Is it bad to take protein powder without working out

The answer to this question is full of myths and unawareness. Today in this article we will be clarifying the right answer to the question of whether you can take protein powder/ supplements/ whey protein if you are not into regular workouts or gymming. Other questions that are related to this question include whether it will affect your health if you are consuming protein supplements without working out. Sometimes a straight “NO” comes as a statement in response to this question especially from elder people and relatives who have zero knowledge regarding digestion and science. These confident answers and statements to this question are entirely wrong and fake. Instead, taking protein powder or whey protein supplements or plants protein won’t affect your health in any way even if you are not working out. Rather if you are someone who lacks protein in their body will benefit from this. 

• Consuming protein powder without working out damages your health – A myth
• Why protein powder or supplements can never harm your health?
• Why do you need protein supplements?
• How protein is treated in the body?
• Why protein supplements are required by all?

Consuming protein powder without working out damages your health – A myth

When you ask whether you can consume protein powder if you are not into gymming, some over-smart people generally answer this question with a straight “NO” without even knowing the actual science behind it. They generally claim that doing this will damage your kidneys, liver and your overall health. Nowadays it is also said that heart attack is caused due to intake of whey protein. These are false claims and have no science or logic behind it. 

Why protein powder or supplements can never harm your health?

Protein supplements and whey protein are generally consumed as an addition to a diet. This means if you are not getting proper nutrition in your diet because of any reason whatsoever you consume supplements. This is the reason doctors recommend multivitamins if you are not having a vitamin-rich diet or calcium supplements if you are not getting enough calcium from your food. The same goes for protein. You should consume protein supplements in the form of protein powder or whey protein if you are not getting enough protein in your regular diet. 

Why do you need protein supplements?

People are very busy, especially in this fast-paced lifestyle. There are various other reasons why one needs protein supplements. 

1. You cannot concentrate on a properly balanced diet if you have any serious medical condition. You cannot get the proper amount of nutrition required by your body. 
2. Post-surgery you may not be able to consume foods that are high in protein.
3. Lack of proper nutritional knowledge of how to maintain a proper diet.
4. Sometimes people are involved in sports or bodybuilding which requires additional protein for you to perform better. 

So this means protein powder and supplements generally serve the purpose of fulfilling the protein necessity that your body demands. The daily requirement of protein is generally 56grams a day for males and that of a female is 46 grams per day. If you are not getting this amount of protein from your regular diet you should take protein supplements that will help you to reach this mark. So the statement “taking protein powder if you not working out will damage your health” is a complete lie. 

How protein is treated in the body?

A Protein is a molecule that helps in the proper growth and development of your body. Whether you are taking protein in the form of supplements or via whole food the function remains to be the same. When protein enters your body it breaks down into amino acids, which ultimately become a part of the amino-acid pool or may be used up in the future. Your stomach is unaware of the source of the protein you are consuming. It concentrates on making use of the protein rather than determining the source of the protein. Be it a whey protein or plant protein, it can be consumed by children, old people, adults and teenagers irrespective of whether you are working out or not. But always make sure to not go over the daily requirement of protein as over-consuming anything can have negative effects. 

Why protein supplements are required by all?

The only function of protein supplements is to fulfill the protein requirement of your body. If you are a sportsman you will definitely need more protein in the form of supplements. If you are also someone who’s sick and not working out, he/she will also need protein. In fact, the baby food that you buy from the market for your baby also mentions the presence of protein as the main component. 

So this article is for raising awareness among people about the fact that protein supplements including whey protein or various protein powders fulfill your daily requirement of protein and can never harm your health if you are not overconsuming. Taking protein powder if you are not working out is a completely misleading statement. The recommended protein requirement in accordance with your age, weight, activity is clearly mentioned by different nutrition bodies in the world. A protein supplement would work equally for a person who’s leading a sedentary lifestyle to that of a person who’s into regular workouts for fulfilling their respective protein deficiencies. So in any case irrespective of age, profession or regular workouts if your protein needs are not fulfilled by your diet then supplements would definitely help you. 

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