Supplements: Do YOU Need Them?

I strongly hold on to the belief that you should always know what goes into your body. If you're going to take supplements, make sure you know why you're taking them, what ingredients they contain, what side effects they have on your body and how exactly they're going to benefit you. Most people don't even have the slightest clue. They just drink protein shakes because well, that's what everybody else in the gym is doing. 

This is not the right way to go about taking supplements. Period.

Discussing supplements can be quite controversial, especially since most people conversing about them have no idea what they're even talking about. People hold multiple bizarre opinions about supplements, such as whey protein, which often vary among the following:

1. Whey protein contains anabolic steroids and toxins that will cause your liver to burst; FALSE

2. Lifting weights and drinking protein shakes is going to get you jacked like Arnold; FALSE

3. You need to drink a protein shake after every workout, or else your muscles will fall off; Again, FALSE

As the name suggests, a supplement is nothing more than something you take when a particular nutrient is lacking in your diet. In other words, protein shakes are meant for people that don't get enough of the nutrient from their daily food intake. If you're getting sufficient amounts of protein from lean meats, eggs, fish & dairy, feel free to never invest in whey protein. However, it's quite difficult for most people to actually receive an adequate amount of protein from their daily diet, which is why so many bodybuilders and athletes drink whey protein.

Fun Fact: Whey is a pure form of protein extracted from milk. It's not a magical drink engineered in a secret lab that will make your muscles grow 10x faster. It's the same as taking a Vitamin C tablet to avoid deficiency.

The body requires a healthy balance of protein, carbohydrates & fats. The ideal amount of protein required by the body is 1g per pound of body weight. Some people prefer to consume 1g of protein per pound of LEAN BODY MASS; Total body weight - body fat.

Now, let me explain that to you, in English. I weigh approximately 150-154 pounds. This means I need somewhere around 150-154 grams of protein per day to sustain my current body weight. Even if I subtract my body fat from the number, I still need around 140 grams of protein per day. 

Here's an example of what my daily diet is like:

Breakfast:

4 Egg whites omelette

1 Bowl of oatmeal with half a banana, 1 tsp peanut butter & 1 tsp strawberry jam

1 Mango Peach Protein Shake

Lunch

1 Bowl red sauce pasta

1 Chicken breast

1 Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake

Snacks

1 Baked Lays Chips Packet

1 Snickers Bar

Dinner

1 Chicken Breast

1 Bowl of broccoli

1 Cup Brown Rice

1 Banana Protein Shake

Dessert

1 Cup Mango Chunks

1 Cup Vanilla Ice Cream 

This adds up to a grand total of 166g protein, 217g Carbs & 18g fats. Now if I was to erase the 3 protein shakes from my daily food intake, I would be left with only 92g of protein! That's nowhere close to how much I need. 

Note: I admit three protein shakes are completely unnecessary. In fact, on days that I get enough meat, chicken, eggs, milk and cheese, I actually prefer not having any at all. Always try to hit your macros with whole foods rather than supplements, but when you can't, it never hurts to grab a quick protein shake.

                         

 

                                    My Personal collection of steroids.. I mean supplements

To sum it all up,

1. Whey protein is not a steroid

2. It is not a magical powder that makes muscles grow

3. It will not help you lose weight

4. It will not cause your liver to burst

5. It is a food supplement, taken in order to reach macro-nutrient goals

But here are some reasons you should take whey:

1. It's convenient; A lot of people don't have the time or money to cook so much protein dense food

2. You don't want to carry a chicken breast and eggs to the gym for your post work-out meal

3. Your current diet doesn't contain much protein; Contrary to popular belief, DAL or LENTILS is primarily a source of carbs

4. Because it tastes good

I hope this clears any doubts you had regarding whey protein or any other supplement. Please note that this does not apply to performance enhancers such as pre-workouts or creatine. If you have any other questions, feel free to post them here: http://ask.fm/TheHealthNazi