It’s FIFA World Cup season, and you may have seen videos of professional soccer players promoting high-protein products circulating on social media. If you’re trying to build up your summer body by regularly visiting Gregory Gym, you might be tempted to end your workout with a high-protein shake or snack bar you saw on your feed. You paid a little more, thinking you were making a good health investment, not knowing that these products are not always as virtuous as they seem. It’s so easy to fall into the high-protein marketing trap.
While protein can indeed optimize post-workout recovery, protein-fortified foods are often heavily processed and overpriced relative to the nutritional value they actually deliver. For students on a tight budget, falling for misleading high-protein marketing claims can be a bad health investment.
Driven by consumer demand, the U.S. protein supplements market has never been so lucrative, reaching $10.88 billion in 2025. Brands have quickly seized the opportunity of protein’s surging popularity in recent years. Research group NielsenIQ found sales of protein-rich labeled products grew by 4.8% in the U.S. between 2024 and 2025.
Elza Conn, nutritional sciences assistant professor of instruction, explained that protein helps prevent muscle and bone density loss. But protein alone does not make your muscles grow.
“You have to exercise,” Conn said.
The buzz around protein suggests people are more careful about what they put into their bodies, reducing their fat and sugar intake. But this watchfulness should not stop here. Students must pay attention to all products they consume, even if they purport to be healthy.
Not all sources of protein are equal. According to Conn, many protein shakes make false health claims and are not third-party tested. They make you pay a premium, and you may not receive the benefits coming with that promise.
Protein powders, often found in shakes, may contain added sugars and contaminants such as chemicals and heavy metals that pose serious health risks, including cancer. The FDA does not review these supplements, leaving manufacturers’ claims unchecked.
This past semester, sports management sophomore Alexander Sharma started going to the gym to bulk up. When he goes shopping, he looks for labels advertising high protein to meet his daily protein goal of about 180 to 190 grams. Sharma had to adjust his budget to allow for increased spending on protein shakes, 38-gram protein smoothies and additional eggs for breakfast.
“I would spend a lot more day to day, and I really had to be conscious about my money because I was spending a lot more on food than I normally (do),” Sharma said.
Conn explained the longer the list of ingredients on the back, the more suspicious you should be about the product, which likely contains many additives. It’s also important to pay attention to the presence of clean labels, as well as whether the product’s nutritional claims have been tested and approved.
The best value for money will often be natural protein sources from whole foods, such as eggs, dairy and cottage cheese. These foods provide essential micronutrients, fiber and minerals in addition to the macronutrients that come from protein.
The key to maintaining good health, according to Conn, is to learn to become food independent, “where you know how to make your own meals and make sure you are nourishing yourself the right way.”
Just like sugar and fat, protein-enriched foods must be consumed occasionally and with caution. Investing in your long-term health matters more than meeting a protein goal and should be well thought through.
Doat is a journalism and media master’s student from Versailles, France.
