DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I’ve been going to the gym for a year to lift weights. Some of my gym friends and a trainer have told me to take whey protein to build up muscles. I don’t know how much protein I should take. I consulted my doctor, and he said excess protein will damage the kidneys.

Also, how much calcium and vitamin D should I have each day? Usually I drink two glasses of soy milk a day. — T.T.

ANSWER: Since muscle is protein, many bodybuilders assume that eating huge amounts of protein foods promotes muscle growth. That’s not the case. An ordinary human needs 0.8 grams of protein a day for every kilogram of body weight. To change your weight from pounds to kilograms, divide the pounds by 2.2. Say you weigh 170 pounds. That’s 77 kilograms. You would need 62 grams of protein a day (77 X 0.8). One large egg has 6.3 grams of protein; 3.5 ounces of chicken, 32; 3.5 ounces of ground beef, about the same; a cup of baked beans, 14; an ounce of peanuts, 7. It’s not hard to meet the protein requirements.

People who work out hour after hour or who engage in hard physical labor easily can take twice the recommended amount of protein.

Whey is the liquid part of milk that has been curdled. It does contain many proteins, but not more than milk does. The protein is in a smaller volume, but whey protein isn’t any more effective in building muscle than is milk protein, as far as I can see.

Protein doesn’t harm normal kidneys.

People need 1,000 IU of vitamin D and 1,200 mg of calcium a day. An 8-ounce glass of nonfat milk has 86 calories, 8.4 grams of protein and 247 mg of calcium. An 8-ounce glass of soy milk has 81 calories, 6.7 grams of protein and 10 mg of calcium.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Recently I had a quadruple bypass. I had been working out three to four times a week. Once a week I would bench press 225 to 235 pounds. I am 74 years old and want to know when and if I will be able to start lifting more than 200 pounds. — W.M.

ANSWER: I know I sound like a broken record (or CD, to pretend I’m up to date), but I have to say only your heart doctor can tell you when you can resume such strenuous exercise.

How recent was your surgery? You have to give your sternum (breastbone) a chance to heal. It’s a bone, and it can take quite a while to mend.

You’re gunning for very heavy weights. You must speak to the doctor about this. Such weight is a strain on your heart and on your sternum. Weightlifting isn’t contraindicated. It’s encouraged for heart patients. But it has to be approached sensibly.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have a full-time job and go to school after work. That doesn’t leave me a lot of time to exercise. The only time I can get it in is after school at night.

Several people have told me that I should not exercise late. It will ruin my sleep. I don’t find that so. I sleep well. Am I an exception to the rule, or am I doing myself harm? — R.R.

ANSWER: Some claim that late-evening or night exercise so stimulates the brain that it’s difficult for people to fall asleep.

Many years ago, researchers at the University of California showed this not to be true. They found that vigorous nighttime exercise actually encourages sound sleep. It could be that the anxiety-ridding that exercise brings allows a person to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Another possible explanation is the drop in body temperature that comes after stopping exercise. That temperature drop is a signal to the brain that it’s time for sleep.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

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