Look at any Lucknow gym today and you’ll see shelves packed with protein powders, mass gainers, pre-workout, creatine, fat burners and a slew of other supplements that claim to achieve your desired physique and performance level in no time. In the past ten years, the bodybuilding supplement market has expanded at an astounding pace in India, as has the number of young men and women taking these supplements daily without a clear understanding of what they contain or how they can affect the body in the long-term.
In the Best hospital at Criticare, Lucknow, we are increasingly encountering patients – many young and otherwise healthy – with health issues directly attributable to unsupervised and over-consumption of supplements. In this blog, you’ll get the truth about the bodybuilding powders and supplements you take, from a medical perspective, to help you make an informed decision with regard to what you feed your body.
But what is a bodybuilding supplement?
The definition of bodybuilding supplements is any supplement ingested in conjunction with a normal diet, to aid in the process of building muscle, burning fat or enhancing exercise performance. The most popular types available are protein powders (whey protein, casein protein and plant protein), mass gainers (high calorie powders for muscle growth), creatine (powder that helps provide quick energy for workouts), pre-workout powders (powders that provide a boost of energy and performance-enhancing compounds) and fat burners (powders that speed up weight loss). Of course, some of these products may have legitimate uses in the right doses with proper instruction but many people use them for extended periods of time, mix several together and use them without any form of medical supervision whatsoever.
The following side effects occur to the kidneys
The kidneys are one of the organs that is affected the most by excess protein supplement. If you eat so much protein your body can’t process, your kidneys have to pump out the extra nitrogen created by protein digestion. This can cause chronic damage to the kidneys that over time can lead to a decrease in kidney function, especially in people with underlying kidney disease they might not know they have.
Kidney stress symptoms include decreased urine output, swelling of legs and feet, extreme tiredness and urine colour changes. Those who are at risk for kidney disease due to family history should take special caution with use of protein supplements and should have their kidney function periodically monitored if they do use them.
Liver Side Effects of Antipsychotics
The liver quickly metabolizes everything that you eat or drink – including supplements. There are lots of pre-workout routines, fat burners, mass gainers and other miscellaneous supplements that have artificial additives, stimulants and compounds which the liver needs to metabolize. Drinking these products for long periods of time and in excessive amounts can cause liver enzymes to rise, which is a first indicator of stress on the liver, and in severe cases, can eventually cause damage to the liver.
Certain supplements sold in India may not be properly regulated and may contain unknown ingredients or contaminants which impose extra stress on the liver. If any of the following signs persist after taking supplements, see a doctor right away: If you feel very tired, if your skin or eyes turn yellow, or if your stomach hurts.
Hormonal Disruption
Numerous bodybuilding supplements, especially fat burners and muscle builders, have ingredients that disrupt the body’s hormone levels. Some plant extracts and synthetic substances in some supplements can interfere with the production of hormones, such as cortisol, estrogen and testosterone.
In young men, it leads to a decrease in natural testosterone production, moodiness, acne, and sometimes to the growth of breast tissue. Hormone replacement can lead to irregular periods, extra hair growth and hormone changes which can impact on fertility in women. These can be especially worrying as they can last long after you have stopped taking the supplement.
Digestive Problems
One of the most frequent complaints of protein users who experience digestive upset is because of protein powder, especially whey. Some common side effects are bloating, excessive gas, stomach cramps, nausea and loose stools, which are especially common among those who are lactose intolerant or have sensitive digestive systems.
These digestive symptoms can be greatly exacerbated by mass gainers with extremely high sugar and artificial sweetener content. These products are often consumed by many users in very large volume with a lot more than the recommended amount of serving, making it a huge burden on the digestive system.
Cardiovascular effects of stimulant supplements
Fat burners and pre-workout products often contain high levels of caffeine, stimulants and other ingredients that are intended to help the heart rate to spike quickly to help provide a boost of energy. These can be beneficial for a short time, but they also put a strain on the cardiovascular system, and can increase blood pressure levels, heart rate, and cause palpitations or irregular heart rhythms in susceptible individuals.
We have encountered children and young adults who have never had a heart issue before who experience palpitations and high blood pressure directly related to the use of stimulant rich pre-workout supplements when they were at Criticare Hospital. These products should be avoided by individuals with any underlying heart conditions and used with extreme caution if there is no underlying heart condition, under medical supervision.
Unregulated products are problematic, and so is the lack of regulation
Many of the bodybuilding supplements that are sold in India are not regulated or tested independently for quality or safety, especially those sold online and through local gym suppliers. Many have unmentioned ingredients, heavy metal contamination or amounts of active ingredient that are significantly different from the amounts listed on the label.
Supplements with documented third party testing certification, from reputable suppliers and in the recommended dose limits dramatically decrease the health risks associated with them while not completely removing them.
Before taking any supplement, what should you do?
The first thing to do before any body building supplement program is to have a basic health checkup by a doctor which will include hormone levels, liver function and kidney function tests. This will help you see what you’re starting with and help you determine if there are any weak points in your system that may be exacerbated by particular supplements.
Conclusion
Bodybuilding supplements are not inherently dangerous when used correctly, in appropriate amounts, and by people in good health. But the reality is that most young supplement users in India are consuming these products in excessive quantities, without medical guidance, and without understanding the cumulative impact on their kidneys, liver, hormones, and heart over time.
Your body is capable of remarkable things with the right training, genuine nutrition, adequate rest, and patience. Supplements are never a shortcut – and the health costs of misusing them can be far greater than any gym gains they provide.
