Dietary supplement manufacturers have gotten rich from bodybuilders. After all, no self-respecting bodybuilder can report to the gym without a can of high-protein powder or perhaps a case of high-protein sweet bars.

But is all that extra protein really necessary? Can't bodybuilders, including those with a ponderous Schwartzenegger-type physique, do just as well by eating a well-balanced diet - and save themselves lots of money in the process?

That question has been hotly debated for decades, but new research suggests that intensely training bodybuilders need increased - but not extra-high - amounts of dietary protein. In the current investigation, 12 men began strenuous, four-week weight training programmes which involved working out for 1.5 hours per day, six days per week. During one four-week programme, the men ingested 1.35 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day; during a second four-week schedule, they dined on 2.6 grams/kilogram each day.

With the lower intake of protein, 'nitrogen balance' (the difference between the amount of nitrogen entering the body and the amount leaving) was negative, suggesting that the men might be losing more protein than they were taking in. With the higher dose, however, nitrogen balance was positive. However, gains in muscle strength and size were similar with the two dietary plans, indicating that the super-high protein intake was in fact not necessary.

The researchers calculated that the optimal protein intake during the intense training might have been about 1.6-1.7 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. This is not inordinately high; in fact, a large number of American and British bodybuilders receive this much protein from their normal daily diets, without dipping into their protein-powder cans. For example, a 200-pound (91 -kilogram) lifter who theoretically needs 1.6 grams per kilogram per day (145 total grams) during strenuous training can obtain about one-third of his/her daily protein requirement merely by eating a routine lunch of rice, mixed vegetables, three ounces of non-fat cheese, and a cup of milk. However, weight trainers who shy away from protein-containing foods in favor of carbohydrate might indeed have trouble building muscle tissue.

At present, it doesn't appear that super-high (2.6 grams per kilogram) intakes of protein are necessary for bodybuilders, even during very intense training, although the different nitrogen balances detected by the researchers might produce increased muscle-mass gains for the 2.6-gram plan in the long run. In addition, individuals who participate in weight training for less than the nine hours per week utilized in the current study will probably have protein requirements BELOW 1.6-1.7 grams per pound per day.

'Protein Requirements and Muscle Mass/Strength Changes during Intensive Training in Novice
Bodybuilders,' Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 73, pp. 767-775, 1992