P90X – Do I need Whey Protein?
Welcome back! I know you have been back and forth a couple times here. Did you know I am a customer of Beachbody but also make money as an Authorized Distributor? Curious? Use the Contact Form for more info
The P90X workout system is growing wildly in popularity so of course a mass amount of question have arisen.
It seems one of the biggest questions around is “Do I need Supplements” with P90X to get results?
I want to cover this topic to shed some new light upon your journey for better health and also debunk some myths you may have come across.
The common understanding amongst many people these days is how much protein to take and is supplementing with whey protein necessary? With P90X you will be challenging your muscle groups and your cardiovascular system. Your metabolism will increase and therefore your caloric needs will increase also. But do you need whey protein with P90X to get any results?
Let me tell you this, the general idea I have heard is about 1 gram of protein per 1 pound of lean body mass. Meaning if you weigh about 150 pounds then you should consume around 130-150 grams of protein.
This is absolutely incorrect and not necessary. That much protein can actually be considered “over-kill”.
Yes protein feeds your muscular system and many other functions of the body but it’s the quality, not the quantity. In a normal American diet we consume much more protein than we need already.
So as long as you are eating a balanced diet with plenty of variety then you are most likely getting more than enough protein. 80 grams would be more then sufficient.
You need to know that your body cannot breakdown an abundance of protein so taking 200 grams in one protein shake is going to be a big waste of time and money. Not to mention it may lead to constipation and cramps (not fun).
Now if your diet severely lacks proteins like Fish, Eggs, Soy, Dairy, Nuts, and Veggies then supplementing with an after workout whey protein shake can be handy but not necessary. The better approach is to balance your diet.
Think Nuts, Raw Veggies like Brocolli, Carrots, Brussel Sprouts, Spinach, etc. Plus lots of fruits like Apples, Grapes, Oranges, Bananas, and other healthy fruits.
Most people get misinformed and get all caught up in the numbers rather than the quality. What I mean is you may have been told that you must consume large quantities of protein to build muscle with P90X. That is not true.
Not to scare you but while excess protein does not tend to lead towards instant negative results it can lead to long term issues. I’ll explain.
For one, if you consume more protein than the body can break down at any given point in time a couple different things will happen. First off excess protein will be extracted from your body via urine so you will pee most of your money away.
Second off, the protein that does not get broken down or flushed out will be converted into “potential energy” also known as fat stores!
Thirdly, when your body cannot handle the volume of protein given it may seek calcium from your bones which is used to create the enzymes needed to break down the proteins. So long term over use of protein could effectively lead to calcium loss in your bones which in time could mean osteoporosis and/ or arthritis to name a couple.
“So do I need 150-200 grams a day of Whey Protein to get results from P90X?” Absolutely not!
The best dietary balance is 50/35/15 or 55/30/15 in relation to daily percentages of calories from Carbs / Protein / Fats.
If your diet is severely lacking in protein, say your vegetarian and you don’t eat any sort of meats for example, whey protein may help you get high quality protein into your body each day. But if you eat a normal omnivore diet including meats like fish, chicken, eggs, and other protein sources then you most likely do not need extra proteins to get results with P90X!
Instead of focusing on mass amounts of protein your best bet is to balance your approach through lean meats, raw organic veggies, and plenty of fruit!
Plus, don’t forget your water! About 2 quarts a day should be sufficient.
If you have been researching P90X and you are ready to get started then get your copy of p90x today from this site and you will also get me (betterbody90) as your Beachbody Coach to assist you.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Filed under: p90x and p90x+ (plus)
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
Great article dude. I’m a 300+ pound dude and 1 gram per pound would be insane as some books suggest. I ten to eat between 150 and 200 grams of protein. That was hard enough but after adding whey protein twice a day to the mix during Phase 1 of p90x I was able to hit the target fine.
Very nice post on nutrition. Hope to learn more from you.
my boyfriend has been doing the P90X for about 4 weeks now and his goal is to gain muscle mass, but he has lost 5 lbs since starting. Any suggestions to how can he reach his goal? He is about 5’8 and 140 lbs.
@pxiong Your bf will need to consume more calories than his body uses for maintenance plus the calories he burns daily. Of course a balanced diet is the best approach.
For example, if his body requires about 2500 calories a day at rest to maintain energy and he burns an additional 800 a day with P90X then he should be consuming no less than 3300 calories / day.
A 50/50 intake of calories from Complex Carbs and High Quality Proteins is a good approach, though if more one than the other then carbs should be greater than proteins because carbs are pure energy. He should consumer a diet between 3500-4500 calories a day while continuing to workout with P90X Regularly and he will notice muscle increase. Also he should avoid high saturated fats but other fatty foods with polyunsaturated and monounsatured fats are essential.
Found your blog while browsing Google. Bookmarked. Looking forward to more nutrition tips.
charming post. simply one decimal where I quarrel with it. I am emailing you in detail.
Great content. Looking for some nutrition materials when I stumbled across your site.
Bookmarked!
Will this help to raise my metabolism as well?
:O So mUch Info :O
I am deeply floored at Anybody who finishes the P90x conditioning program. I am on day 29 and I feel like I am making great growth. The eating plan is the most tricky to stick 100% to. I am looking forward to being in the best shape of my life. BRING IT!