Too Much Protein

This a public service announcement for my physically active gym going friends. Especially the weight lifting variety who supplement their diets with protein - be it extra meat, protein powder, or whatnot. 

The next time you take a piss, take a gander into the toilet bowl. I'm serious. 

Now tell me if your urine is bubbly and has a frothy consistency. Like beer.

This ain't no lager.

If you've been supplementing your diet with protein in line with a bodybuilding routine, I'm going to bet you that chances are, you have bubbly urine.

Now what does bubbly urine imply?

proteinuria.

Proteinuria is a medical condition whereby too much protein is ingested for the body to utilize. The kidneys then work overtime to filter out this excess protein, and out it goes through your urine. 

Protein changes the surface tension between urine and water, pretty much like how detergent gets bubbly as it decreases water surface tension. And when the protein in your urine reacts with the air, there you have it: 

Excess protein = bubbly urine

The danger here is that putting your kidneys under such stress for prolonged periods of time may very well lead to kidney function impairment and ultimately, kidney disease/failure. Perhaps an equally important observation is that we are wasting money on ordering insanely large servings of meat at the diner's or coughing up too much hard-earned cash for that extra tub of MegaMuscle protein powder. 

Essentially, if you find that your urine is bubbly, it means that you're taking more protein than your body can use. Even as an active gymgoer who lifts weights at least 5 times a week, I've found that eating anything more than 2 normal (100-200g) servings of meat a day can turn my urine bubbly. What this means is that as a general rule, many of us are eating far too much protein for our bodies to handle. 

Sure, it's true that eating large amounts of protein through meat and powders can bulk you up, but I submit that this is solely caused by your increased calorific intake and not exclusively because of the added protein. If your body is excreting protein through urine, that already means that you're taking much more than your body can actually use. 

What this effectively means is that it is a much cheaper, healthier and viable alternative to bump up your caloric intake by turning to such life-giving foods as wholegrains (oats, brown rice, wholewheat bread) and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Not only will you feel better, you'll also look better.

Now a lot of guys have the impression that looking like <insert name of overly muscled action star> is what gets them the ladies. 

Although I'm not disputing that there are women out there who desire men who look like such, a quick glance at this recent Straight Eye for the Straight Guy poll will suggest that a majority of those polled prefer a "ripped" look as opposed to "thick".

In addition, no man is born to naturally look like Schwarzenegger. If anything, the "scientifically-proven" ideal bodily proportions are referred to as the Adonis Index - for the average man, roughly a 40" chest and a 31" waist. 

Furthermore, a high protein diet isn't sustainable - in other words, you're not going to be able to continue eating a whole chicken a day until you're 80. On the flip side, your body will benefit from maintaining a diet rich in wholegrains, legumes, fruit, vegetables and the occasional serving of meat. As long as you get your FDA average daily recommendation of protein (roughly 60g for a grown man) and keep up your total calorific requirements (based on your desired body weight) via wholegrains and vegetables, you should have no problem keeping a fine figure till the day you find yourself 6 feet under.