Are Protein Supplements Beneficial?
Walk into any health food store in Texas, and you’ll find a variety of protein supplements. Some show bulging muscles on the front of the can, while others are more subtle in their advertising. Are they beneficial? Should everyone take them? One point is that supplements, protein or otherwise, should never replace healthy eating. Protein supplements won’t replace a balanced diet. Using them to replace a healthy diet can and does negatively affect overall health. Supplements can benefit some people but can hurt the health of others.
Your age, activity level, and weight are considered when consuming extra protein.
Active people require more protein than sedentary people. The more active you are, the more potential there is for mini tears in the muscle and the necessity of protein to do repairs. A sedentary person requires 1.2 grams of protein per 2.2 pounds of body weight. An extremely active person needs 1.6 grams per 2.2 pounds. A heavier person requires more protein than someone who weighs less. As people age, their processing of protein becomes less effective. That can potentially require increasing protein intake to offset.
Even though protein supplements can benefit some, they can be dangerous to others.
Older people may benefit from supplements for other reasons besides processing. Some may have difficulties eating, whether due to appetite or physical problems. While people attempting to build muscle mass often purchase supplements, in many cases, a healthy diet can provide adequate protein. Over-supplementation can negatively create or exacerbate certain health conditions. It may cause minor problems like irritability and headache or lead to more severe ones, such as blood vessel disorders, kidney or liver disease, seizures, or cardiovascular disease.
If you use protein supplements, choose carefully.
Always do your homework when choosing any supplement. The FDA doesn’t regulate supplements. Some organizations do, like the third-party testing facility, NSF International. They ensure the product doesn’t contain toxic compounds like mercury or arsenic. If it passes, their designation of “Certified for Sports” will be on the label. Check the ingredient label. Manufacturers often add ingredients to make it more palatable, like sugar or thickeners to give a better consistency. They also add chemicals to extend shelf life. The Clean Label Project tested many supplements. They found 130 types of toxins in protein powders. Some contained heavy metals like mercury or arsenic and other toxins like pesticides or BPA.
- You can boost your recovery after a workout with a protein shake, but a hard-boiled egg and whole-grain toast are just as easy. The second option also provides fiber and other nutrients.
- Read the ingredients thoroughly if you use protein bars as a supplement. Many are no more than glorified candy bars with a high sugar content and empty calories.
- Getting adequate protein is vital for every cell. It’s a building block for bones, blood, muscles, cartilage, and skin. Don’t avoid eating protein because you worry about eating too much. It’s difficult to do.
- Always consult with your healthcare professional before using any supplement, including protein. Be aware of the ingredients used. If you’re lactose intolerant, consider plant-based protein supplements.
For more information, contact us today at Rising Fitness Gym
People in Houston, TX, are learning that eating healthy can be quick, easy, and less expensive than fast food when you learn to meal plan. It helps people stick with healthy eating, and it’s faster than waiting in the drive-through line at the local Burger Quickie. Meal planning is a process. You create menus and a grocery list one day, shop another day, and cook a week’s worth of food on the weekend or your day off work.
Starting the day with a big breakfast was often vital for early farmers who did hard manual labor. It is also vital for most workers who expend high amounts of energy doing their daily work. If you work in an office or a sedentary job, a big breakfast may offer benefits even though you don’t expend the high energy of a pioneer farmer or lift heavy loads that cause you to burn hundreds of calories.
What is BMI? BMI stands for body mass index and is a ratio of height to weight based on sex and sometimes age. It’s just one quick measure of your overall health. BMI is a chart with your height at the side, weight in the middle, and the corresponding BMI at the top of the chart. The BMI formula is (weight in pounds x 703) / (height in inches x height in inches). Putting the information on a chart cuts through calculation time and makes it easy for doctors to take a quick assessment. It’s not a stand-alone test and requires other information.
Many people come to Rising Fitness in Houston, TX, because they love the help of a personal trainer and the equipment available. Some people want to exercise between gym sessions and choose running, walking, and calisthenics. One often-forgotten cardio workout is the jump rope. Jump ropes are inexpensive. You can even do it with the kids. There are several types of jump ropes, including speed and weighted ones, but jump ropes don’t have to be fancy or expensive. You can use a jump rope found in the toy department.
Endurance exercises are also called cardio workouts. The very term cardio indicates it is about exercising the heart. While all cardio workouts will do that, some are better than others. For example, running in place will work the heart, but lifting your knees higher while you do that will increase the effort. You can even turn strength-building workouts into cardiovascular ones. That causes the body to burn fat and build muscle as it works your heart.
Whether you’re eating a meal after your workout or just having a post-workout snack, the food you eat directly affects your recovery. It can make a difference in how fast you build muscle tissue, too. Refueling your muscles and providing adequate building blocks to build muscles require a specific combination of macronutrients. It takes a combination of protein and carbohydrates. The carbs refuel the lost glycogen from the muscle and the protein helps build muscle tissue and shortens recovery time.
If you’re like most people, you have to budget your time to fit everything into your day. Fitting your workout into your schedule without stealing it from another priority can be almost impossible. It takes time to get dressed for your workout, workout, shower, and change. When you finish, it’s eaten up an entire hour. Your health is a top priority, so it’s worth the time, but that takes away from something else. Is there a way you can do both without compromising either?
For some people, starting a new workout routine can be intimidating. You alternatively could be the type of person who jumps in feet first without question. Regardless of your personality, you need to know what to ask if you’re starting a new workout routine, especially if you were a couch potato previously. Whether you join a group, hire a trainer, join a new gym, or workout at home, learning the basics, especially proper form, is imperative.
If you’re finding it hard to get past the hurdles that prevent you from achieving your fitness goals, you’re not alone. Many people in Houston, TX, experience the same problem. What seemed like an achievable resolution or goal suddenly looks overwhelming. One of the problems is that people create their goals without considering a plan of action to accomplish them. Are you going to workout three times a week? Improve your diet? What do you have to do to reach your goal? Break down your big fitness goal to smaller easier to accomplish ones and identify what you’ll do to reach it.