Q: I am 43 years old and weigh 81 kg. I am on weight training for the past 2 years. I lost weight initially and went down to 76 kg but I bounced back to 81 kg. I have reduced the fat around my belly significantly and the body looks more toned and muscular. I can bench press about 80 kg now. I work out for one and a half hour 5-6 days a week. How can I know, whether my protein intake is correct? I was told that a protein deficiency might lead to some problems. Is it correct? What are the likely problems? As of now I am not taking any supplements and my diet is also normal. I take chicken and eggs about 2-3 times a week. I am thinking of taking supplements like a Whey Isolate from Ultimate Nutrition Inc of USA. The recommended dosage is 2 servings normally. How much should I take?

A:To know whether your protein intake is sufficient, you will need to get your intake for the day evaluated by a dietician, who will determine the grams of protein consumption. Given that you weight train and are interested in a protein supplement, I hope this helps you. Whey protein is a pure, natural, high quality protein from cow's milk. It is a rich source of the essential amino acids needed on a daily basis by the body. In its purest form, as whey protein isolate, it contains little to no fat, lactose or cholesterol. Protein needs vary by person depending upon age, weight, sex, activity level and overall health. Athletes and individuals with special medical needs often need more protein than the recommended dietary allowance, or RDA. Healthy diets should regularly include high quality, low fat sources of protein, like whey protein. Calories do count and you want to make sure that you are getting the most benefit from the calories you consume. Compared to other proteins, on a gram-to-gram basis whey protein isolate delivers more essential amino acids to the body, but without the fat or cholesterol. To make sure you're getting enough protein, a diet with a variety of protein foods is ideal, but for optimal results make sure that one of them is whey protein. To determine how much you should take look at the Nutrition Facts panel on your whey protein product and check the following to make sure you are getting enough whey protein: 1. Find the number of grams per serving size and subtract the grams of protein per serving. The smaller the difference, the more concentrated the protein. Example: Whey Protein Powder #1 One Serving = 29 Grams Protein Content = 21 Grams Whey Protein Powder #2 One Serving = 42 Grams Protein Content = 14 Grams Whey Protein Powder #1 is a more concentrated protein powder vs. Whey Protein Powder #2. Check the ingredient label for product #2 to see what other ingredients it contains. 2. Compare the grams of protein per serving to your daily protein requirement. How much protein will this specific whey protein product provide? Example: A = One Serving Whey Protein Powder; A = 20 Grams B = Daily Protein Requirement; B = 60 Grams A Divided by B = the % of the daily protein requirement provided by 1 serving of this specific whey protein powder. 20/60 = 0.33 or 33%. 3. Determine the number of calories in one serving. Although some sweetener is helpful to enhance flavour, many products contain excess sugar and other ingredients that can add unwanted calories. The amount of sugar per serving is listed on the label. There are no documented side effects provided you do not have an allergy to dairy proteins or does not need to restrict dairy products for medical reasons. If you are allergic to dairy proteins please consult with a physician prior to consuming any type of whey protein. You can take the supplement on all days; on the days that you are working out make sure that you take the supplement post workout.