Protein powders and Supplements – do they work?

[oger]

I was taking creatine and my creatinine levels went thru the roof ,doctors said I would damage my kidneys if continued

[phb]

Like any supplements, if one is consuming adequate amounts in their usual (food) diet, taking additional supplements not only can be a waste of money (as they go through your body because they are unneeded) and could cause medical complications if consumed in excess/for long durations.

[mark_m]

@phb

Like any supplements, if one is consuming adequate amounts in their usual (food) diet, taking additional supplements not only can be a waste of money

Wisdom is that even for budding Olympians there is no need to consume additional protein. The real experts advise it is all about the timing of our meals, pointing out Australians on average (including sports and training) consume daily twice as much protein as required for good health. No need or benefit from supplements.

@mark_m

… sports persons should consult a sports dietician and individuals medical expertise concerning higher levels of use or substitution (dieting).

For sports minded the AIS has an extensive resource at …… ‘
https://www.ais.gov.au/nutrition

[phb]

@mark_m

Wisdom is that even for budding Olympians there is no need to consume additional protein.

Professional sports persons are very different to the non-professionals. Protein or its individual amino acids, is important within the body to build and repair muscles and bones and to make hormones and enzymes. They can also be an energy source.

Extreme exercise where there is a lot of potential muscle damage/use, ensuring one has adequate protein may be beneficial for recovery. Additional supplements may assist when there is inadequate consumption through a normal diet.

[mark_m]

@phb

Additional supplements may assist when there is inadequate consumption through a normal diet.

How may one know when ones diet is inadequate?
I left that for the AIS web link to offer the ultimate wisdom for sports types.

For any other dietary advice is the best source of wisdom the local sports supplement shop, your body building gym or your GP and a professional dietician?

As a community forum we all have differing points of view. The world is full of ‘budding Olympian’s’.

[SueW]

I sometimes use them but only for meal replacement if I am not able to make a decision about what to eat (it happens occasionally).

In the early 90s I went on the Herbalife “diet”. It was easy and tasty and I lost 25kg in a few months. The problem with these weightloss things is that you have to keep doing it forever to maintain the loss and Herbalife just got stupid expensive. So I stopped. And put the weight back on just eating normal food.