Athletes and bodybuilders beware! The Consumer Council has issued a word of caution on taking over-the-counter supplements to boost performance and gain muscle mass.
The Council's study has shown that taking megadoses of protein could have unintended outcomes - probably most dreaded by bodybuilders - of gaining fat instead of muscle mass.
Available in the form of powder, energy bars, drinks and tablets with ingredients such as protein, creatine, HMB calcium and amino acids, manufacturers of some of these supplements claim their products can add size to muscle and replenish energy.
To evaluate such claims, their safety and effectiveness, the Consumer Council has sought the views and opinions of dietitians and experts in the sports field in an effort to provide guidance to consumers considering the use of these supplements.
According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the daily recommended intake of protein for an adult athlete is 1.2 to 1.7 grams per kilogram bodyweight.
Highlighted in the study, the label of one workout powder product which indicates that it provides 50 grams of protein per serving with the suggestion that, consumers can gradually increase the intake from half a serving to several servings a day.
If one were to follow the label instructions by taking three servings a day, the daily protein intake would have amounted to 150 (50x3) grams.
This is already well in excess of the 119 (1.7x70) grams, the recommended daily upper limit in the case of an athlete of a bodyweight 70 kilograms - and the amount has not taken into account the intake of protein from other foods.
While it is quite common for athletes to get a higher protein intake while undergoing endurance and resistance training, dietitians unanimously point out that an daily intake of over 2 grams of protein per kilogram bodyweight will not lead to the effect of extra bulking up the muscles. On the contrary, the excess protein would be converted to energy and, subsequently fat if those energies are not used up.
Dietitians recommend people who go on resistance training to eat food containing carbohydrates and protein within 30 minutes after training for energy replenishment and provide protein for muscle growth.
Furthermore, habitual intake of excessive protein can worsen the kidney function for people with renal problems. It will also cause a loss of calcium in urine, particularly for older people with a weak kidney.
In addition, other possible side effects of fitness supplements containing the ingredient creatine, which are often promoted as a substance for increasing energy and muscle synthesis, may include seizures, vomiting and diarrhea.
Since the use of creatine supplements can lead to weight gain which in turn affects performance in certain sports, athletes should consult healthcare professionals including doctors, registered dietitians and qualified physical trainers before taking the supplements.
Furthermore, athletes should be mindful of latent health hazards when using supplements. A 2010 report of the US Consumers Union has shown that heavy metals were detected in some of the protein powders and drinks, and affirmed that 3 servings a day of these products would lead to an intake exceeding the US Pharmacopoeia set limit.
A study of the International Olympic Commission revealed 14.8% of supplements sampled from Europe and America contained at least one kind of hormones or their metabolites.
So, are these supplements really helpful and necessary? Experts conclude that people who take a balanced diet generally do not need protein supplements to build muscle, even if they exercise vigorously.
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- 2013.03.18