Is a bodybuilders diet unhealthy?

[DaveWalton]

Lately I've been taking a lot of flack from co-workers (two of whom are nurses) for my high protein diet and the amount of food I consume. They are concerned and suggest that it's hard on my organs and my arteries.

Assuming one is on a bulk and eats say 5000 calories a day taking in complex carbs, lean protein (2g/pound of bodyweight or 1.5), and healthy fats, would this be hard on the internal organs or is this just too much food for a normal human body to handle?

My supps include:
whey isolate
multi
fish oil

Scientific answers preferred to broscience.

Thanks in advance

 

[zwimox]

Scientifically speaking any diet high in protein is rather unhealthy compared to less. If you are consuming ~5000 calories, then you really shouldn't need the Whey product, as your bulk will come from the carbs/protein strains. Stick with the multi and fish oil though, they promote optimum fitness.

It also depends on exactly what you doing during your workouts, legs require more carbs than arms, shoulders more than abs, etc

 

[DaveWalton]

Scientifically speaking any diet high in protein is rather unhealthy compared to less. If you are consuming ~5000 calories, then you really shouldn't need the Whey product, as your bulk will come from the carbs/protein strains. Stick with the multi and fish oil though, they promote optimum fitness.

It also depends on exactly what you doing during your workouts, legs require more carbs than arms, shoulders more than abs, etc

Any diet high in protein is unhealthy compared to less? So in other words bodybuilders high protein intake is unhealthy?

 

[zwimox]

On a basic level, Yes. There are several factors to determine if it is unhealthy for YOUR body though. Everyone is different, generally speaking it is unrecommended to have a high protein intake, and you typically wouldn't crave such unless you are actively stressing - i.e. body builders, construction workers, any labor intensive job/hobby/profession - the core system of your body. Really it boils down to portion control, if you have two co-workers that are giving you flack, ignore them and actually consult a doctor. That is the fool proof way to know what you can handle. An awful lot of people just go and start working out taking supps like crazy and working out, thinking the pain is normal - it isn't all ways normal. That's why they put that weird label on everything that says to consult with a doctor, they are the only people to trust with your body other than yourself, and maybe your mother =P

 

[DaveWalton]

On a basic level, Yes. There are several factors to determine if it is unhealthy for YOUR body though. Everyone is different, generally speaking it is unrecommended to have a high protein intake, and you typically wouldn't crave such unless you are actively stressing - i.e. body builders, construction workers, any labor intensive job/hobby/profession - the core system of your body. Really it boils down to portion control, if you have two co-workers that are giving you flack, ignore them and actually consult a doctor. That is the fool proof way to know what you can handle. An awful lot of people just go and start working out taking supps like crazy and working out, thinking the pain is normal - it isn't all ways normal. That's why they put that weird label on everything that says to consult with a doctor, they are the only people to trust with your body other than yourself, and maybe your mother =P

Thanks for the advice, well taken.

As for the "it is unrecommended to have a high protein intake", this is a great read that has effectively changed my mind in terms of the protein debate. I now feel comfortable eating 1.5g/day of protein.

https://t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_nutrition/the_protein_debate

Or just google "T-nation Protein Debate"

 

[UKStrength]

I advocate a high protein intake (1.5-2g/lb of bodyweight) for several reasons, the most clear being that whilst exercise does, perhaps through stimulation of skeletal muscle reduce one's requirement for protein, the overall consensus is that the turnover of protein (tissue repair, cell organelle integrity, enzyme creation etc.) in active individuals is far greater than that their sedentary counterparts (Lemon, 2000) and the exact amounts are not known.

A high protein intake should, by all extensive purposes be unhealthy through the need to excrete large quantities of urea (from the breakdown of nitrogen) via the kidneys, however there is absolutely no evidence to date that suggest that healthy, active individuals are at risk, this was noticed years ago in bodybuilders (Lemon, 1991) and it still stands today (Lowery and Devia, 2009).

In the context of the bodybuilding 'diet', no decent sports nutritionist/dietitian should ever advocate that a high protein diet be eaten at the expense of other 'healthful' foods such as: leafy vegetables, fruits, lower glycaemic index sources of whole grain carbohydrates, a balance of essential fatty acids and other dietary fats and last of all, plenty of water.

The media is a disgusting bandwagon of misguidance and poorly evidenced quackery, the problem is this extends to the masses who listen to it, evidenced by your friends' remarks on your diet.

Is a bodybuilding diet healthy? Probably not optimal, but it's a darn sight better than the poor excuses of diet that I see everyday in clinic and I can almost guarantee that if you take your diet seriously (as you seem to) your diet will be far more protective against lifestyle-related chronic diseases (CVD, diabetes etc.) than theirs.

 

[suncloud]

a bodybuilders diet is unhealthy for a couple reasons.
1 - a seriously high protein diet can strain your kidneys
2 - muscle mass growth requires literally a mile of new capillaries, which does place strain on the heart

a bodybuilders diet is healthy for a couple reasons
1 - omega 3 intake is generally higher in bodybuilders, an essential for brain function
2 - trans fat is generally very low in bodybuilders, which lowers testosterone
3 - 75% of americans don't do any cardio besides walking. 75% of bodybuilders do cardio
4 - low fat to muscle ratio protects you from diabetes - insulin and testosterone are the two components.

its a give and take here. unless you're prone to a weak heart, or kidney failure, there's not a whole lot to worry about. most of the people that tell you a bodybuilders diet is bad is comparing it to an ideal diet. not a D1 swimmers diet, which is by far worse. not to a standard american diet which is by far worse. they're comparing it to the RDA nutritional intake, which nobody in america follows. its actually a pretty silly argument when you see people lining up to by ho-ho's and cigarettes.

 

[ftp]

a bodybuilders diet is unhealthy for a couple reasons.
1 -[COLOR*********] a seriously high protein diet can strain your kidneys[/COLOR]

this is 1000000% false

 

[Rodja]

The main thing I notice is a lack of produce, which results in a acidic blood pH. However, there is nothing unhealthy about consuming lean, unprocessed foods and, based on personal experience, there are many within the medical field that are very uneducated when it comes to diet, training, supplementation, etc.

 

[suncloud]

a bodybuilders diet is unhealthy for a couple reasons.
1 -[COLOR*********] a seriously high protein diet can strain your kidneys[/COLOR]

this is 1000000% false

http://www.atkinsexposed.org/atkins/79/American_Kidney_Fund.htm

probably a debatable argument though. the pro's vs cons of following a bodybuilder diet vs an american diet, serious lifters win hands down.

 

[Resolve]

Sunny, that website looks at the effects of a high-protein diet on long-distance runners. All it showed was that their hydration requirements were higher and kidney demands were higher. No kidney damage was reported and the dehydration is easily compensated by increased water intake.

There is zero research that indicates a high protein diet is unhealthy for an otherwise healthy population. All research I have seen that suggests such deals strictly with those whom already have kidney problem, or the populations were geriatric and possessed other health issues.

That being, the overall healthfulness of your diet will depend upon your food choices. If you're eating 70% ground beef, white bread and pepsi, or similar food on a regular basis, then yes, your diet is unhealthy.

But if you're eating brown rice, sprouted grains, vegetables, healthy fats and lean or grass-fed meats, you are in fact probably doing better dietetically than your coworkers.

 

[suncloud]

There is zero research that indicates a high protein diet is unhealthy for an otherwise healthy population. All research I have seen deals strictly with those whom already have kidney problem, or the populations were geriatric and possessed other health issues.

hrm. interesting argument there since obesity and high protein is what is usually studied. you've given me my research topic for the weekend.

 

[p00ndawg]

hrm. interesting argument there since obesity and high protein is what is usually studied. you've given me my research topic for the weekend.

yea a high protein diet CAN affect your kidneys but if you're drinking proper amounts of water its not really a big deal.

Its kind of like anything, if you do it wrong you're gonna get shafted.

 

[Chub]

i'd say if your eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of water and your vits in. How can that be unhealthy?

I used to get a lot of stick at work for the amount i eat. but it would be coming from skinny guy stuffing a burger in his mouth

I feel a lot healthier now than i did 5 years ago, also i think i know my body a lot better now too!

Also had someone at work tell me how bad coconut oil was for me. I laughed (lots)

 

[hardknock]

Any diet high in protein is unhealthy compared to less? So in other words bodybuilders high protein intake is unhealthy?

What he's saying, I hope, was that any dirty bulk containing dirty proteins are unhealthy.

If you are on a dirty bulk, i.e. old school bulk, it is not healthy. Those nurses are thinking in terms of fitness/health/endurance/cardiovascular not bodybuilding.

There are thousands of individuals walking around fit and healthy and look like string beans.

 

[hardknock]

a bodybuilders diet is unhealthy for a couple reasons.
1 -[COLOR*********] a seriously high protein diet can strain your kidneys[/COLOR]

this is 1000000% false

This hypothesis that you spewed cannot be held with validity or reliability. This is only false for healthy individuals with no predisposed case of renal issues. If I take someone with a case of kidney problems and feed them 60lbs of ground beef, be it lean or not, their future is going to be very grim.

 

[crazilyfter42]

I don't think that a bodybuilders diet is the most healthy choice but there are a lot worse choices out there. Ive been told before that it does put strain on your kidneys and the results also on your heart. But I feel the cardio and the fact that I eat basically no junk probably negates that. Id say those people eating sugar filled crap and tons of fat/fast foods are going to be a lot worse off in the future then people like us. If you really want to find your answer consult a doctor.

 

[adnscmplx]

Will the next person who says that a high protein diet causes kidney problems please provide a proper reference.