Does Protein Powder Work? (Spoiler: YES, but there's a catch)

Protein powders (aka protein shakes) are commonly believed to help build muscle. A recent review published in The British Journal of Sports Medicine looked at whether protein supplementation led to improvement in muscle mass and strength.

Researchers found that protein supplementation did have a positive effect on strength, muscle size and fat-free mass (aka lean body mass). Improvement in strength was measured using 1-rep max strength. The group that received protein supplementation had an additional benefit of 9% (2.49kg) in their 1 Rep Max when compared to those who didn't consume a protein supplement. Also, the protein group had a 1.4kg gain in fat free mass compared to the control group which had a 1.1kg increase.

For professional athletes, every bit of strength counts. This study recommends an upper limit of 2.2g/kg/day of protein intake for serious athletes. But for the rest of us, protein shakes do help a bit, but not as much as getting to the gym and actually doing the work.


--


Average protein intake in the general population:


Many people in high income countries easily exceed the RDA of protein intake without even trying. In the following study from the US, Figure 1C and Table 1 show that the average American adult is consuming somewhere between 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight, with some variation depending on age group and gender:
 
--

Full Article from British Journal of Sports Medicine:

Other references for this video:


Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology (12ed)

#protein #fitness #docunlock

Full transcript:

--

Video credits:

Certain illustrations adapted from and (pikisuperstar / brgfx / iconicbestiary / Freepik)

Music:
Intro - Motionarray (affiliate link):
Overjoyed by Lakey Inspired:
So Jazzy by Peyruis Music promoted by Audio Library

--

DocUnlock is a new YouTube channel with one purpose: to help people make better decisions about their own health, and the health of their families. SUBSCRIBE to our channel to stay in the loop!

Follow us:



Sign up to the DocUnlock Insider mailing list to receive updates direct to your inbox:

Website:

All DocUnlock content is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis and treatment. Please read our Disclaimer:

does protein powder work,protein synthesis,protein powder,protein shakes,how protein powder works,how protein works,how protein synthesis works,how protein builds muscle,how protein supplements work,does protein powder help build muscle,does protein shakes work,does protein powder actually work,what protein does to your body,what protein shakes do for your body,who should take protein powder,why protein shakes are good,why protein is important,