Hey, what's up guys?
This is Sean Nalewanyj, of EliteImpactLabs.com.
And in this video lesson, I want to answer the question of whether or not high protein
diets are dangerous.
Now, anyone who's trying to gain muscle, lose fat or build strength knows that proper protein
intake is pretty important.
Protein is the primary nutrient that's involved in muscle recovery and growth.
And without adequate protein intake, you're simply not going to see optimal results.
Most people following a standard bodybuilding program are generally going to be taking in
around or at least 1gram of protein per pound of body weight every day in the form of staple
fitness foods like chicken, and fish, and red meat, and whey protein, et cetera.
And a common concern from some of these lifters is the possible negative effects of a high
protein diet on their overall health.
The idea that high protein diets are unsafe and unhealthy has been passed around for a
really long time in the media, in the magazines and in articles from other so called "Health
gurus".
And they'll usually quote potential side effects like kidney damage, liver damage, dehydration,
et cetera.
You know, I'm not sure where these myths started or why they're so widely believed.
But the truth is that there is currently no published evidence to date that demonstrates
a positive link between a high protein diet in any of the previously mentioned negative
health effects in otherwise healthy individuals.
Not only is there no reliable evidence to date showing a link between a high protein
diet and negative effects on metabolism.
But there are actually several studies that directly show high protein diets to be perfectly
safe.
There was a comprehensive study done at the University of Brussels, I linked the reference
in the description bar, and that study involved 20 bodybuilders and 18 other athletes who
consumed roughly 2grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight, which is nearly twice that
of the recommended daily intake for protein.
The diets were analyzed in detail to monitor albumin excretion rate, creatinine levels,
uric acid clearance, calcium balance and kidney function.
And on top of this, the researchers also examined kidney function both before and after an intense
cycling session.
Kidney function is temporarily impaired during exercise.
And the researchers wanted to find out if the high protein diet would cause any additional
effects.
So, what were the results of that study?
No excessive accumulation of urea was found.
So, there were no toxic effects from the high protein diet.
Albumin clearance rates were normal, which showed that the diets had no adverse effects
on the kidneys.
And the combination of intense exercise and high protein showed no additional impairment
of the kidneys before, during or after the cycling session.
Calcium levels were also not affected.
In fact, it was actually shown that an even higher level of calcium was absorbed on the
high protein diet.
The underlying conclusion of the researchers was that a high protein intake of 170% to
243% of the recommended daily intake showed no toxicity, no dehydration, no calcium loss
and no impairment on kidney function.
And some of the athletes in that study were even consuming as much as 2.8grams of protein
per kilogram of bodyweight.
And there was no difference between those athletes and the ones who were consuming the
lower amounts.
So, you can't believe everything you hear on TV or what the latest guru has to say.
Consuming adequate amounts of protein each day is very important for your bottom line
muscle gains.
And at this point, I see no reason at all to deviate from a high protein intake.
In fact, there's plenty of evidence to suggest that higher protein diets are directly beneficial
in a variety of ways, such as improving cholesterol profiles, controlling appetite, preserving
lean muscle obviously, building lean muscle obviously, thermogenesis and overall fat loss.
Now, if you have a pre-existing health condition, then that's obviously a different case.
And you should talk to your doctor first.
But if you're otherwise healthy, I don't see any reason to be concerned with consuming
a high protein diet, as simple as that.
So, I hope you found this video lesson useful.
To get your fully structured, step-by-step muscle building program that includes a free
workout plan, a free meal plan and free supplement plan, make sure you check out the "No Fail"
system over on EliteImpactLabs.com.
The link is in the description bar for that.
Also make sure to join the Elite Impact Lab's Facebook page, where we do free supplement
giveaways every Sunday night.
And make sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date on all of our future videos.
So, thanks for watching this video.
And I'll talk to you again soon with more free tips.