how does the amount of protein work? if i weigh 130 lbs. it's 1 gram per body weight per day or serving? do you weigh the protein when raw or cooked?

To add to his question, how much protein is too much?

I've been told if you get to much protein you damage your kidneys.

I've also been told drinking excess water will cancel the effect of too much protein by flushing it out of the body.

Can anyone substantiate these "rumors"?

Nope, no one can substantiate these because they're not true.

Protein doesn't turn into muscle. It is part of what fuels muscle growth. When you take in a lot of protein, however, MOST of the protein is used for energy, not for building muscle tissue. It is oxidized. There is a process called damination - basically, a nitrogen molecule is stripped from the amino acid so the remaining skeleton can be converted to sugars to be used for energy or stored as fat. The nitrogen is then processed by the kidneys. So, the kidneys get extra work. People use this as an excuse to say "protein strains the kidneys."

Well, here is the reality. If you have bad kidneys, extra protein is a no-no because they can't handle the extra workload. Does this mean it is bad for healthy people?

Let's take another example. People with a bad heart can't do certain types of exercise because it strains the heart. Hmmm ... does this mean healthy people shouldn't?

See, cardio "strains the heart" just like resistance training "strains the muscles" and protein "strains the kidneys." The truth is that if you have healthy kidneys, they can handle the load.

There are absolutely ZERO reprots of bodybuilders having kidney issues from protein intake - and there are a lot of bodybuilders taking a lot of protein.

As for the water thing ... first, cancel what effect of extra protein? Again, there is some myth that extra protein means extra muscle. It doesn't. The right TRAINING means extra muscle, and if your protein is too low, you won't be able to take advantage of it. So it's the training and then the protein required to support the training - extra protein in an of itself doesnt do much. Even when you are training, most of what you take in for protein is burned for energy. What you are doing is providing a cushion to make sure there is enough.

The idea that water flushes it crumbles really quickly from just simple common sense. There are plenty of people who drink a ton of water. If the water flushed out protein, then what it would be doing is flushing out calories because 1 gram of protein is 4 calories of energy. So, in order for people to burn fat, they would just simply need to drink a lot of water to flush out those extra calories and all would be well. Obviously, this is not the case... plenty of people drink plenty of water and they still have to watch their nutrition and exercise to receive results.

Water is good ... in fact, the more protein you take on, the more water you should drink. Not because you are flushing or cancelling it, but because the metabolic processes in your body that use protein require water, so more water ensures your body can take care of itself. Too much protein without water can lead to dehydration.

Jeremy

To add to his question, how much protein is too much?

I've been told if you get to much protein you damage your kidneys.

I've also been told drinking excess water will cancel the effect of too much protein by flushing it out of the body.

Can anyone substantiate these "rumors"?

Well, here is the reality. If you have bad kidneys, extra protein is a no-no because they can't handle the extra workload. Does this mean it is bad for healthy people?

Let's take another example. People with a bad heart can't do certain types of exercise because it strains the heart. Hmmm ... does this mean healthy people shouldn't?

See, cardio "strains the heart" just like resistance training "strains the muscles" and protein "strains the kidneys." The truth is that if you have healthy kidneys, they can handle the load.

There are absolutely ZERO reprots of bodybuilders having kidney issues from protein intake - and there are a lot of bodybuilders taking a lot of protein.
Great post. The excess-protein-is-bad-for-your-kidneys argument is repeated so often -- mainly by vegetarians, it seems -- that it needs constant debunking.

(I think you misunderstood the previous poster's question about water. I think he was asking whether drinking a lot of water can prevent the kidney damage associated with high protein intake. But since there is no such association (in people with healthy kidneys), his question is moot anyway.)

Wow, thank you, that definitely clears a BIG misconception for me up. I also once thought excess protein cannot turn to fat, which is false.

Great reply, thanks again.

so, how do I calculate protein to make sure I am getting enough throughout the day?

so, how do I calculate protein to make sure I am getting enough throughout the day?
Some say a gram per lbs, and some say a gram per kg. If you don't like consuming too much protein, stick with the gram per kg. Like Jeremmy said earlier, protein doesn't directly build muscle. :tu: