What the ****?!?!

**Kärnfysikern** · 07-27-2006, 06:13 AM

Considerable debate has taken place over the safety and validity of increased protein intakes for both weight control and muscle synthesis. The advice to consume diets high in protein by some health professionals, media and popular diet books is given despite a lack of scientific data on the safety of increasing protein consumption. The key issues are the rate at which the gastrointestinal tract can absorb amino acids from dietary proteins (1.3 to 10 g/h) and the liver's capacity to deaminate proteins and produce urea for excretion of excess nitrogen. The accepted level of protein requirement of 0.8g x kg(-1) x d(-1) is based on structural requirements and ignores the use of protein for energy metabolism. High protein diets on the other hand advocate excessive levels of protein intake on the order of 200 to 400 g/d, which can equate to levels of approximately 5 g x kg(-1) x d(-1), which may exceed the liver's capacity to convert excess nitrogen to urea. Dangers of excessive protein, defined as when protein constitutes > 35% of total energy intake, include hyperaminoacidemia, hyperammonemia, hyperinsulinemia nausea, diarrhea, and even death (the "rabbit starvation syndrome"). The three different measures of defining protein intake, which should be viewed together are: absolute intake (g/d), intake related to body weight (g x kg(-1) x d(-1)) and intake as a fraction of total energy (percent energy). A suggested maximum protein intake based on bodily needs, weight control evidence, and avoiding protein toxicity would be approximately of 25% of energy requirements at approximately 2 to 2.5 g x kg(-1) x d(-1), corresponding to 176 g protein per day for an 80 kg individual on a 12,000kJ/d diet. This is well below the theoretical maximum safe intake range for an 80 kg person (285 to 365 g/d).

Can anyone that knows this explain how anyone can DIE from excess protein? I mean I know its a very very extrem case scenario. But what mechanism is responsible for that??

The 176g for a 80kg individual sounds pretty right though.

***perfectbeast2001*** · 07-27-2006, 06:20 AM

Originally Posted by johan

Can anyone that knows this explain how anyone can DIE from excess protein? I mean I know its a very very extrem case scenario. But what mechanism is responsible for that??

The 176g for a 80kg individual sounds pretty right though.

Death by choking on a chicken breast maybe?

**chest6** · 07-27-2006, 11:51 AM

If that was true I'd be dead by now. Months of wayy undercalculating protein intake earlier this year. I think I was around 700 ahh

**FranKieC** · 07-27-2006, 12:54 PM

Yet Ronnie Coleman still walks the earth

**Hackamaniac** · 07-27-2006, 01:08 PM

Originally Posted by chest6

If that was true I'd be dead by now. Months of wayy undercalculating protein intake earlier this year. I think I was around 700 ahh

Damn chest that's a shitload.

**chest6** · 07-27-2006, 01:08 PM

Originally Posted by Hackamaniac

Damn chest that's a shitload.

Yeah..I underestimated macros by a shitload..

**J0KER** · 07-27-2006, 01:09 PM

the "rabbit starvation syndrome

I was watching a show on Discovery channel a couple months back, Survivor Man I believe. On this particular episode he was spending like a week at an airplane crash site in Alaska or something. So he makes a snare and catches this rabbit and cooks it that night and as he's eating it, he makes the comment that rabbits are EXTREMELY lean so basically if you just eat the meat, all you are getting from them is protein. He goes on to say that there have been cases where people whos diet consisted of only the rabbit meat died from lack of fat intake or something. So he ends up eating every part of the rabbit. Bones and everything.

Not sure if that helps, but I think that's what the "rabbit starvation syndrome" is referring to.

**Prada** · 07-27-2006, 01:43 PM

I believe it has to do with the livers finite ability to upregulate enzymes combine that with the fact that your consumption virtually only consists of protein and it is understandable what the body will go through. One cannot survive solely on protein there are other much needed micro and macronutrients. Except I believe the article is somewhat over sensationalizing it.

Funny it reminds me of how oveconsumption of H2O can leads to death and how marathon runners truely overhydrate themselves especially the novice