Every bodybuilder is a protein crazed fiend who would eat their own children for protein if when they look there, the cupboard was bare. Ok, that’s maybe a slight exaggeration – in some cases – but the point is, bodybuilders need protein to keep their muscle growth coming. Usually, bodybuilders will subscribe to the more the merrier like you just can’t have too much of a good thing.
But can you have too much protein? And if so, what are the consequences?
Legendary bodybuilding coach Vince Gironda believed he knew the answer to excessive protein intake: negative nitrogen balance.
As you may already know, negative nitrogen balance is precisely what taking protein is supposed to avoid in the first place. You need a positive nitrogen balance to keep the muscle gains coming.
Vince stressed that gender, age, training, size, lifestyle and so forth were all factors which decide how much protein a person should take.
The general idea – like anything else bodybuilding associated – is to try to find out what works for you best by experimenting and documenting, rather than just taking advice as gospel… i.e.: just because the massive guy on the bodybuilding forum takes in 400g of protein a day and grows like a weed, doesn’t mean it would work well for you, and may even work against you.