Another month, another set of reader-submitted questions. This round we have a question on the perennially popular protein, another on recovery nutrition, and a final one on energy drinks. Here we go!
Question #1, on Excessive Protein Intake
I am a 5’2″, 110lb female. If I were to consume 120g of protein per day, I would be consuming 2.4g/kg of body weight. Is this excessive?
To answer this question, we must first define exactly what “excessive” means because there are both subjective and objective uses of the word with important distinctions. In day-to-day conversation, most people use “excessive” in the subjective sense—as in “my friend listens to an excessive amount of bluegrass”—where there’s obviously no real harm. There’s also an objective use, however, meaning “more than is necessary” and even harmful.
In a subjective sense, 120 grams of protein for a small female may indeed feel excessive because it’s a lot of protein—but it’s not excessive as in “more than necessary” because the sum of research supports the hypothesis that it takes around 20 grams of protein to maximally stimulate muscle growth regardless of one’s size. More importantly, it’s also not harmful because…
- No amount of dietary protein has ever been shown to be damaging to a healthy human. All the “risks” associated with high protein intake are hypothetical in nature and based apparently on evidence that high-protein diets are harmful to individuals with kidney disease. This erroneous line of reasoning is like saying it’s dangerous to drive over 45 miles per hour in all cars, all the time because we know it’s dangerous to drive so fast on a spare tire. “Healthy” tires don’t have a problem with much faster speeds, and healthy kidneys don’t have a problem with much higher protein intakes.
- 120 grams per day arguably doesn’t even qualify as a high-protein diet. For the climber above, 120 grams of protein would constitute around 25% of the calories on a normal day (assuming she eats close to the amount of calories needed to support her basal metabolism and exercise), which is only borderline in “high protein” territory (usually defined as a diet is that 30% or more protein). This more moderate level of protein intake (sometimes called “higher”, as in higher than low) is associated with better health outcomes, albeit only minorly.
So on both counts, 120 grams per day isn’t excessive, even for a small female. It’s the amount of protein most evidenced to be beneficial, and it’s by no means an abnormal amount—and even if it were abnormally large, there’s no harm!
Question #2, on Recovery Nutrition
I climb competitively indoors, and often train late at night, finishing up on my team at 10PM. I’ve heard differing thoughts on recovery nutrition for post-workout. Most people advise a 3(or 4):1 ratio of higher GI carbohydrates to protein post workout. What are your thoughts on recovery nutrition?
An entire post should be written on recovery nutrition, not because it’s so very different than “regular” sports nutrition (by and large it’s not), but to address the numerous myths and sometimes ridiculous protocols that are recommended. For now, let’s address the primary question of carbohydrate-to-protein ratios by saying there is no magic ratio of carbohydrates to protein in recovery nutrition. It’s just an artifact of the nature of nutritional research.
I’ve written about this before: in the nutrition world, there is a tendency to take a figure (like a dose) from a single positive study and treat it as if it’s canon. Since the particular figure worked once, it’s often used in subsequent studies, which lends further support to its veracity. Until that figure is tested against other figures, though, we only know that it’s effective—not whether it’s maximally effective (or efficient).
In the case of the aforementioned ratio, the figure doesn’t even come from a study on recovery nutrition—it comes from a study on cyclists that found that consuming a sports drink with a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein during a ride increased time to fatigue and reduced post-exercise muscle soreness. Why this later became evidence for its efficacy in recovery nutrition is unknown to me, because the study only focused on performance nutrition!
Despite this, if you used a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein after a workout, you’ll still be okay and recover well. With 20 grams of protein accounted for, you’d be aiming for 60 to 80 grams of carbohydrates—about the maximum amount you can absorb in an hour depending on the glucose and fructose content of those carbs. For most situations, this is enough carbohydrates for a single meal to ensure optimal recovery, so all is well. Still, while “accidentally correct” is okay, it’s ultimately better to know what you’re doing and why so you can strategize accordingly and alter your strategies when need be.
Question #3, on Energy Drinks
Red bull and other energy drinks are basically poison, right? I can’t imagine them not being terrible for you.
I wouldn’t go so far as to describe energy drinks like Red Bull, Monster, and Rockstar as “poison”, but there’s certainly room for caution with them.
The biggest concern is their caffeine content, as caffeine is toxic in large enough amounts and can cause a host of symptoms. Over the years, caffeine from energy drinks has even caused deaths and hospitalizations. Of course, any vessel for caffeine can cause death or hospitalization—but energy drinks contain so much caffeine (and can be consumed so quickly) that they tend to be the culprit far more often than coffee or tea (though not caffeine powder, which is even more dangerous—avoid!).
A second concern is their B vitamin content. Contrary to public perception, some water-soluble vitamins are toxic in large amounts, and energy drinks can contribute significantly to total intake. For example, the upper limit of supplemental vitamin B3 (niacin) is 35 milligrams per day—and a single can of Monster has 40 milligrams! The adverse effects of niacin are fairly minor in the scheme of things (it can cause a burning or tingling sensation on the face and chest along with flushed skin), but it’s still something to be aware of.
On the other hand, vitamin B6 can cause serious adverse effects (like nerve damage) in large amounts—and while it would be difficult to consume enough energy drinks to really go overboard vitamin B6-wise, it is possible. The energy shot 5-Hour Energy has 40 milligrams of vitamin B6, which is over 3000% the amount we need per day and 40% of the (admittedly conservative) upper limit. If you’re also taking a multivitamin or a B-Complex vitamin, it would not be unrealistic to overdo it.
Finally, there’s the sugar content. At 54 grams per can of Monster (and similar amounts in other energy drinks), it’s easy to consume incredible amounts of sugar and really up caloric intake. If you’ve read this blog long enough, you know I’m not anti-sugar (it’s ergogenic when used appropriately), but the amount in an energy drink is not useful for many situations outside intense exercise and even then is not as appropriate as a dedicated sports drink.
The rest of the ingredients in an energy drink are generally benign (if useless), and in the small amounts present they are not cause for concern. The worry, then, is on the caffeine first and foremost, then vitamins B3 and B6 and sugar.
Basically, the message is to drink energy drinks sparingly. If you’re dragging and energy drinks are your caffeine delivery vehicle of choice, then go for it—there’s nothing absolutely horrible about them. But if you’re knocking back cans of the stuff daily, then there’s potential for harm, and you might want to re-examine your caffeine habits and make sure you’re not consuming excessive sugar or vitamins B3 or B6.
That’s all for this month, but if you have questions you’d like me to answer, please send them in—you can find all the details on this page here. Happy climbing!
