Doc Said Protein/BCAA's Are Bad

I went to a doctor 2 days ago about my back pain/slight spine curve to talk to him and see what he can do to fix it. He started talking to me about working out and nutrition.
The first main point that he made was that my chest is stronger than my back and I need to work my chest:back in a 5:1 ration.

I’m 15 and about 5 months into working out, only about 1 of which have I really known what I am doing. I used to bench a lot and do nothing for back when just starting out, but I am working back/chest and everything else equally now with a program that Gerdy showed me.

So, it’s going to even itself out, hopefully.
He also told me to do a few pull ups a day, just to stretch the muscles, so I’ve been doing maybe 8 pull ups spread throughout the day on back off days.

When we got to nutrition, he told me that I need to eat meat/fish/eggs in a 1:1 ratio to vegetables.
Here’s the part where I couldn’t tell if he was joking.
“For breakfast, eat bacon and eggs…sunny side up.”
This dude went on about healthy fats and all, but honestly, greasy ass bacon and fried eggs as opposed to soft boiled eggs and vegetables?..

Supplements:
I told him that I take Protein powder, Creatine, BCAAs, and fish oil. He told me that Creatine is going to kill my Kidneys and to come in with all of my supplements and he would test if my body can take them somehow.

So, I went in today and first, he had me lie down and put some electrode things on my back that sent very light electricity into my back muscles and made them pulse; this lasted 20 minutes.

Then, he had me lie down and cup my hand. He kept experinemting with putting different pills into my hand. He later told me that he was testing which ones I needed with electronegativity, somehow.

He did that and told me to take Vasculin, Catalyn, and Ligaplex II, which are some supplements made out of different plants and whatnot to help with the ligaments and vascular system.

So then, he tested which supplements my body in particular could absorb. To his surprise, he told me that the Creatine was fine, but the Vitamin Shoppe brand BCAAs that I’m taking and the generic brand Protein powder is doing nothing for me.
He then told me that I don’t need any of that and that I can get all of the protein that I need from proper nutrition.

I tried to argue a bit and explain that I need liquid protein after a workout, but it’s hard to argue with a doctor…

So, I come to you all, completely confused and with everything that I have learned, and gotten results from, about training and nutrition on the line.

Has anybody had a similar experience? He told me that it’s not Protein powder or BCAAs in particular, but it could just be those particular brands, but what am I supposed to do… buy different supplements until I find one that he approves of?..

I need advice badly here and I have no idea what to make of this: weather to keep taking all of my supplements or not, about my nutrition…
Please help,
thank you

While of course it’s going to sound like your doctor is a retard coming from YOUR side of the story, your doc knows you best. Got some kidney problems? We’re not doctors, and we don’t know your medical history.

No, I have no health problems. He told me that the Creatine was fine, to his surprise. I’ve just never heard of Protein powder or BCAAs even being capable of harming you. I mean… Protein and amino acids…

[quote]msd0060 wrote:
While of course it’s going to sound like your doctor is a retard coming from YOUR side of the story, your doc knows you best. Got some kidney problems? We’re not doctors, and we don’t know your medical history.[/quote]

Absolutely right.

And the doc is right about getting everything you need to grow from foods. It is just easier with supplements. You are 15 and should adhere to the advice of your doctor, or find another doctor if you do not trust his diagnosis. But, again, you are 15 and it is doubtful that you are in a position to question your doctor. Doctor>Internet Advice.

yeah, your doctor’s a nutball if you don’t have any pre-existing kidney problems.

Sounds like he shot from the hip, then went home and read up on creatine only to find out he was a jackass, so he came back and told you creatine was fine.

Protein and BCAAs are fine unless you have pre-existing kidney problems. You want to know the reason people say they’re bad for you? There was this study done once…on TERMINALLY ILL people with kidney failure regarding protein metabolism. Well, fucking duh! You test on dying people with kidney disease of course it’s going to completely skew the results.

Eggs and veggies. Bacon is tasty, but you’re right it’s not anywhere as good as veggies. Not that it’s bad advice for a young growing kid though. It probably won’t hurt you at all to eat it for breakfast.

I have no idea what the HELL he was doing with those pills in your hand testing “electronegativity” or whatever.

At least he’s right about training your back as much (or preferably more than) your chest. That and the electrode stimulation of your back muscles are about the only things that he’s done right so far.

Is this guy a general practitioner, or some sort of life extension/longevity/holistic guy? Sounds like he went to the CHEK Institute or something.

So, let’s recap–

  1. right on about training your back more and the electro-stim of your back.
  2. doesn’t know what he’s talking about regarding supps, unless you’ve got pre-existing kidney/medical problems
  3. wants to sell you his own set of supplements that you probably don’t need at all
  4. does some weird voodoo crap with pills in your hand that makes me want to punch him.

[quote]Zagman wrote:
msd0060 wrote:
While of course it’s going to sound like your doctor is a retard coming from YOUR side of the story, your doc knows you best. Got some kidney problems? We’re not doctors, and we don’t know your medical history.

Absolutely right.

And the doc is right about getting everything you need to grow from foods. It is just easier with supplements. You are 15 and should adhere to the advice of your doctor, or find another doctor if you do not trust his diagnosis. But, again, you are 15 and it is doubtful that you are in a position to question your doctor. Doctor>Internet Advice.[/quote]

Sure I’d agree with a Dr over random people on the internet, but anyone telling a kid that protein powder and BCAAs will make his kidney’s explode in the same breath as telling him to eat bacon and meat is not someone I would trust. There are a number of things in this story, that if true, make me go “Whaaaa…?”

Color me biased, but frankly, the last 7 years or so every doctor I’ve been to regarding sports medicine or health advice has been inferior to the advice I’ve received from Cressey, Robertson, Berardi, et al., or read myself, on the same subjects. I don’t trust them.

The only reason I go anymore is to get referrals for specialists I already trust. Or if I need a prescription for some (rare) flu illness or some such.

He didn’t say that the Protein or BCAAs was going to harm me, but just that my body in particular was not absorbing these particular brands of Protein powder/BCAAs and that they are basically doing nothing, so I don’t know what to do about my supplementation now.

Should I keep training back and chest equally or should I do back:chest in a 2:1 ration for a while, maybe? 5:1? come on… I don’t think he knows how recovery works.

He also gave me this book, “Going Back to the Basics of Human Health” by Mary Frost to read.

Yeah, I’ll agree that IF you’re just some normal 15 year old kid, creatine and protein are not going to do one bad thing to you.

BUT, we simply cannot know that you’re “normal”, so maybe find another doctor on your parent’s insurance to speak with.

  1. How did he test this?

  2. What kind of doctor was he?

[quote]Artem wrote:
So then, he tested which supplements my body in particular could absorb.[/quote]

Read Atkins, South Beach, or the Anabolic Diet for more info on why that breakfast is actually good for you.

[quote]Artem wrote:
He didn’t say that the Protein or BCAAs was going to harm me, but just that my body in particular was not absorbing these particular brands of Protein powder/BCAAs and that they are basically doing nothing, so I don’t know what to do about my supplementation now.

Should I keep training back and chest equally or should I do back:chest in a 2:1 ration for a while, maybe? 5:1? come on… I don’t think he knows how recovery works.

He also gave me this book, “Going Back to the Basics of Human Health” by Mary Frost to read.[/quote]

Compare the size of your pectorals to the size of your entire back - lats, rhomboids, lower back, etc. I’d say that the back muscles are about 4-5 times bigger in total.

People who do nothing but chest exercises… well I find them funny. But you should know better.

Sounds like he is a kineseologist, when he put the supplements in your hand was he testing another part of your body at the same time? Maybe having you resist him with your other arm?

[quote]Artem wrote:
I went to a doctor 2 days ago about my back pain/slight spine curve to talk to him and see what he can do to fix it. He started talking to me about working out and nutrition.[/quote]

Already this doesn’t sound like a doctor.

[quote] Supplements:
I told him that I take Protein powder, Creatine, BCAAs, and fish oil. He told me that Creatine is going to kill my Kidneys and to come in with all of my supplements and he would test if my body can take them somehow.

So, I went in today and first, he had me lie down and put some electrode things on my back that sent very light electricity into my back muscles and made them pulse; this lasted 20 minutes.

Then, he had me lie down and cup my hand. He kept experinemting with putting different pills into my hand. He later told me that he was testing which ones I needed with electronegativity, somehow.

He did that and told me to take Vasculin, Catalyn, and Ligaplex II, which are some supplements made out of different plants and whatnot to help with the ligaments and vascular system.

So then, he tested which supplements my body in particular could absorb. To his surprise, he told me that the Creatine was fine, but the Vitamin Shoppe brand BCAAs that I’m taking and the generic brand Protein powder is doing nothing for me.
He then told me that I don’t need any of that and that I can get all of the protein that I need from proper nutrition. [/quote]

This doctor sounds like he went to school with Hulda Clark, who is a quack and charlatan.

All that voodoo about being able to test supplements with some electrical device and being able to tell what you can absorb is BS! COMPLETE AND UTTER BS!!

Do NOT take the supplements he recommended.

Find a new doctor.

[quote]Artem wrote:

Then, he had me lie down and cup my hand. He kept experinemting with putting different pills into my hand. He later told me that he was testing which ones I needed with electronegativity, somehow.

[/quote]

WTF?!?!? This guy is a quack. Is he a chiropractor? Never go back to this person. If you want to keep seeing a chiropractor, find one associated with MDs and physical therapists (like in a sports medicine clinic), or one that they recommend.

I looked at Amazon and it seems the book is worthless as well.

[quote]Artem wrote:
Should I keep training back and chest equally or should I do back:chest in a 2:1 ration for a while, maybe? 5:1? come on… I don’t think he knows how recovery works.[/quote]

You should focus more time on back exercises, like a 2:1 ratio as you mentioned. Creating muscle imbalances will only cause problems later on and could lead to serious injuries down the road.

Also, you don’t want to walk around with rounded shoulders all day because your chest is too tight, right?

[quote]HoratioSandoval wrote:
Artem wrote:

WTF?!?!? This guy is a quack. Is he a chiropractor? Never go back to this person. If you want to keep seeing a chiropractor, find one associated with MDs and physical therapists (like in a sports medicine clinic), or one that they recommend.[/quote]

This is what I was going to post after reading your story.
There are really good chiropractors and Acupuncturists out there but some are really Toony toons…

you should say th.th.th.th. that’s all folks to your Dr. and get a 2nd or 3rd opinion…

[quote]Zagman wrote:
Doctor>Internet Advice.[/quote]

Doctors know less about muscle physiology, biochemistry, nutrition, supplementation, endocrinology, and weight training than 90% of posters on any weight lifting forum, guaranteed.

Internet Advice > Doc Advice

By a fucking mile

Doctors exist to feed you 50 year old FDA approved guidelines. RDA and all that bullshit.

About once in a million years, they will actually give you a bit of advice that doesn’t come straight out of some 1960’s medical textbook.

Well, he got that one RIGHT!

It’s called Applied Kinesiology or Muscle Testing. It’s highly subjective and I don’t know how reliable that is.
Certainly, if you are looking at it from mainstream science, it looks like complete quackery. Is it? I don’t know one way or the other.

[quote]Nominal Prospect wrote:
Zagman wrote:
Doctor>Internet Advice.

Doctors know less about muscle physiology, biochemistry, nutrition, supplementation, endocrinology, and weight training than 90% of posters on any weight lifting forum, guaranteed.

Internet Advice > Doc Advice

By a fucking mile

Doctors exist to feed you 50 year old FDA approved guidelines. RDA and all that bullshit.

About once in a million years, they will actually give you a bit of advice that doesn’t come straight out of some 1960’s medical textbook. [/quote]

I assume you are referring to medical doctors?

Why is it there are actually people here who think that because they post some “exercise and nutrition” advice over the web, they are more qualified than a medical doctor. This is the 2nd post like this in the last few days.

This is ridiculous. The fact that you think 90% of the posters on any weight lifting forum knows more about physiology, biochemistry, nutrition, supplementation, endocrinology, and weight training is insane.

This is coming from the individual that started a thread stating that he did not know the physiology behind muscle soreness and hypertrophy.

Please.