I'm a Cleveland Clinic dietician - here's why protein powders, shakes and gels are USELESS (and possibly dangerous) for most people

Whether you're an average Joe or genuine gym bunny - consuming too many protein powders, bars and gels is pointless, according to experts.

The protein supplement craze has swelled into a $20billion-a-year industry thanks to a rise in workout culture.

Hunky celebs like Chris Hemsworth and Henry Cavill - who've both been rumored to have used steroids to bulk up for their superhero movie roles - have promoted the products to their millions of fans, the insinuation being if you take more protein, you could look like them. 

But what the hype doesn't explain is that your body can only process a certain amount of protein at a time, according to Julia Zumpano, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic.

She told DailyMail.com that eating more than 35 grams in one sitting - about 1.5 scoops of common protein powders - is functionally useless and won't build muscle. At that point it's just excess calories that could be making you fat.

In an Instagram video in May of 2022, Marvel actor Chris Hemsworth shared a video of him making a protein shake with his friend in a promotional video for his fitness program, Centr. 

Actor Henry Cavill, whose well-known for his boulder-like body, partnered with protein powder company MuscleTech for a 2022 campaign. 

She said that consuming more than that, about the same as 1.5 chicken breasts, is basically throwing money down the drain - literally.

Your body will eliminate excess protein through your urine as it fails to utilize the excess nutrients. 

What is particularly concerning to experts is that the protein market is unregulated, and some products are teeming with highly processed ingredients that can increase your cancer risk over time. 

Others have been found to contain cancer-causing chemicals like lead. 

That's why whenever possible, Zumpano tries to address her clients' needs with food.

'I always encourage food first,' she said. 

Protein powder is made when natural protein sources, like milk, eggs or soy, are processed and stripped of their other components, like sugar, fiber and fat, according to Emily Gelsomin, a registered dietitian and clinical nutrition specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital. 

After that, manufacturers sometimes add in ingredients, like herbs, sweeteners or other vitamins, Ms Gelsomin wrote in a Harvard Health Blog. 

Protein powders are regulated the same way that supplements are, meaning the FDA does not screen them before they go to market, which is why Ms Zumpano recommends researching protein companies before buying from them.

'You just have to be smart about the supplements you buy, because they're not all equal. And they're not all regulated. And you know, some of them, unfortunately, tell you they have something in them that they might not have,' Ms Zumpano told Dailymail.com 

Independent companies, like the United States Pharmacopeia or the National Sanitation Foundation, will test supplements and protein powders for companies interested in being verified- making sure that the products contain what's listed on the label and nothing else. 

They report on their findings publicly and have a database online where you can check out your supplement brand, if they've elected to participate. 

Protein powders can be manufactured from animal products like milk and plant products like soy. 

When buying protein powders, consumers can look for a USP stamp or NSF stamp on the packaging, which indicates that they have undergone testing and users can be assured the product is safe and actually contains what's advertised. 

Otherwise, it's difficult to know what's in the bottle. 

In 2022, researchers from the nonprofit Clean Label Project found 53 of the 134 protein powders they tested contained heavy metals, arsenic and BPA- all of which have been linked to an increased cancer risk. 

75 percent contained lead, and 33 percent contained levels that exceeded at least one federal regulatory limit for chemicals. 

When they are produced safely, protein products aren't going to hurt you, Ms Zumpano said. 

In fact, she said, these are convenient options for many people, and if you can't get enough protein in your diet for some reason, she might recommend mixing in a protein shake or gel. 

But getting your protein from food is better than using a supplement because foods contain a multitude of nutrients that your body needs, making it a more balanced option. 

Ms Zumpano told this website the body was designed to process food and it is not known if people get the same benefits from digesting supplements.

'When you think about putting protein in more of a concentrated or synthetic form, that's not the form that our bodies have been built to absorb and digest,' she said.

Also, consuming more than 20-40 grams of protein at a time can actually be ineffective, according to 2018 research from exercise nutritionists at Texas A&M and Lindenwood University. 

The US market for protein supplements reached a record-high of $21 billion in 2023. 

Your body can only make use of a certain amount of protein at a time, at an upper limit of around 40 grams, the researchers found. 

If you eat more than that in one seating, your body will eliminate it through urine or your bowel movements, meaning you're consuming extra calories with no added benefits.

'People have a misconception they do need more protein whereas actually the majority of us are getting adequate protein – our requirements are quite low,' Anna Daniels, a dietitian and British Dietetic Association spokeswoman told The Guardian. 

'The majority of us who go to the gym for an hour a couple of times a week, there’s no need to be having additional protein we [already] get from a balanced healthy diet,' Ms Daniels said. 

There has also been some evidence that over-doing it with protein can lead to kidney stones, heart disease and colon cancer. 

Protein is used in our body differently than other food sources - like fat and sugar. Our body can store THESE around muscles and organs, but we can't package protein and store it away for long periods of time.

'Humans typically are protein-sparing, meaning that although we can use protein for energy — we have the metabolic pathways to do so — it is preferable that carbohydrates and fats are the predominant sources of fuel,' Simin Levinson, a registered dietitian nutritionist and clinical professor at Arizona State University told Fortune. 

He added: 'That’s because protein plays such a critical, functional role… and if that protein isn’t provided, we start breaking down body tissues in order to produce those amino acids.'

Test your portion control: Striking photo comparisons show how wrong most Americans get 'serving sizes'

To illustrate just how different perceived portion sizes are to the ones we're told to stick to DailyMail.com photographed both.

Instead, when we eat proteins, our body breaks it down into its component parts, called amino acids. 

Amino acids are sometimes called the building blocks of life because our body uses them to build all the crucial microscopic bits that make us human. 

There are 20 different kinds of amino acids and humans naturally produce 11 of them. 

In order to get the other nine, we have to eat protein sources like soy, fish, poultry, eggs, beef, pork and dairy. 

Fitness and nutrition experts still disagree about the optimal amount of protein to consume daily, but medical authorities say you should aim for about 0.8 grams of serving per 2.2 pounds (one kilogram) of body weight. 

For the average American man who weighs around 199 pounds, he should eat about 72 grams of protein a day. 

An average American women weighing 170 pounds should eat about 61 grams.

But these recommendations change if you're physically active or approaching your twilight years. 

'Certain athletes undergoing intense training may enhance their progress by consuming more than double the RDA, but this doesn’t apply to most of us,' Ms Gelsomin wrote. 

If you eat a well-rounded diet, it should be pretty easy to reach these nutrition goals. 

For example, there's 6 grams of protein in one egg, 21 grams of protein in half a cup of tofu and 23 grams of protein in one boneless, skinless chicken breast.

But if, for some reason, you're not able to meet these goals, Ms Zumpano said you can supplement with protein products. 

But you need to be informed about what you're putting into your body, especially if you're going to be shelling out money to do so. 

'You know, just be very mindful of what you're spending your money on. And what you're taking,' Ms Zumpano said.