Is it possible to take in too much protein? I calculate I should be taking around 140 grams of protien a day. Unfortunately I don't think I get in maybe half of that. So I was planning on upping the amount from my whey supplements throughout the day to 80 or possibly 100 and just have any excess be excess.

Is excess protein harmful?

Excess isn't really harmful unless it's alot.

What makes you think you need 140 grams a day? How are you arriving at this conclusion?

.8*175=140

I've read from here and from the howstuffworks.com site (looking at what fat is) and both sources said to use .8 multiplied by your body weight.

if we're talking sane amounts, theres no evidence that high protein diets cause any trouble for healthy individuals. only problems that were seen were in ppl with existing kidney problems.

research shows that roughly .8 grams is whats need to maintain nitrogen balance, but more may be needed to optimize growth.

is it not 0.8 x your bodyweight in kg!?

http://exercise.about.com/cs/nutrition/a/protein_2.htm

Int J Sport Nutr. 1998 Dec;8(4):426-47.

Effects of exercise on dietary protein requirements.

Lemon PW.

Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine, 3M Centre, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada N6A 3K7.

This paper reviews the factors (exercise intensity, carbohydrate availability, exercise type, energy balance, gender, exercise training, age, and timing of nutrient intake or subsequent exercise sessions) thought to influence protein need. Although there remains some debate, recent evidence suggests that dietary protein need increases with rigorous physical exercise. Those involved in strength training might need to consume as much as 1.6 to 1.7 g protein x kg(-1) x day(-1) (approximately twice the current RDA) while those undergoing endurance training might need about 1.2 to 1.6 g x kg(-1) x day(-1) (approximately 1.5 times the current RDA). Future longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these recommendations and asses whether these protein intakes can enhance exercise performance. Despite the frequently expressed concern about adverse effects of high protein intake, there is no evidence that protein intakes in the range suggested will have adverse effects in healthy individuals.

Wow. That's cool info abear.

dr peter lemon is the godfather of protein research. you can find studies he's done on this from the 1980's

That's cool. I now realise that I have not been intaking enough protein. I should be having at least 72 grams a day.

If you intake too much protein, you get Nephrosis, (I think thats how it's spelled.), and it literally is.. "foamy" urine. It's just abnormally large amounts of proteins and nitrogen molecules in your urine. I'm not quite sure what the effects are.. maybe it's bad for your liver or kidneys. I'm not quite sure. But you'll know when you are intaking too much proteins if you have foamy, or frothy urine.

I would imagine that it would do something to your body. What though, I'm not sure.