i’ve started making my own quick n easy protein shakes. taste good and they’ve got about 35g (or so) of protein in them. i’ve just been mixing 4 tablespoons of skimmed milk powder, 1-2 tablespoons of chocolate powder and some milk all blended together. ok i know it’s got a lot of sugar in it and isn’t any good for anyone thats lactose intolerant (!) but will it do as general booster to my protein intake? how much of a difference to the average non-superhuman athlete does whey make compared to this? i know whey absorbs quicker etc but does anyone know by how much?
Hi stubbs,
35grams?
That is a lot of protein. You are inviting kidney damage. I was told by a doctor that anything above 19 grams can be harmful to the kidneys. A visual sign that your kidneys are weak is a darkened spot a little below the tearduct of the corner of each eye. Just a little something to look out for.
mickey
Originally posted by mickey
[B]Hi stubbs,
35grams?
That is a lot of protein. You are inviting kidney damage. I was told by a doctor that anything above 19 grams can be harmful to the kidneys. A visual sign that your kidneys are weak is a darkened spot a little below the tearduct of the corner of each eye. Just a little something to look out for.
mickey [/B]
Say what? Anything over 19g can be harmful? 19g a day? In one go? 19g before breakfast on a Tuesday?
This is nonsense. Most people that are training to build muscle will tak in at least 0.5 gram per pound of bodyweight per day. That’s anything up to 100 grams per day and more. A 35g shake isn’t that much.
Stubbs - you might want to investigate how much of that protein is actually bioavailable and getting taken up by your body.
Anyway, unless you’re a bodybuilder, you should get enough protein from a regular diet. Supplement with chicken, tuna, cottage cheese, etc. if you want a little extra. Vegetarians need to ensure they get complete proteins (bean + corn, etc).
Originally posted by Serpent
In one go? 19g before breakfast on a Tuesday?
I eat at least 60g protein for breakfast. 'Cept today was a Monday, not Tuesday. Wonder how long before my kidneys are shot?
I try to drop between 40-80 grams of protein in a meal after noon. Before that, between 15-50.
The only things I’ve come across which relate kidney failure to increased protein intake deal with people who’ve already suffered kidney failure . . . and the increased protein worsens their condition . . . and it’s old people . . . who eat like non-athletes . . .
Doctors don’t know a whole hell of a lot anymore.
Hi guys,
What a reaction.
I just had a phone conversation with my former supervisor this past week. Her husband has been taking a 25 gram protein shake daily. She is really concerned because he blew up LARGE and I am not talking celebrity. Maybe when you are younger the protein load can be handled; I’m looking at the long term ramifications of taking such high levels of protein. Yes, the body passes out what it does not need. I am talking about the problems that can arise from the effort involved in doing so long term.
mickey
Originally posted by mickey
… he blew up LARGE …
Translation?
I’m back,
Large: major obesity problem. No kidding. I had to point out to her that the shake was doing some damage.
mickey
That’s what I thought you meant. I fail to see how excess protein could cause obesity. It is my understanding that protein is either used, or wasted. It is not stored like triglycerides or glycogen.
Elite bodybuilders on steroids consume 400-600g of protein per day. Not that they’re a model of health, but still.
Where did your doctor hear the 19g rule? That’s like half a chicken breast.
No, not directly,
But through impaired kidney function. The body’s elimination system becomes disrupted.
mickey
Ahhh, OK. Makes sense, I guess.
Wow, loads of armchair diagnosis going on here! 
If you take in massive amounts of protein you can trigger a ketogenic state and put a large strain on your liver and kidneys. If you cut out carbs and therefore lose lots of water too, then this is only exacerbated further. This is one reason why the Atkins and other HPLC diets are bad for you.
A high protein intake per se will not badly affect your kidneys, as long as you keep well hydrated, which you should do anyway.
Unusually high protein intake like Ironfist mentions is bad for metabolic balance, but bodybuilders are about the unhealthiest sports people out there.
There is no way that a person can only consume 19g of protein in a day - that’s ridiculous. 0.5 to 1.0 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight is no problem and easily used up by people training regularly. A tuna sandwich at lunch and a chicken breast and vegies for dinner would come close to 100g protein and that’s hardly a high protein diet.
As for the dude that “blew up LARGE”, you have to know more. He had a 25g protein shake a day, plus what else? No way was he only living on one protein shake a day. If he added that to his normal diet and didn’t do any extra exercise, already he’d start to gain weight. A lot of excess protein is passed, but some is stored. You need all the facts, mickey.
Hi,
I never said 19 grams a day. I was refering to 19 grams at a time. Yes, the guy that blew up did not work out. And that was not his only meal. When you put overloads on your body continually, something is going to give.
mickey
Absolutely.
And 19g in one go is not bad. A good steak has way more than that!
How long is “at a time?” Every 5 minutes? 
A can of tuna + a chicken breast is like 50 or 60 grams or protein, not 100.
i can’t remember where i got this from, but is it true you can only consume about 30g of protein at a time? i guess ‘at a time’ depends how quickly it can get digested. so maybe you could absorb more protein through shakes in a shorter period than you could with a steak…that’s just a guess though. how quickly could i absorb the goodies from my shake recipe or any other form of protein?
^ I’ve heard that too. I heard it was like 30g every 3 hours or something, but that would make you cap out at 240g per day so I dunno.
LOL, Mickey, I got lambasted when I said I’d read that more than 20grams at a time was wasted because you couldn’t uptake more than that…
ok, just tried to google and didn’t really get anything one way or the other…
anyone got links that specifically state what optimum or maximum protein uptake is?
You’re gonna die! You’re ALL gonna DIIIIIEEEE!!! (runs screaming from building with hands over head)