The Square Life

You know the guys who can’t keep their arms in a normal position because of their massive muscles, who drive trucks almost as big as their massive muscles, and who store multiple barrels of protein powder in the cupboard to fuel those massive muscles?

Well, running at an average of $50 per 5-pound container, that protein powder may not be as helpful as those bulging boys would like to think.

“Protein powders are pretty silly,” says Lora Beth Brown, a nutrition professor at Brigham Young University. “I can’t think of a time when I would recommend it—but that’s not what the protein supplement companies want you to believe.”

The recommended daily protein intake is 45-50 grams per day, which can easily be met by drinking two servings of milk and two ounces of meat, Brown says.

“[The hype about protein powder] is faulty because muscle isn’t built by eating protein; it is built by using muscle,” Brown said.

Yet some consumers are convinced that whereas the supplement may not actually build muscle, it does help muscles heal after lifting weights.

“Sometimes your muscles can be sore two to four days after [working out], but if I take protein powder…then my recovery time is within one day,” says Justin Hurst, a BYU senior from Farmington, Utah.

Hurst is a believer. He consumes the powder on a daily basis. His favorite flavor is vanilla; his favorite brand is Weider Nutrition. He says he originally started using protein powder “to get big,” but after recognizing his fate as a skinny guy, he just uses the protein to be healthy and to help his muscles recover.

But even the workout regime of a marathon trainer does not call for the aid of protein powder, says Brian Hall, a Provo 24-Hour Fitness personal trainer.

“Fad diets hype protein and eliminate carbohydrates, but if people are relying on protein powder for energy and pulling out carbs, their performance level will actually decrease,” Hall says.

So why then does 24-Hour Fitness have shelves packed with the stuff? Perhaps just to meet the demands of protein powder advocates like Hurst.

“I’m convinced,” he says. “Maybe it’s just a placebo—but I really notice a difference.”