Jimellow

I go to the gym on a regular basis and have been impressed with my development. I'm a thin guy, but I've put on muscle and ultimately have no complaints about the results I've seen as a result of working out consistently.

With that said, I have a high metabolism, and suspect I might not be getting as many calories as I should over the course of a day; especially given the amount I likely burn. This has made me ponder the idea of adding a protein supplement to my daily intake, but I have questions and wanted to find out more before pursuing this route.

The reason I suspect I may not be getting enough caloric intake is due to the fact that aside from lifting, I will often do a physical activity (cardio) at some point throughout the day, and also work at a job that I consider to be physical and at a level of cardio/exertion beyond walking at a brisk pace.

If I were to go the protein supplement route, I would want to be very sure that I knew what I was taking, and that it didn't have any additives I wasn't interested in, such as creatine. I'm not interested in artificial development or something that has any risk of side affects or negative changes to my life or well being.

Thus, my first question is: Are there protein shakes/supplements that qualify as something I would be interested in, based on my description above?

I am not well learned in the supplement field, and I've admittedly viewed supplements with a leery eye in the past. I eat healthily, and I enjoy the results I get as a result of combining this with an active lifestyle. I suspect I might benefit from heightened caloric intake, but even that is based on the fact that I am very active, burn a lot of calories, have a very high metabolism, and generally don't take in as many calories as I gather others that lift do.

I'm not necessarily looking to add a lot of muscle mass, and I'm pleased with the progress I've made to date, but if it would be beneficial to take a protein-type supplement that is healthy and would compliment my lifting, then I'd like to pursue what's available and whether it's something I should consider.

Thus, I welcome any and all comments regarding this subject.

Lastly, I'd just like to clarify that I am not interested in steroids, creatine, substances that are similar to steroids, but legal, or any other substance that is going to make me raise my eyebrows about taking. If there are protein supplements available that will compliment the lifestyle I live, then I could be interested, but I want to stress that I'm not looking to introduce complex substances into my body as a means for achieving muscular gains in an unnatural and unhealthy way.

With that said, if you can recommend a specific supplement or brand, I'd appreciate it if you could write a bit on what exactly it is or isn't, so that I can get an idea of whether I want to consider ingesting it or not.

Aside from that, I welcome any comments you may have in regards to what exactly supplements are, how the body reacts to them, and what the consequences of taking them are. I've been told that excess protein is run through the liver and urinated out, and that over time this can put excessive stress on the liver, but I'm not sure if that's true or not, and is an example of something I'd appreciate some clarification on.

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Desperation is no excuse for lowering one's standards.