Should I add protein supplement to my program?

[z0mb13]

So I've been working out three times a week pretty regularly for about a month.

Currently I am 70ish KG, 172 cm. I heard protein supplement helps in muscle building, should I add that in my diet?

The extra protein should not turn into fat, right? lol

 

[skace]

Unused protein will turn into fat eventually yes. If you feel you could benefit from it, the risk is yours to take. There are more scientific routes (attempting to figure out your lean muscle mass, tracking your protein intake, etc) but they aren't exactly easy.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: z0mb13
So I've been working out three times a week pretty regularly for about a month.

Currently I am 70ish KG, 172 cm. I heard protein supplement helps in muscle building, should I add that in my diet?

The extra protein should not turn into fat, right? lol

Pretty much everyone I know who does weightlifting or bodybuilding drinks a protein shake. I don't do either at the moment, but I take it as part of my meal plan once a day. For lack of anything else, it makes a good filler meal (and it's quick to make!).

 

[KoolDrew]

How much protein do you get now? A protein supplement is only necessary when you don't get enough protein from your regular diet.

 

[jiggahertz]

Originally posted by: z0mb13
So I've been working out three times a week pretty regularly for about a month.

Currently I am 70ish KG, 172 cm. I heard protein supplement helps in muscle building, should I add that in my diet?

The extra protein should not turn into fat, right? lol

How many grams of protein do you currently consume in a day?

Excess protein is converted to glucose, which is used by the body for energy over dietary fat or body fat. Unused glucose is stored in the body as fat.

 

[z0mb13]

Originally posted by: KoolDrew
How much protein do you get now? A protein supplement is only necessary when you don't get enough protein from your regular diet.

right now I am not paying attention to my diet, other than not eating fatty/unhealthy foods.

I rarely eat an egg everyday, so I would guess my protein intake is pretty minimal

 

[Riverhound777]

Can't hurt to try it. I suggest getting a tub of Optimum Nutrition Double Chocolate and mixing a scoop in a glass of milk after your workout. I'll be ordering my 3rd 10lb bag of the stuff soon.

 

[onlyCOpunk]

There's also a formula hat I forgot to figure out how much protein you should be having a day. And proper tracking could determine if you need the extra supplement.

 

[jiggahertz]

Originally posted by: onlyCOpunk
There's also a formula hat I forgot to figure out how much protein you should be having a day. And proper tracking could determine if you need the extra supplement.

A minimum should be ~1gm/lb of bodyweight. OP, you'd be better served by tracking your diet for a week and going from there.

 

[dakels]

Originally posted by: jiggahertz

Originally posted by: onlyCOpunk
There's also a formula hat I forgot to figure out how much protein you should be having a day. And proper tracking could determine if you need the extra supplement.

A minimum should be ~1gm/lb of bodyweight. OP, you'd be better served by tracking your diet for a week and going from there.

That's actually a lot. It's more like 1 gram per kilogram (2.2 lbs) for the average individual and at max, 2mg/kg during heavy bodybuilding. USRDA is about .5mg per lb 60-90mg for most people. Taking too much protein, may dehydrate you and, arguably, be bad for your kidneys and liver (this is not yet proven to my knowledge on a long term or large scale study). I believe excess is converted to fat and excreted through urination.

 

[jiggahertz]

Originally posted by: dakels

Originally posted by: jiggahertz

Originally posted by: onlyCOpunk
There's also a formula hat I forgot to figure out how much protein you should be having a day. And proper tracking could determine if you need the extra supplement.

A minimum should be ~1gm/lb of bodyweight. OP, you'd be better served by tracking your diet for a week and going from there.

That's actually a lot. It's more like 1 gram per kilogram (2.2 lbs) for the average individual and at max, 2mg/kg during heavy bodybuilding. USRDA is about .5mg per lb 60-90mg for most people. Taking too much protein, may dehydrate you and, arguably, be bad for your kidneys and liver (this is not yet proven to my knowledge on a long term or large scale study). I believe excess is converted to fat and excreted through urination.

It's not a lot. USRDA is not for individuals who participate in strength training. John Berardi recommends 1.25 g/lb LBM, and Lyle McDonald 1.5 g/lb for sufficient protein intake. You are correct that protein intake at this level has not been shown to be harmful in individuals without prior kidney dysfunctions.

Here is a summary of Lyle's take on protein requirements
Text

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: jiggahertz

Originally posted by: dakels

Originally posted by: jiggahertz

Originally posted by: onlyCOpunk
There's also a formula hat I forgot to figure out how much protein you should be having a day. And proper tracking could determine if you need the extra supplement.

A minimum should be ~1gm/lb of bodyweight. OP, you'd be better served by tracking your diet for a week and going from there.

That's actually a lot. It's more like 1 gram per kilogram (2.2 lbs) for the average individual and at max, 2mg/kg during heavy bodybuilding. USRDA is about .5mg per lb 60-90mg for most people. Taking too much protein, may dehydrate you and, arguably, be bad for your kidneys and liver (this is not yet proven to my knowledge on a long term or large scale study). I believe excess is converted to fat and excreted through urination.

It's not a lot. USRDA is not for individuals who participate in strength training. John Berardi recommends 1.25 g/lb LBM, and Lyle McDonald 1.5 g/lb for sufficient protein intake. You are correct that protein intake at this level has not been shown to be harmful in individuals without prior kidney dysfunctions.

Here is a summary of Lyle's take on protein requirements
Text

Yeah, you really don't need THAT much protein for your body to repair itself easily, but there's nothing wrong with the extra protein. You have to deem whether it's worth it or not, if you're already getting the suggested 1g/lb of LBM. I was getting about 1.75g/lb of LBM while bulking so to each his own. I'm now at something like 1.3g/lb of LBM just while trying to get rid of this tendonitis in my hip

 

[crownjules]

Originally posted by: z0mb13
So I've been working out three times a week pretty regularly for about a month.

Currently I am 70ish KG, 172 cm. I heard protein supplement helps in muscle building, should I add that in my diet?

The extra protein should not turn into fat, right? lol

If you are attempting to bulk and build muscle, it's almost essential. It's tough to get the recommended amounts of protein (1g+/lb, I guess that's roughly 2g+/KG) through normal food intake. Two eggs contain ~13g protein. A good cut of chicken breast is ~40g. And those are some of the highest protein content foods easily obtained. If you're supposed to be getting at least 140g protein a day, and that's just to maintain, then you've got a long ways to go.

A single shake will give you anywhere from 20-30g protein, depending on the brand. It's quick. It's easy. It's cheap.