Protein powder is like the quiet kid in class.
Sure you know his name.
You know a couple things about him.
You might have heard a rumor or two.
But do you really know that much about protein powder?
I’ll let you in on a the secrets of this young lad: One of the common rumors around gyms is that protein makes you bulky.
This one could be true….
But is most likely false.
Here’s why.
Protein helps build muscle.
But you would have to work VERY hard to get bulk.
As a matter of fact, I’d say you would have to do all of the below, together.
Every day.
You’d have to:
Add in consistent training that progressively gets harder and harder and harder
Eat enough other food to make you gain weight
Sleep 6-8 hours a night, EVERY NIGHT
And you would have to do all of these things, in concert, FOR YEARS.
So, the point is, muscle is EXTREMELY hard to build to the point of being “bulky.”
Many times it is easy to mistake muscle gain for weight gain.
Sometimes we have a week or 2 of crappy eating that results in us gaining a couple pounds.
And depending on genetics, it could be held in good or bad places on our bodies.
So, before you go blaming protein, try cleaning up the diet for a couple of weeks and see if you are still looking or feeling bulky.
Another myth that has been in the news lately is that protein is bad for your kidneys.
This one can also be true….
If you do not have properly functioning kidneys.
If you are a healthy adult with no preexisting conditions, protein is safe, and it can be extremely beneficial in helping you lead a healthier lifestyle.
The last myth is, you can only eat a certain amount of protein at every meal.
For most people it doesn’t make a difference how much protein you eat per meal, as long as you eat enough throughout the day.
It is optimal to space it out over 3-6 meals when trying to add on muscle.
But when you are just trying to get healthier and lose fat, you can take in protein whenever you find the time.
So now that you know a little bit about protein powder, go say “Hi” and give it a try.
Swing by GFP to try a sample of our favorite protein powder, Doctor’s Whey!
-Bryan Fitzsimmons, CSCS
