Sportswomen should eat a lot of protein. After all, protein makes you slim and strong. But can too much protein be harmful? How much do you really need per day? Find out everything here!
As athletes, we are always advised to consume a lot of protein. In the form of shakes, bars and powders and Co. it is made palatable to us.
The advertising promises: protein strengthens muscles and makes you slim. What's more, our body needs it urgently. But what about the right amount of protein? Can you eat too much protein? And can too much protein be harmful?
You'll learn in this post,
- Why the body needs protein,
- how much protein woman should eat per day,
- why protein is so popular with athletes,
- whether eating too much protein is harmful,
- the signs of protein overdose
- and what is the difference between vegetable and animal proteins
In science, no knowledge is set in stone. That's why there are many different opinions around the question: "Is too much protein harmful?".
This phenomenon can be well explained by looking back a few years and decades.
In the 80s and 90s came recommendation that it is best to do without fat so. At least if you want to stay healthy. People were firmly convinced that this would provide reliable protection against obesity, heart attacks, diabetes and a host of other diseases of civilization.
But when, at the end of the 1990s, all these diseases became even more widespread than before, despite a boom in low-fat foods, nutritional science had to admit that it must have been wrong.
In the years that followed, carbohydrates were declared the enemy of healthy eating. The low-carb diet began its triumphant march in the food industry, which continues to this day.
Of the three so-called "macro-nutrients" fat, protein and carbohydrates, only protein has thus far been spared the demonization of the masses.
It is no longer a main component of the diet only for extreme high-performance athletes and bodybuilders, but is also appreciated by the Ottonormalverbraucher for the fact that it satiates with comparatively few calories per 100 g long.
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But does that mean we should all eat and drink as much protein as possible? Or is it, as so often in life, then just unfortunately not so simple, and one may well consume too much protein? And if so, how much is too much protein exactly?
There are many different opinions and approaches to this and it is sometimes difficult to find your way through the jungle of advice. That's why we show you the most important facts and theories here.
Table of contents
Why does the body need protein and for what?
Proteins are essential building blocks for the human body, with which cells are formed and maintained and communicate with each other.
Our muscles (including the heart), our skin and our brain are largely made of protein. And behind the terms keratin and collagen, which we know from cosmetics, is nothing more than proteins that make up our hair, nails and skin.
Protein is also indispensable in our immune system. Defense cells need it when we are sick or injured as a source of energy and building material to fight bacteria and viruses and allow wounds to heal.
In such a case, the body can resort to protein from the muscles. This is the reason why we quickly lose muscle when we are sick.
Therefore, during the period of the disease, it is recommended to consume about 30% more protein than is otherwise recommended for one's body weight in order to stop this process.
How much protein do men and women need?
The food industry often conveys that protein deficiency is common. Yet this is virtually impossible under our living conditions.
In fact, in one Study of the American "Institute of Medicine the average protein consumption per day rather slightly above than below the recommended value.
The average adult has a protein requirement of about 0.8 g per kilo of body weight.
You can easily calculate how much protein you need.
Body weight x 0.8 = your protein requirement
Based on the respective average weight, this is just 56 g for men and 46 g for us women.
Vegetarians and vegans are also often accused of a protein deficiency. Since they don't eat meat or do without animal products altogether, a protein deficiency is supposed to be pre-programmed in their case. But this is not the case either.
Vegetarians and vegans can easily meet their daily protein needs with plant sources such as legumes, tofu, seeds and seeds, as well as various higher-protein vegetables.
So the probability is rather consume too much protein quite high.
So easy you can make protein bars yourself
The exception is people who cannot absorb or utilize protein due to health factors. Diseases of the liver, kidney or thyroid, the gastrointestinal tract, as well as cancer and various autoimmune diseases can upset the body's protein balance and thus possibly increase the need.
You should also monitor your protein balance more closely if food allergies or intolerances restrict your diet.
Why is protein so popular among athletes?
A common assumption is that the body needs high amounts of protein to build muscle. And that the intake immediately after training promotes muscle building immediately.
On the one hand, the reasoning sounds logical to many: muscles are made of protein, so if I want more of one, I need more of the other.
What is certain is that a lack of protein hinders muscle building: If there is no material to build muscle, the body falls back on its own reserves, so it breaks down muscle to build muscle elsewhere.
The fact that in this cycle you are more likely not to achieve the desired results of your athletic endeavors is not too surprising.
Many doctors view the "much helps much" philosophy of athletes very critically and unnecessarily. At worst, even harmful.
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Can you eat too much protein and at what point is protein harmful?
As a blanket answer to the question of whether you can eat too much of pretty much any food, the first answer is always "yes."
After all, the saying "the dose makes the poison" is no coincidence. Even drinking too much water can have fatal consequences for the human organism.
However, this requires drinking so much water at once that the body would resist long before this point is reached.
An acute protein overdose, i.e. consuming so much protein at once that it even becomes life-threatening, is probably as unlikely as such a water overdose.
Long-term consequences a constant of Too much protein However, it is certainly possible to avoid the effects of a dietary pattern.
Thus, the consumption of Too much protein over a longer period of time has been associated with kidney damage, for example, as the Kidneys for the breakdown of protein are responsible.
However, this assumption is still controversial, since the study on which it is based involved research on volunteers, who already suffered from kidney disease beforehand. It has therefore not yet been proven whether a healthy kidney also suffers the same degree of damage when it has to break down too much protein.
But even though too much protein should not cause direct harm, indirect problems can be linked to it.
If you want to avoid weight gain, an increase in protein intake can only be arranged if the intake of other "macro-nutrients" (in addition to protein, there are fats and carbohydrates) is reduced in return.
So while more protein may not be a problem in and of itself, a lack of fats and/or carbohydrates may.
Even starting from the highest quality protein sources, these are far from having all the vital substances (vitamins, minerals, etc.) that are important for the body. It is therefore possible that, although one does not consume too much protein in and of itself, it takes up too high a proportion of the total daily calorie intake, thus indirectly leading to malnutrition.
Have you heard of these plant-based protein sources?
What are the signs of protein overdose?
Assuming that too much protein has no direct negative effect on the body, protein overdose can only be detected if you have increased your protein intake without adjusting your calorie intake accordingly.
Because then it simply leads to weight gain. It is true that protein is supposed to help you feel fuller for longer. But it has a higher calorie density than carbohydrates.
More calories per gram means the same calorie count automatically means less volume. So if you're used to a diet higher in carbohydrates, your stomach expects a higher filling volume, which can quickly lead to eating more calories to begin with.
Vegetable and animal protein - difference
By the way, there is a difference in protein. And that is whether you get it from animal or plant sources.
Animal proteins (for example from dairy products, meat, fish, seafood and eggs) are easier for the body to utilize. This is because they are embedded in fewer other substances than their plant counterparts. But at the same time, this again leads to the problem of loss of other important nutrients.
Vegetable proteins usually also contain a certain amount of dietary fiber. With animal products, this is virtually non-existent. Dietary fiber is enormously important for healthy digestion. A disturbed digestion brings many health problems with it.
Better than bought: Make protein shake yourself
A varied diet that draws on many different sources of protein is therefore the surest way to achieve a good balance between biological availability and the avoidance of deficiency symptoms.
Our tip: Get your protein best from animal and plant sources. And don't drink ready-made Protein shakes Or eat protein bars. PS: Protein shakes you can easily make yourself. And also Protein bars are quite simple to make. So you know exactly what's inside.
Our conclusion
As so often in life, the solution to the problem is not so simple after all. The perfect diet is not a universal set of rules. If it were that simple, we would all have known it by now.
Healthy eating can mean something completely different to everyone depending on their health status, genetic predisposition, activity level and personal preference.
The best way to find out what is too little or too much protein for your own body is simply to observe how it makes you feel as part of a balanced and varied diet.
As long as you feel healthy and fit, and your family doctor agrees, there is no need to panic.
We hope that we have been able to give you a few useful pointers on your way to the best diet for your personal needs and wish you the best of luck!
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