Protein Diet Coke?
Have you ever poured a vanilla Fairlife Protein Shake into a large cup of Diet Coke?
Me neither. I've never even remotely thought about it, until I read this article.
Apparently, it's all the rage on TikTok. And as a dietitian, I had to chime in with a few thoughts.
On face value, Diet Coke is a less than healthy medium to improve your daily protein intake.
However, nutrition is not black and white. It's relative. If a client is a chronic soda drinker, switching from regular soda to diet may be a good step towards losing weight and improving health (due to the reduction in caloric intake).
Of course, I'm always a fan of improving protein intake. But is this the best way to do it?
Again, it depends on a person's starting point. If daily protein intake is low, and this 26g increase provides a net benefit of better recovery, improved strength, and increased skeletal muscle mass, then it's possible this drink concoction may be an acceptable route.
But if I'm replacing an egg omelet that contains spinach, bell peppers, and onions, with Protein Diet Coke, it is now a net negative and possibly more detrimental to my health.
Lastly, beyond the Protein Diet Coke discussion, I disagree with the featured dietitian's advice on protein needs.
"If you're meeting your caloric needs ... you're meeting your protein needs." And, "we as human beings who are not elite athletes generally do not need extra protein", are two of the statements I challenge.
In regard to the general population, the typical diet is of low quality, high in carbohydrate, and limited in consistent protein sources multiple times per day. Thus, high calorie doesn't always equal adequate protein.
And depending on a few factors like goals (i.e. weight loss or muscle/strength gain, under-muscled, over-muscled,etc.), age, activity level, recommended protein levels may change. We shouldn't go by the USDA data that recommends 10-35% of total calorie intake come from protein.
Instead, let's factor in all the categories mentioned, plus biometric data (like lean body mass and overall weight) to get a more accurate calculation and starting point for you and your needs. We may not be elite athletes, but that doesn't mean the old government recommendations are correct.
For example, 10% of a 2,000 calorie diet would only result in 50g of protein per day. A good starting point, without any data other than total body weight (or target body weight if the goal is weight loss), is to multiply Total or Target Body Weight ( in pounds) by .6-.8g protein per day.
If I weigh 165lbs, my daily protein intake floor is 99g protein/day. If my goal is to lose weight (dropping from 165lbs to 150lbs), I would then use 150lbs x .6-.8g = 90-120g/day.
Again, nutrition is not black and white. It's highly individualized, which is why I work daily with our personal training and nutrition clients at Functional Elements putting together plans that synch with their life, needs and goals. If we can be of assistance to you, let us know. It's what we do!
Remember ...
GIVE YOUR BODY WHAT IT NEEDS, WHEN IT NEEDS IT!
Jaime Rothermich, RD, CSSD, LD, PPSC*KB, CSCS
Functional Elements Training and Nutrition
TRAIN FOR LIFE
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functionalelements@gmail.com
http://www.functionalelements.net
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