Greetings from 30,000 feet in the aluminum death tube, hurtling through the sky at a speed no sane man should trust, yet here I am—your favorite nerd, typing away like a madman thanks to the questionable miracle of inflight WiFi and the prime real estate of an exit row seat.

The delightful wifey and I are en route to the land of chowder and silent "R"s—Boston.
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We’ll be throwing ourselves into the fire pit known as Business for Unicorns, run by none other than my old M3 1-on-1 client, the ever-epic Mark Fisher, and his merry band of cultish minions.

But enough about the madness we call travel. Let’s yammer about... wait for it... protein.

I know, I know, you didn’t click on this just to have some lab coat-wearing nerd like me go off again about the endless wonders of protein.
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You’ve heard it all before, right?
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Protein is king, it’ll make you strong, it’ll make you lean, blah blah blah. And hey, we’ve already killed the myth that too much protein will fry your kidneys like an overcooked steak, right?

Wrong.

Oh, buddy, if I had a dime for every time someone gives me the look while I’m savoring a glorious 16 oz. grass-fed ribeye, coupled with some half-hearted veggies and a dark beer, as they whisper,
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“Isn’t all that Bro-tein gonna...”

• Blow out your kidneys?
• Suck the calcium right out of your bones?
• Crank your liver enzymes up to DEFCON 17?

You’d think this stuff was put to bed years ago, but alas, the myth keeps crawling back like a cockroach in a seedy Vegas hotel room.
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Just the other day, I was neck-deep in the trenches of academic writing and lo and behold I stumbled upon a few sentences in an email from a rando from the interwebZ going on about how bad protein is for you.

Down the rabbit hole I went, hammering them with 18 references like Thor swinging Mjölnir at a flea (1-18).

Sledgehammer, meet mosquito.

Oh, and get this. Even the oh-so-reputable Harvard Health Publishing, as of April 2020, had this gem: “We don’t know the long-term effects. ‘There are limited data on the possible side effects of high protein intake from supplements,’ McManus says.”

Facepalm.

I’m sorry, McManus, but protein has been around longer than dirt, and the safety data is as solid as granite.
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Sure, the quote’s about protein supplements, but come on. Protein is protein, whether it’s in a powder, a steak, or an IV drip.
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Do your homework before you panic, people.
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And speaking of supplements, yeah, we all remember the “protein spiking” scandal, when some slimy companies decided to toss any nitrogen group they could find into their protein powders to save a few bucks. Scumbags.

Two key takeaways for you sharp-minded reader of this daily rag:

1. For amounts even above 1 gram per pound of bodyweight, it’s all good. Safe as houses (if those houses are built on solid foundations—don’t get me started on real estate).
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2. Protein supplements? Yeah, they’re just that—supplements. They are a bonus to actual, chewable food.
   But before you start throwing random powders into your body, be smart. Do your darn research. Know what you’re putting into that temple of flesh and sinew.

Speaking of which, my go-to is Driven Nutrition. I’ve been using them myself and with clients for 8 years now. They run a tight ship, no shortcuts, no BS.
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Heck, even my dad is loving their protein.
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Oh, and their flavors? Amazing. One of my favs is the caramel Latte—my taste buds are still doing backflips.

Want some for yourself? Use code drmike to save 15%. Go to
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​miketnelsonprotein.com <<

Yeah, I make a few clams from it as an affiliate, and I wouldn’t hawk something I don’t actually use.

Much love,

Dr Mike

P.S. Driven’s got a new mixed plant protein too—if you’re into that kind of thing. You can find it under proteins at the same link. Heck, the discount code is good to save dinero on anything from their site.

​miketnelsonprotein.com <<
Use code DRMIKE to save 15%

References (nerd fuel)

1.Wesson DE, Pruszynski J, Cai W, Simoni J. Acid retention with reduced glomerular filtration rate increases urine biomarkers of kidney and bone injury. Kidney international. 2017;91(4):914-27.

2.Langsetmo L, Shikany JM, Cawthon PM, Cauley JA, Taylor BC, Vo TN, et al. The Association Between Protein Intake by Source and Osteoporotic Fracture in Older Men: A Prospective Cohort Study. Journal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. 2017;32(3):592-600.

3.Herber-Gast GM, Biesbroek S, Verschuren WM, Stehouwer CD, Gansevoort RT, Bakker SJ, et al. Association of dietary protein and dairy intakes and change in renal function: results from the population-based longitudinal Doetinchem cohort study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016;104(6):1712-9.

4.Hallkvist OM, Johansson J, Nordstrom A, Nordstrom P, Hult A. Dairy product intake and bone properties in 70-year-old men and women. Archives of osteoporosis. 2018;13(1):9.

5.Shams-White MM, Chung M, Du M, Fu Z, Insogna KL, Karlsen MC, et al. Dietary protein and bone health: a systematic review and meta-analysis from the National Osteoporosis Foundation. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017;105(6):1528-43.

6.Bie P, Astrup A. Dietary protein and kidney function: when higher glomerular filtration rate is desirable. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;102(1):3-4.

7.Wallace TC, Frankenfeld CL. Dietary Protein Intake above the Current RDA and Bone Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2017;36(6):481-96.

8.Lowery LM, Devia L. Dietary protein safety and resistance exercise: what do we really know? J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2009;6:3.

9.Haring B, Selvin E, Liang M, Coresh J, Grams ME, Petruski-Ivleva N, et al. Dietary Protein Sources and Risk for Incident Chronic Kidney Disease: Results From the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Journal of renal nutrition : the official journal of the Council on Renal Nutrition of the National Kidney Foundation. 2017;27(4):233-42.

10.Poortmans JR, Dellalieux O. Do regular high protein diets have potential health risks on kidney function in athletes? Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2000;10(1):28-38.

11.Brandle E, Sieberth HG, Hautmann RE. Effect of chronic dietary protein intake on the renal function in healthy subjects. European journal of clinical nutrition. 1996;50(11):734-40.

12.Antonio J, Ellerbroek A, Silver T, Vargas L, Peacock C. The effects of a high protein diet on indices of health and body composition–a crossover trial in resistance-trained men. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2016;13:3.

13.Heer M, Baecker N, Frings-Meuthen P, Graf S, Zwart SR, Biolo G, et al. Effects of high-protein intake on bone turnover in long-term bed rest in women. Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme. 2017;42(5):537-46.

14.Tipton KD. Efficacy and consequences of very-high-protein diets for athletes and exercisers. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 2011;70(2):205-14.

15.Antonio J, Ellerbroek A, Evans C, Silver T, Peacock CA. High protein consumption in trained women: bad to the bone? J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018;15:6.

16.Antonio J, Ellerbroek A, Silver T, Vargas L, Tamayo A, Buehn R, et al. A High Protein Diet Has No Harmful Effects: A One-Year Crossover Study in Resistance-Trained Males. Journal of nutrition and metabolism. 2016;2016:9104792.

17.Durosier-Izart C, Biver E, Merminod F, van Rietbergen B, Chevalley T, Herrmann FR, et al. Peripheral skeleton bone strength is positively correlated with total and dairy protein intakes in healthy postmenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017;105(2):513-25.

18.Wright CS, McMorrow AM, Weinheimer-Haus EM, Campbell WW. Whey Protein Supplementation and Higher Total Protein Intake Do Not Influence Bone Quantity in Overweight and Obese Adults Following a 36-Week Exercise and Diet Intervention. The Journal of nutrition. 2017;147(2):179-86.

​miketnelsonprotein.com <<
Use code DRMIKE to save 15%

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Mike T Nelson CISSN, CSCS, MSME, PhD
Associate Professor, Carrick Institute
Owner, Extreme Human Performance, LLC
Editorial Board Member, STRONG Fitness Mag

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​​Mike T Nelson is a PhD and not a physician or registered dietitian. The contents of this email should not be taken as medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem - nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician. Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health.