Too Much Protein Intake Affects Clear Thinking & Decision Making

There is a great push in the market for protein-rich foods. We have been made to believe that we are not meeting our protein requirements.

Protein is now available in the form of supplements, bars, and even meals.

While few might need special attention or support, a large section blindly follows the protein trend.

Are we getting sufficient protein in our diet? Most of us are. The protein requirement ranges from 0.8%-2%/kg of body weight based on lifestyle, sport, and physical activity level.

I have seen athletes taking a high volume of protein, usually what a bodybuilder would take.

That amount of protein might not be recommended for your sport. So before you take protein, it is vital to know what your actual requirements are.

That large amount of protein intake at one go might not digest completely and lead to gas production.

What happens when you consume a high amount of protein?

When you take high protein, a small portion of this protein will get dissolve in the body. The remaining larger portion of the protein travels to the liver.

The liver pass on the extra protein (amino acid) into the bloodstream.

Far away from this sits the brain, which primarily needs glucose and water to function properly. So anything carbs, the brain loves it but doesn’t like protein that much.

So when extra protein reaches the brain, it will shield & shut itself to protect from it. It will make the brain foggy, unable to think rationally and make decisions.

If you feel foggy, either your glucose levels are too low, or protein levels are too high.

This can affect athletic performance by impacting cognitive activity, reaction & movements and leaving the athlete with a feeling of dullness & lack of energy.

In the end, I would just say that understand your sport-specific requirements, training load and based on that, customize your nutrition needs.

If you wish to know more about customized sports nutrition plan, call us at +91-9743430000.

Ryan Fernando is an Award-winning celebrity Sports Nutritionist with 2GUINNESS world record and 2 Olympic medals under his belt. His client list include Olympic wrestler Sushil Kumar, cricketer Shikhar Dhawan & bollywood superstars Aamir Khan & Abhishek Bachchan. He is Chief Nutritionist at QUA Nutrition Signature Clinics.