Are High Protein Diets Safe? Dispelling The Myths – Layne Norton
Ever since the day I first touched a weight, I’ve heard them, the myths surrounding weightlifting and bodybuilding. I’m sure you’ve heard some of them at one time or another as well. Everything from “weightlifting stunts your growth” to “lifting weights shrinks your penis” to “you know creatine is a steroid, right?”
While many myths are easy to write off as being ridiculous, the myths surrounding protein intake are more widespread. Many people have the impression that high protein diets are unhealthy. Kidney damage, liver damage, heart disease, osteoporosis and others have all been blamed, to some degree, on high protein intakes.
Even the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Nutrition Committee stated in 2001 “Individuals who follow these (high protein) diets are at risk for… potential cardiac, renal, bone, and liver abnormalities.” Unfortunately for the AHA, there is very little scientific validity to their claim, and much scientific evidence to the contrary.
Myth One – Kidneys
The kidneys are involved in nitrogen excretion, and thus it has been theorized by some that a high nitrogen intake (protein) may cause stress to the kidneys. Additionally, low protein diets have typically been recommended to people who suffer from renal disorders. To conclude that a high protein intake damages the kidney is very tenuous however.
A study examining bodybuilders with protein intakes of 2.8g/kg vs. well trained athletes with moderate protein intakes revealed no significant differences in kidney function between the groups.1 Additionally, a review of the scientific literature on protein intake and renal function concluded that “there is no reason to restrict protein in healthy individuals.”
Furthermore, the review concluded that not only does a low protein intake not prevent the decline in renal function with age, it may actually be the major cause of the decline!2
This conclusion is supported by the fact that the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD), did not reveal a low protein diet to be beneficial to blunting the progression of chronic renal failure.3
Myth Two – Liver
There is absolutely no evidence to support the notion that a high protein intake is detrimental to the liver. Protein is needed to repair liver tissue and provide methionine for the conversion of fats to lipoproteins so that they may be removed from the liver.4
Amino acids are also the main fuel source for the liver. Additionally, in alcoholic liver disease a high protein diet has been shown to improve liver function and reduce mortality and branch chain amino acids are also being investigated as a treatment for liver disease.5,6
In the case of any tissue that is damaged, protein will be required to repair the damaged tissue. Therefore, a higher than normal intake of protein is needed to provide the amino acids necessary for repair and recovery of the organ.
Myth Three – Bone
Another major knock on high protein diets is that they cause increased calcium excretion. Thus a hypothesis stands that over a long period of time, a high protein diet may contribute to the onset of osteoporosis.
However, the real world data is somewhat mixed. Low subject numbers, improper methodology, and several other errors flawed many of the early studies that demonstrated calcium loss due to increased protein intake.7
There is some recent evidence suggesting that an increase in dietary protein may not cause an increase in calcium excretion at all and an increase in dietary protein may potentially improve bone mass in the elderly.8
Moreover, several epidemiological studies actually found a positive association between protein intake and bone mineral density.9,10 Furthermore, low protein diets may actually have a detrimental effect on bone.
Although low protein intakes cause less calcium to be excreted, they also cause a reduction in calcium absorption through the intestine.11 The net effect is a decrease in calcium balance due to a reduction in protein intake.
Myth Four – Heart Disease
Not only does the scientific literature not support the statement that a high protein diet may have a negative impact on the heart, it actually supports a high protein diet for the prevention of heart disease. Recent findings suggest that replacing dietary carbohydrates with protein may decrease the risk of ischaemic heart disease.12
This is supported by the fact that replacing dietary carbohydrates with protein improves blood lipid profiles by decreasing triglyceride levels and increasing HDL (good) cholesterol levels.13
Furthermore, metabolism of carbohydrates and/or fats increases the production of free radical levels to a much greater degree than the metabolism of protein.14 High levels of free radicals are thought to accelerate the formation of atherosclerosis, the major cause of heart disease.15
Diabetes & Weight Loss
A high protein diet may also hold the key to combating obesity and diabetes. Recent research indicates that a diet consisting of 30:40:30 (protein:carbs:fats) was superior to the food guide period diet of 15:55:30 in maintaining glucose homeostasis, increasing insulin sensitivity, and improving glucose control in normal people and those suffering from type II diabetes.13,16,17
This same high protein diet has also been shown to be superior to the food guide pyramid diet for weight loss. Furthermore, subjects consuming the high protein diet maintained more lean muscle tissue and lost a greater proportion of fat than those subjects consuming the high carb diet.17]
Several investigators have also reported increased satiety with the high-protein diet compared to a control high carb diet.18,19 In summary, a high protein, lowered carbohydrate diet is superior to a high carb (i.e. food guide pyramid) diet in promoting fat loss, muscle maintenance, and appetite suppression.
Conclusion – You Can Have Your High Protein Cake & Eat It Too!
Much of this evidence I have presented not only contradicts the statement that high protein diets are unsafe, but supports high protein diets in the prevention/treatment of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Those are three of the world’s biggest killers, and a high protein diet may be the key to reducing the incidence of all of them!
Perhaps the American Heart Association and the rest of the high protein naysayers would be best served to get the facts first, rather than making statements with little to no scientific support. So next time someone tells you that a high protein diet is bad for you, slide this article on over to them, then sit back and enjoy your next high protein meal.
References
1. Poortmans JR, Dellalieux O. Do regular high-protein diets have potential health risks on kidney function in athletes? Int J Sports Nutr 2000;10:28-38.
2. Walser M. Effects of protein intake on renal function and on the development of renal disease. In: The Role of Protein and Amino Acids in Sustaining and Enhancing Performance. Committee on Military Nutrition Research, Institute of Medicine. Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 1999, pp. 137-154.
3. Klahr S, Levey AS, Beck GJ et al. The effects of dietary protein restriction and blood-pressure control on the progression of chronic renal failure. N Engl J Med 1994;330:877-884.
4. Navder KP, Lieber CS. Nutrition and alcoholism. In: Bronner, F. ed. Nutritional Aspects and Clinical Management of ChronicDisorders and Diseases. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2003, pp. 307-320.
5. Mendellhall C, Moritz T, Roselle GA et al. A study of oral nutrition support with oxadrolone in malnourished patients with alcoholic hepatitis: results of a Department of Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study. Hepatology 1993;17:564-576.
6. Suzuki K, Kato A, Iwai M. Branched-chain amino acid treatment in patients with liver cirrhosis. Hepatol Res. 2004 Dec;30S:25-29.
7. Ginty F. Dietary protein and bone health. Proc Nutr Soc 2003;62:867-76.
8. Dawson-Hughes B, Harris SS, Rasmussen H et al. Effect of dietary protein supplements on calcium excretion in healthy older men and women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2004;89:1169-73.
9. Geinoz G, Rapin CH, Rizzoli R et al. Relationship between bone mineral density and dietary intakes in the elderly. Osteoporos Int 1993;3:242-8.
10. Cooper C, Atkinson EJ, Hensrud DD et al. Dietary protein intake and bone mass in women. Calcif Tissue Int 1996;58:320-325.
11. Kerstetter JE, Svastislee C, Caseria D et al. A threshold for low-protein-diet-induced elevations in parathyroid hormone. Am J Clin Nutr 2000;72:168-173.
12. Hu FB, Stampfer MJ, Manson JA et al. Dietary protein and risk of ischemic heart disease in women. Am J Clin Nutr 1999;70:221-227.
13. Layman DK, Boileau RA, Erickson DJ, Painter JE, Shiue H, Sather C, Christou DD. A reduced ratio of dietary carbohydrate to protein improves body composition and blood lipid profiles during weight loss in adult women. J Nutr. 2003 Feb;133(2):411-7.
14. Mohanty P, Ghanim H, Hamouda W et al. Both lipid and protein intake stimulates increased generation of reactive oxygen species by polymorphonuclear leukocytes and mononuclear cells. Am J Clin Nutr 2002;75:767-772.
15. Paolisso G, Esposito R, D’Alessio MA, Barbieri M. Primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerosis: is there a role for antioxidants? Diabetes Metab. 1999 Sep;25(4):298-306.
16. Layman DK, Baum JI. Dietary protein impact on glycemic control during weight loss. J Nutr. 2004 Apr;134(4):968S-73S.
17. Layman DK. Protein Quantity and Quality at Levels above the RDA Improves Adult Weight Loss. J Am Coll Nutr. 2004 Dec;23(6 Suppl):631S-6S.
18. Hill AJ, Blundell JE. Composition of the action of macronutrients on the expression of appetite in lean and obese human subjects. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1990;580:529-31
19. Stubbs RJ, van Wyk MC, Johnstone AM, Barbron CG. Breakfasts high in protein, fat or carbohydrate: effect on within-day appetite and energy balance. Eur J Clin Nutr 1996;50:409-17
My sincerest apologies to Anssi Manninen for not including his peer review article “HIGH-PROTEIN WEIGHT LOSS DIETS AND PURPORTED ADVERSE EFFECTS: WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE?” In my original reference list.
Much information from my article was gleaned from this wonderful peer review and it was also helpful in tracking down other references. Mr. Mannien’s article was published in Sports Nutrition Review Journal. 1(1):45-51, 2004. (www.sportsnutritionsociety.org)
Author Bio: Layne Norton is a pro natural bodybuilder with the IFPA and NGA. He is a PhD Candidate in Nutritional Sciences with his thesis emphasis in muscle protein metabolism. He is also an accomplished powerlifter holding the AAPF Squat and Deadlift American Records in the 220 lb class at 568 & 700 lbs respectively. He owns BioLayne LLC which offers nutrition and training consultations for bodybuilders, powerlifters, and weightlifting enthusiasts. To learn more about Layne and the services he offers visit his website at http://www.biolayne.com
How To Survive… And Thrive On a Diet!
There is an inherent problem with all calorie-deficit diets. They are catabolic. Thats right, take as many anti-catabolic supplements as you like but if you are in calorie deficit… you are in a catabolic state.
Tricking The Body
However, there are many little ways to trick the body so that most of the catabolism is confined to fat tissue and muscle tissue is preserved. In this article, I will give tips how to stay out of muscle catabolism (breakdown) and in fat catabolism.
First off, let’s talk about what kind of diet you should be on. There have been many diet fads in the past few years, with ketogenic diets becoming more and more popular among bodybuilders… and for good reason, they work very well for fat loss.
However, if you have an extended period of time to lose fat and would like to preserve as much muscle as possible I suggest another alternative. To start off this discussion, let’s use, for example, a person who weighs 170 lbs and who’s daily calorie maintenance level is 2500.
To lose one pound of fat per week (a rough estimate of optimal fat loss) they should be eating 2000 calories per day (-500 calories below maintenance).
The Hardcore Bodybuilders
Now, if this person is a hard-training bodybuilder (which I assume is most of my audience) they will probably want around 1.3g protein per pound bodyweight since they will be in calorie deficit and in need of more protein to preserve muscle mass.
That would put their protein count at 220 grams per day (880 kcals from protein). Now we’ll move on to fat intake. The basal fat level for any kind of diet should consist of 20% of calories from fat as a minimum to ensure proper hormonal function among other things (skin tone, nails, etc).
That means they’ll need about 45g of fat (roughly 400 kcals) from fat. Now here is where I differ from people who advocate keto diets for bodybuilders. Having established the basal level for protein and fat we now have appox. 720 kcals left to work with.
People who are advocates of keto diets would suggest that you make most of these 720 kcals come from fats, so that your carbohydrates are kept low enough to allow you to go into ketogenesis. However, I suggest taking these extra calories and adding them towards the carbohydrate count, in this particular person’s case this amounts to about 180g of carbs per day.
Why Carbs?
Why carbs instead of fat? Well there are a couple of reasons… the main reason being that carbs are more protein-sparing than fats. Indeed, glycolysis (breakdown of glucose to manufacture ATP) is much more efficient than fat oxidation. Now I’m sure your asking what I mean by protein sparing.
When the body is in calorie deficit it may actually oxidize amino acids from protein you eat to make ATP, it may even oxidize the muscle tissue itself for energy.
Since carbs are more protein sparing than fats it only makes sense that if our goal is muscle preservation during dieting that we should not neglect carbohydrates. Now before I continue lets take another look at this individual…
- Weight 170 lbs
- Maintenance daily caloric intake 2500 kcals
- Diet calorie intake 2000 kcals
- Protein 220g
- Carbs 180g
- Fat 45g
*Keys to maintaining muscle while on a lowered calorie diet*
Timing Of Carbohydrate Intake
The times when carbohydrates should be consumed are the times at which the body is under the greatest stress and is in the most danger of muscle catabolism. These times are in the morning after awakening, workouts, and cardio sessions.
The optimum way work this diet would be to do your lifting session about an hour after breakfast. If you can in fact do this then here is how I would ration your carbohydrate intake: 40% of daily carbs pre-workout, 45% of daily carbs with post workout meal, 10% with 3rd meal and the other 5% should come from vegetables sources the rest of the day such as salads, broccoli, etc. Rationing your carbohydrates this way does several things.
- Repletes your glycogen stores, thus giving you more energy for your workout.
- Causes insulin to be released (from breakfast meal) during training which will blunt the release of other catabolic hormones. The post workout carbs will help replete glycogen stores and jump start your recovery by releasing more insulin.
- The carbs will be very protein sparing, thus helping prevent muscle catabolism while your body is under stress.
During these high carb meals, you should try to keep your fat intake as low as possible as it will interfere with the release of insulin and will add unneeded calories to these meals. The bulk of your fat intake should be spread evenly over your low carbohydrate meals.
Protein
Protein intake should be even throughout the day although there would probably be a slight advantage to consuming a bit more protein post workout and before your retire for the night.
Now let’s discuss the type of carbs you will want to consume. Pre-workout focus on consuming medium to slow digesting carbohydrates such as oatmeal and bran cereal. Try to stay away from fructose at all times. Your post workout meal should actually be 2 meals, 1 meal immediately after your workout (a liquid meal preferably) and another meal 45 minutes later.
For the individual in question, their first meal post workout a shake containing a blend of proteins (egg, whey, and casein) along with about 20g dextrose and 25g maltodextrin would be an optimal mix. These carbs are absorbed quickly and will cause a quick and large rise in insulin. 45 minutes later, however, this insulin spike will begin to actually crash.
This is where they will want to consume another 35g of slow digesting carbs in order to stabilize their insulin levels and give their body slow digesting carbs to continue to aid in the recovery process. Once again, oatmeal, oat bran, bran cereal are all good choices. I would also suggest a small protein source such as a small (3.5 oz) chicken breast.
Author Bio: Layne Norton is a pro natural bodybuilder with the IFPA and NGA. He is a PhD Candidate in Nutritional Sciences with his thesis emphasis in muscle protein metabolism. He is also an accomplished powerlifter holding the AAPF Squat and Deadlift American Records in the 220 lb class at 568 & 700 lbs respectively. He owns BioLayne LLC which offers nutrition and training consultations for bodybuilders, powerlifters, and weightlifting enthusiasts. To learn more about Layne and the services he offers visit his website at http://www.biolayne.com
Pounding The Pecs With Layne Norton
About this time last year I was taking a good look over my body and was analyzing what I needed to work on. My back was coming around nicely, my arms looked great, my legs were lagging behind, but what struck me the most was my chest, not that it wasn’t big, it was, but at the lack of shape in my chest.
It seemed some what 2-Dimensional instead of the 3-D bulbous chest that everyone dreams of. Up until that point my workout had centered around the bench press, incline press, and several fly movements. These had built me a good base however I realized I needed more, I needed something to take my pecs to the next level, and then it hit me…DUMBBELLS!
Dumbbells
A lot of people concentrate on barbells and neglect dumbbells for several reasons.
- They need to satisfy their ego and the bench press is the biggest ego lift in the gym.
- They cannot lift as much weight with dumbbells as they can with barbells.
- They don’t feel comfortable with Dumbbells at first because they are harder to stabilize than a barbell.
- They think dumbbells are for girls in pink spandex suits.
Well I’m here to tell you that dumbbells work and work well. They have several advantages over barbells which include.
- Dumbbells require the muscles to stabilize them that are not brought into play as much with a barbell.
- Dumbbells can go through a greater range of motion than a barbell. A barbell can only be brought to chest level, whereas dumbbells can go below this. They also allow a greater contraction at the top of the movement.
- The chest is stretched to it’s maximum when the elbows are close together on the backside of the body and the chest is most contracted when the arms are fully outstretched and the hands are together (or even crossed). Since a greater stretch and better contraction cause more fiber stimulation it is obvious that dumbbell presses stimulate more muscle fibers than barbell presses.
- Dumbbells do not place as much pressure on the shoulder joint, since the hands are free to move and not locked in place. I can personally attest to this as my shoulder pain that I usually experience when I bench press stopped within 4 weeks of using dumbbells.
- Dumbbells are safer. If worst comes to worst you can just drop them to your sides, the same cannot be said for a barbell. People have actually died bench pressing because of improper form or a sudden muscle tear causing the bar to drop on them.
Workout Plan
After I had this revelation I still had to make a workout plan. I decided that my workout should include an exercise to hit the upper, lower, and middle region of the chest and I should also include some sort of fly movement. Using this information I designed the following 12 week plan of attack.
- 1-2 warm-up sets of 12-15 reps are done for EACH exercise.
- rest periods should be 2-3 minutes for presses and 1-2 minutes for flyes
- all movements should use a FULL range of motion and should be conducted at a steady cadence.
Weeks 1-4:
- Decline dumbbell press- 2 failure sets of 6-12 reps
- Flat dumbbell Press- 2 failure sets of 6-12 reps
- Incline dumbbell press- 2 failure sets of 6-12 reps
- Cable Crossover- 2 failure sets of 12-15 reps
Weeks 5-8:
- Flat dumbbell press- 2 failure sets of 6-12 reps
- Incline dumbbell press- 2 failure sets of 6-12 reps
- Decline dumbbell press- 2 failure sets of 6-12 reps
- Pec-Deck Fly- 2 failure sets of 12-15 reps
Weeks 9-12:
- Incline dumbbell press- 2 failure sets of 6-12 reps
- Decline dumbbell press- 2 failure sets of 6-12 reps
- Flat dumbbell press- 2 failure sets of 6-12 reps
- Cable Crossover- 2 failure sets of 12-15 reps
I decided to start off my routine concentrating on decline dumbbell presses since they put less pressure on the shoulder and allow for a greater stretch and contraction than regular decline press. Notice all my fly movements are constant tension movements using cables or machines.
I personally think that cables or machines are far superior to dumbbell flyes since they keep constant tension on the chest. With dumbbell flyes there is very little pressure on the pecs at the top of the movement, and the pressure increases at a geometric rate the further you lower the dumbbells.
Since the pressure on the chest is only from gravity in that particular plane of movement (at the top), it would be more desirable to have something that exerts equal pressure throughout the entire movement and since cables operate by a pulley and are independent of gravity (besides the gravity on the weight stacks), they apply equal pressure to the chest during all planes of the movement.
Re-Evaluating Progress
After 12 weeks I re-evaluated my progress…wow! Not only was my chest bigger by an inch and a half, it was also fuller and had better shape. My lower pecs had achieved the undercut look and my upper chest was much larger. My vascularity also increased a bit and my striations stood out a bit more. I kept basically the same diet so I assume this change was from a change in training and not from diet. My lifts improved by the following poundages…
- Decline Dumbbell Press – 95 lbs in each hand for 11 reps to 130 lbs in each hand for 7 reps.
- Incline Dumbbell Press – 85 lbs in each hand for 10 reps to 110 lbs in each hand for 8 reps.
- Flat Bench Dumbbell Press – 100 lbs in each hand for 10 reps to 130 lbs in each hand for 6 reps.
Now I’m not saying that barbells are useless, far from it. They are ESSENTIAL to building a good foundation of strength and power. In fact I would probably say that the best routines incorporate dumbbells and barbells. This is an advanced shock routine for those whose growth from barbells has stagnated and they need a jump start.
After the conclusion of this routine I re-incorporated barbells back into my workouts and once again starting having success with them. Just remember, variety is the spice of life my friends! I hope this routine works as well for you as it has for me!
Author Bio: Layne Norton is a pro natural bodybuilder with the IFPA and NGA. He is a PhD Candidate in Nutritional Sciences with his thesis emphasis in muscle protein metabolism. He is also an accomplished powerlifter holding the AAPF Squat and Deadlift American Records in the 220 lb class at 568 & 700 lbs respectively. He owns BioLayne LLC which offers nutrition and training consultations for bodybuilders, powerlifters, and weightlifting enthusiasts. To learn more about Layne and the services he offers visit his website at http://www.biolayne.com
Categories: Chest, Featured, Training Tags: Chest, chest exercises, layne norton, pecs, pecs workout
Layne Norton Natural Pro Bodybuilder Interview
How did you get started in the world of bodybuilding?
I was picked on a lot as
a kid, more so than the typical nonsense that everyone went through. When I went to school I would fear every day because everyday there were about a dozen people who’s mission in life seemed to be making me feel terrible about myself and embarassing me.
The summer after my freshman year of high school I decided that I was going to do something about it. I went to the library and checked out about a dozen books on weight lifting and started doing a routine I put together using some sand weights in my basement.
I didn’t get really serious with it until I graduated high school. I had played baseball all the way through high school and once that was over I no longer had a competitive outlet. I loved weight lifting and building muscle, so bodybuilding was the next logical step for me.
What Training Routine Do You Use To Get That Quality Physique?
I’ve used many routines over the years, but my core is still the Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training (PHAT). I talk about it a lot in my DVD and my webcast http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/insidethelife.htm
What’s your diet like?
Well currently I’m in the offseason and consuming about 250g protein, 500g carbohydrate, and 90g fat on lifting days and about 250g protein, 400g carbohydrate, and 85g fat on offdays. Those numbers will obviously change when I start getting ready for a show.
What’s your motivation?
To be the best I possibly can. To take my physique and lifting to new heights. To beat my previous best every single time I step in the gym. That is what drives me.
If you could give once piece of advice about bodybuilding/fitness what would it be?
Honestly it would be patience and tenacity. This is such an undervalued characteristic with bodybuilding. Especially in natural bodybuilding gains are going to be slow. If you are easily discouraged or don’t have a lot of willpower or you are the type of person who wants everything now, you will probably end up being the kind of person who might be strict when they get ready for a show, but then let’s themselves go in the offseason. What people don’t realize is shows aren’t won precontest, they are won in the offseason. Anyone can be dedicated for 12, 16, 20 weeks… a champion can be dedicated in the offseason. That’s what seperates the champions from the average.
Any plans for the future?
Of course. Pro bodybuilding and powerlifting contests are in the near future. My first pro powerlifting meet is Raw Unity in Tampa on January 31st. My first pro bodybuilding shows will be in fall of 2010. I will graduate with my PhD in Nutritional Science in May of 2010 and then we will be moving to Florida. So lots of big plans!
Favourite Bodybuilder?
Dave Goodin
Favourite Quote?
“Unless a man takes on more than he can possibly do, he will never do all he possibly can!”
Website: http://www.biolayne.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BioLayne
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Categories: Featured, Interviews Tags: biolayne, bodybuilder interview, interview, layne norton, natural pro bodybuilder
