Whey protein…can’t say this is my favorite topic, but there was a request from a Charlotte native about the safety of this food supplement at a certain dose . What’s funny is I cannot for the life of me remember what daily dose he was taking (will have to get back to you on that)! That’s okay though because I’ll provide you with the specifics on dosing so there’ll be no going overboard with this one.
FYI -we’re talking whey protein to increase athletic performance and nothing more at this time!
So, whey protein, which is also known as Goat Milk Whey, Milk Protein, and Whey Protein Concentrate to name a few, has been shown by some clinical studies to increase lean body mass, strength and muscle size when combined with 6 to 10 weeks of strength training (this is compared to taking nothing).
The magic dose needed to attempt to achieve the same outcomes as these studies is 1.2 to 1.5 grams/kg of body weight.
NOTE: Studies involving natural medicines/supplements generally are not designed well so the results may be a little wishy-washy. Whey protein is possibly effective in increasing athletic performance, but we cannot say that it is for sure without stronger studies available to solidify this claim.
This means that a 180 lb person would weigh 81.8kg (weight in pounds divided by 2.2) and would take about 98 to 122 grams of whey protein per day.
Researchers believe whey protein may increase athletic performance by promoting higher blood amino acid (the building blocks of protein) concentrations which causes stimulation of the protein-making process (based on animal models).
Research in healthy volunteers who took just 10 grams of whey protein following exercise experienced this stimulated protein-making process where more muscle protein was produced, which then could potentially lead to bigger muscles. SWEET!
Whey protein is believed to be safe when used orally and appropriately (i.e. if used as demonstrated by the clinical trials). When taken by mouth, the supplement is well tolerated. High doses of 2.3 to 6.5 grams/kg/day can lead to increased stool frequency, bloating, cramps, thirst, nausea, reduced appetite, fatigue, and headache. Pleasant, right?!
Whey protein can also increase blood urea nitrogen (BUN), a measure used to show the concentration of nitrogen in the blood (in the form of urea). What the heck does that mean? I wouldn’t get bogged down by the details of the answer to this question. Just know your BUN level can increase twofold when taking whey protein in addition to a normal diet, so if you get labs done and your BUN appears to be off-the-chart, you’ll have an explanation for your physician!
There’s one medication that whey protein should not be combine with -levodopa. Combining levodopa with whey protein may decrease the absorption of the levodopa, thereby decreasing the medication’s desire effects. Avoid this combination at all costs!
Whey protein does not interact with any foods so get your meal on at the same time as taking this supplement if so desired.
Caution: People allergic to bovine milk products should not take whey protein because it comes from whey, the watery portion of milk.
Yup, that’s it…shouldn’t run into much of a problem when taking this supplement. Just a little stomach or intestinal discomfort if you over do it with the dose!
Are you a big whey protein fan? Curious to know what else whey protein is used for? Get at me -Cate@getpharmacyadvice.com or leave a comment below.
I hope you’ll check out our video course that’ll explain 90 ways to save money on your prescription meds. Best part is it’s all your’s at no cost…saving money already! 🙂
Peace out.