J, Krabbe K, Parving HH, Astrup A.

d) Eur J Clin Nutr 1996 Nov;50(11):734-40
Effect of chronic dietary protein intake on the renal function in healthy subjects.
Brandle E, Sieberth HG, Hautmann RE.

e) Am J Kidney Dis 2003 Mar;41(3):580-7
Association of dietary protein intake and microalbuminuria in healthy adults: Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. "Dietary protein intake was not associated with microalbuminuria in normotensive or nondiabetic persons."

[O-Train]

No, I can't. I can tell you for sure that I can lift heavier and recover faster when I am at 200gr+ of protein a day.
"

200g for you isn't a lot. Protein requirements should go up with decreased caloric intake. So as a total and a percentage I think while dieting you need more protein than while bulking.

If you were upwards of 4-500grams than I think that would be excessive. Although it would probably lead to constipation way before it caused any issues with kidney function (in a normal healthy person).

[baza]

No, I can't. I can tell you for sure that I can lift heavier and recover faster when I am at 200gr+ of protein a day.


As opposed to how many grams per day? I've done 180g at 230-240lbs weight, clean, and was fine with it. Now I wasn't trying to gain, but I'd be more worried about my calories than protein intake if that's what I was doing. I admit I wouldn't take that low if I was trying to gain though.

And I wonder if there are any studies dedicated to bodybuilders, over several years.

[Shortdave]

As opposed to how many grams per day? I've done 180g at 230-240lbs weight, clean, and was fine with it. Now I wasn't trying to gain, but I'd be more worried about my calories than protein intake if that's what I was doing. I admit I wouldn't take that low if I was trying to gain though.

And I wonder if there are any studies dedicated to bodybuilders, over several years.

Well the RDA for protein in Canada is .8grams per kg, which would put me at about 80grams of protein ( I have never gone that low) but at 120 - 150 I just feel crappy and sore after workouts for days.

Nobody does studies on bodybuilders, everybody already knows that we are super unhealthy and that we are going to die young from our exploding hearts or we will get depressed and off ourselves.

[O-Train]

Bodybuilders are comparable to high level athletes. If anything you could increase protein intake slightly just to be safe. There are lots of studies that deal specifically with athletes. I forget the exact numbers and there will be variation but it was in the range of 2g/kilo for elite level natural athletes. It's all on this site somewhere, just a pain in the ass to read through stuff to find it. So 1g/lb should suffice for most. Adding AAS into the mix changes things.

[#8]

Johnnyo how tall is that guy in the pic? What was his weight in the after pic?

[baza]

Bodybuilders are comparable to high level athletes. If anything you could increase protein intake slightly just to be safe. There are lots of studies that deal specifically with athletes. I forget the exact numbers and there will be variation but it was in the range of 2g/kilo for elite level natural athletes. It's all on this site somewhere, just a pain in the ass to read through stuff to find it. So 1g/lb should suffice for most. Adding AAS into the mix changes things.

I seen one for athletes and it was a 7 day study.

[Praetorian]

Yes you CAN definitely intake too much protein per day. It will also slow muscle and strength gains. The body will have to work to remove this excess and thus retards the muscle building process. Many BB's of the 80's were taking in 600-700g per day thing higher was better. When they reduced to 300-400 gains improved dramatically. Its all about allowing the body to perform optimally...not overloading with one macro nutrient or anything else for that matter.
P

[JonnyO]

Johnnyo how tall is that guy in the pic? What was his weight in the after pic?

I cannot remember now bro, I think he's around 5'10"ish? I think he might have been in the 190's there is shape.

As for protein, I think anywhere from 1.3g-2g is fine. I know for myself, I only train each bodypart once every 9 days - arms and hams twice, and I have a lot of downtime off the gym so my intake fluctuates, training days is more like 2g per/lb. I am still trying to figure out how to build my diet around my stomach issues...no small intestine and removed some bowels. I can go great and eat perfect for a week or so then things turn sideways and I need to back down and some days will only be a few meals.

[LondonMuscle]

I dont know of any negative consequences to consuming large amount of protein... the kidney issue is only relevant to those with a preexisting renal condition... high protein intakes have never been shown to negatively impact renal function in already healthy kidneys

there is certainly a point of diminishing returns when it comes to additional amounts of muscle mass one can synthesize with each additional gram of protein but it would be short sighted to only view protein intake in that way... it would be similar to saying, once i have enough fat to synthesis optimal amounts of test, anything beyond that is useless

the truth is our body is very well equipped to digest and utilize large amounts of protein... our ancestors would have gorged on a kill nearly till their stomachs burst to ingest as many cals as possible before the meat started to rot


what bugs me most about those that question protein intake limits is that they do not do so for the other 2 macronutrients, at least not to the same degree... if you put a cap on protein then by the same logic you should do so for fat and carbs as well... however if your diet requires 6000 cals or more, are you really gonna cap protein intake at 200g and then take down say 200g of fat and 850g of carbs to make up the 6000 cals? hopefully not

id say that so long as you get the essentials such as vitamins, minerals and efas, there is no reason you have to or even should, limit your protein intake other than to stay within a specific calorie range

[Anthony]

Yes you CAN definitely intake too much protein per day. It will also slow muscle and strength gains. The body will have to work to remove this excess and thus retards the muscle building process. Many BB's of the 80's were taking in 600-700g per day thing higher was better. When they reduced to 300-400 gains improved dramatically. Its all about allowing the body to perform optimally...not overloading with one macro nutrient or anything else for that matter.
P

thanks, i didnt know that

[Feenom]

You probably only need half the protein that marketing and BB mags tell you that you need. Personally I eat 200g a day. 4 shakes give me 100g, the rest is solid food. Just eat when you're hungry and you'll grow anyway as long as you're taking the proper food groups and macros (chicken, red meat, fish). I don't think a surplus of protein would cause any negative effect, just make you crap more lol

lol @ bb mags. All the articles are aimed at making you buy some type of supplement or other. Protein is the driving force of the industry so to them more is better. I get most of my protein from solid food. 2 shakes a day max.