The Effect Of Excess Protein – Now & Later
Protein has become synonymous with muscle building. Bodybuilders and athletes alike take in large quantities of protein daily to promote proper muscle growth and endurance. For some, it seems you can’t get enough protein. But can you consume too much protein?
It’s true that as an athlete, your body will need more nutrients than a normal person would to recover from intense riding sessions. As such, an increased intake of protein will help repair and strengthen your muscle tissues, which is why you see so many athletes following a high-protein diet.
But research has found that there is a possibility that a person can ingest too much protein. This over-consumption can potentially lead to health conditions related to your kidneys and calcium deficiencies. As such, it’s important that you follow a balanced diet and stick to the guidelines suggested by experts.
Adjust Your Intake To Avoid Excessive Intake
The daily recommended dosage of protein is around 0.3g-2g grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. Any less than that and your body will not repair itself properly and grow as it should. Any more than that and your body can experience certain debilitating conditions.
The Negative Effects of Consuming Too Much
One of the more immediate and serious effects of consuming too much protein before an event or riding session is the risk of dehydration.
High intake levels of protein can lead to increased water loss in the body, causing acute dehydration. This occurs because your body excretes water as a way to rid itself of urea, which is formed as a direct result of the breakdown of protein. The severity of dehydration depends on the type and quality of protein powders.
Add to that the fact that your body produces more sweat when you’re riding, and you have all the makings of complications due to dehydration.
In addition to increased risk of dehydration, excessive intake of protein can potentially lead to these other risks:
Weight gain. Any excess protein that is not used by the body will naturally convert into sugar and become stored in the body as fat.
Kidney disease. High protein intake over extended periods can lead to possible kidney-related issues. This is due to your body’s need to urinate more calcium due to higher protein consumption. This calcium deficiency can lead to kidney disease and kidney stones… which leave the body through urine… think about it…
How To Prevent Yourself From Consuming Too Much Protein
Admittedly, as an athlete, you should not have to concern yourself with ingesting too much protein. It’s already hard enough to meet the daily requirements. Just make sure you steer clear of bad proteins in your quest for quantity.
However, if you feel that you might be at risk of getting too much protein in your diet, here’s what you can do to fix it:
Follow the recommended dietary guidelines for motocross athletes. If you do this, then protein should never be an issue. Most nutritionists agree that a high-carb diet is best for motocross athletes, due to the massive amounts of energy expended when we ride. Therefore, your diet should follow these guidelines: 60% complex carbs, 25% protein, 15% healthy fats.
Track how much protein you eat. For the next few days, take note of how much protein you’re ingesting daily. You can use a site like this one to see how much protein is in the foods you eat. If it’s too much, you know you need to scale back.
Cut back on protein powders. If you’re getting too much protein and you’re prone to using protein powders, then you may want to cut back on the serving sizes of your protein shakes. Are You drinking two a day? Then try having only one. If you use two scoops, then switch to one scoop, simple math, YAY!
Now that you know how to avoid ingesting excessive protein make sure you get the right proteins in parts 2 and 3!
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