Health Diet - High Protein Diet Info for Bodybuilders and Athletes - Get Bigger and Better Muscles

This diet is quite popular amongst the budding bodybuilders, sportsmen and athletes that abound in our gyms and on the playing fields. Due to the fact that protein is one of the most important nutrients for muscle development, our budding sport stars find that a HP diet looks to be the best option if they seriously want to build those extra muscles.

Does the high protein diet work to build muscles? - you ask.

While we all know that protein is essential to the building up of muscle, do we really need to put ourselves on a HP diet? Well the answer is pretty simple - YES and NO, our normal well balanced diet already consists of enough protein for muscle building, even for those looking to build muscle extensively.

So basically the jury is still out on as to whether we need to commit to a serious HP diet or not.

High protein diets tend to vary in the amount of protein that needs to be consumed on a daily basis - these can vary from.6 grams all the way up to 1.5 grams of protein for every 1 pound of body weight.

There are a lot of foods out there that are high in protein and that a person should eat daily. For anybody wanting to go on a HP diet meat is one of the primary sources, look to chicken, turkey or fish as these meats are high in protein and low in fats. For non meat eaters or people with no time to prepare these meals there is a substitute in powder form, this protein powder can be mixed into a shake and taken between 1 or 3 times a day depending on the product and diet.

Can going on a high protein diet affect my health?

This diet is generally not harmful for a short length of time [3 to 4 months], as long as the person going on this diet is healthy to begin with. A bit of weight loss should occur and if the person is also doing weight training, some muscle growth should appear.

The use of the HP diet for the long term is still under study and some health problems could occur as seen below:

1) Due to the fact that using the HP diet restricts the intake of carbohydrates, a person could end up with insufficient fiber and/or some nutritional deficiencies. This could result in constipation, diverticulitis and increase the risk for certain types of cancer.

2) Red meat and full cream dairy are often promoted in this high protein diet and many experts believe that due to the richness of these foods the risk of heart disease is increased.

3) This diet could also worsen any liver or kidney problems, with the body already struggling to eliminate the waste you have it will battle even more to try get rid of the by-products of the extra protein metabolized by the body.

This diet could be both good and bad for you, choose wisely and if you do decide to follow the high protein diet do so for a short term only and choose your foods carefully. Make good choices when it comes to the food you are going to eat, ensure the meat is lean and choose carbs that are high in fibre.

Remember - if you have any health problems and/or are on medication for chronic illnesses - to consult with your doctor before trying this diet.