The protein you need in your daily diet can come from a wide variety of sources, including poultry, eggs, meats, fish, milk products and some plant-based foods. Protein supplements can also supply this essential nutrient to your diet, and, while they might not offer all the benefits of whole foods and may even be detrimental to your health, they can be beneficial for augmenting your protein intake under certain circumstances.
As an athlete, you need more protein in your diet than someone who doesn’t engage in regular physical activity. The amount you need each day depends to some degree on the type of exercise you participate in. Endurance athletes need between 1.0 and 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight and strength-training athletes require up to 2.0 grams per kilogram. You can get all you need from high-quality, protein-rich foods, but protein supplements offer a convenient way to increase your protein intake while making it easy to track how much of this nutrient you consume. Protein supplements that are derived from milk provide an additional benefit to your muscles due to their branched-chain amino acid content. These amino acids are particularly helpful for muscle repair and recovery following a workout session.
Illness and Injury
Functions of your dietary protein include supporting your immune system for the creation of antibodies and other immune molecules as well as repairing and rebuilding damaged tissues. Illness or injury, however, can impact your appetite, making it difficult to consume enough protein to help heal your body. During cancer and its treatment, for example, people may experience side effects such as nausea or an aversion to food during a time when the body requires extra nutrients. Protein supplements, especially in liquid form, can be easier to ingest than whole foods and can assist your recovery by helping you meet your nutritional needs. Injuries, including severe burns, can also ramp up your protein needs beyond what you can comfortably take in through foods, so protein-rich supplements can be useful in this situation as well.
Malnutrition can result from several causes, including limited access to food or disorders that impact nutrient absorption. In some cases involving children, finicky eating habits can lead to malnutrition. While children might outgrow this behavior in time, severely picky eaters can exhibit delayed growth or a weakened immune system. Including protein-rich supplements in the diets of these children can help maintain their health and might also allow them to catch up on any lagging growth. However, protein supplements might not contain all the nutrients a finicky eater needs for normal development, and, if the condition continues, lost growth might not be regained.
Although protein supplements can be helpful, they are not a healthy, long-term substitute for protein-based foods. Whole foods offer the full range of nutrients you need to support your body, which is in contrast to a supplement that only contains one or a few nutrients. In addition, protein supplements may harm your health. As a product unregulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, they might not contain all that is promised on the label, and they may also be contaminated with toxins or other harmful ingredients.
- Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service: Protein and the Body
- Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition: International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Protein and Exercise
- National Cancer Institute: Effects of Cancer Treatment on Nutrition
- Kansas University Medical Center: Burn Case: Estimated Calorie and Protein Needs
- Bastyr Center for Natural Health: Nutritional Supplementation for Catch-up Grown in Picky Eaters
- Consumer Reports: What Our Tests Found
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