Teens: Just say no to protein supplements

With a full load of classes to attend and term papers to write, the college student didn't have time to call me for advice. So, he relied on his mom to do the legwork.

The young man, always skinny but certainly physically fit, had started weightlifting at the campus gym. He was looking for a surefire, but legal, method of gaining some extra muscle mass quickly. Were protein shakes and other protein supplements the way to go?

I told mom to let her son know that I discourage the use of protein supplements, preferring instead to rely on those old standbys: the balanced diet and a well-planned conditioning program.

I use the same approach with my younger patients. When parents ask if they should use nutritional supplements for their picky eaters, I say no. I explain that I don't want to teach otherwise healthy children (and their parents) to rely on drinkable protein that will fill these kids up and make them even less likely to seek out the foods they need.

In its 2005 policy statement, "Promotion of Healthy Weight-Control Practices in Young Athletes," the American Academy of Pediatrics states: "There is no substitute for a healthy diet consisting of a variety of foods from all food groups with enough energy (calories) to support growth, daily physical activities, and sports activities."

Adolescent health specialists at Harvard's MassGeneral Hospital for Children explain that since most American teens eat a high-protein diet, protein supplementation is not needed, even by serious weightlifters.

With a daily requirement ranging from 0.4 grams of protein per pound of body weight for the average adolescent to 0.6 grams to 0.75 grams per pound for weightlifters, the MassGen team notes that a 150-pound teen athlete needs at most 112.5 grams of protein per day.

Protein sources are readily available and easy to incorporate into a healthy diet. A competitive teen can get 36 grams of protein, or nearly one-third of his daily requirement, just by consuming a meal that includes three ounces of chicken, one large egg and a cup of skim milk.

See how easy? Why then, the Harvard experts point out, should a teen athlete need to supplement his already protein-rich diet? There is, in fact, no scientific evidence that taking more than the recommended amount of daily protein will result in any increase in muscle growth or strength.

Although there have been some reports of kidney overload with protein "oversupplementation," the Harvard doctors find that most healthy teen athletes can handle some extra protein. At the same time, their conclusion remains the same: Protein supplementation is not needed for the majority of American teen athletes.

That's particularly good news for cash-strapped teens, as protein supplements tend to be pricey. So, athletes, skip the protein supplements and save your hard-earned money. Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet, and go work out!

• Dr. Helen Minciotti is a mother of five and a pediatrician with a practice in Schaumburg. She formerly chaired the Department of Pediatrics at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights.