Shake It Up Baby: Protein Powder in America

The Evolution of the Fitness Industry

          In the fitness industry, there is and always has been a huge gender difference. when it comes to competing in events for body building and sculpting, theres a clear bias on "how we think" people should look versus how people want themselves to look. Although there is a undeniable difference in the physical capabilities associated with gender, internally people are virtually identical. The way an athlete should fuel their body is the same, the limits to which we can push our body is genetics. It’s like the man said in the video "I don't mind being the freak show for money." Women are simply not six feet four inches tall and weigh 400 pounds.
Eddie hall is doing what he loves in the sport and isn’t letting negative energy about his physical appearance affect him. On the flip side of that women have been discouraged from competition and historically speaking it wasn't until the early 20th century that women even started competing in the olympics. Without a doubt there is and always has been a "beauty Standard" that has existed for women, much less so for men. Even when protein powder was first coming into the market, a gender bias could be seen in the way ads were marketed. 
          The amount of food Eddie Hall buys and consumes is staggering. Athletes haven't started eating like this until Strongman competitions started becoming popular in the 1970's with the Title of Worlds Strongest Man started being competed for.  However if Eddie Hall was a women, his lifestyle would be shunned. Recent events have transpired in the world of competitive bodybuilding and sculpting, recently the level of women’s body building has been eliminated. Each gender has different weight classes in which they can compete and show off their work. The women heavy weight division has recently been scratched from competition due to optics. with advancements in how we fuel our athletes, people lie Iris Kyle have been able to rise through the weight classes in the women divisions and hold Ms. Olympia titles for eight years. 

          I put this video on protein up here because it reflect pretty accurately outlines the stereotypes of the bodybuilding culture. Getting “Wheysted” on protein powder as if all bodybuilders do is lift weights, take nutritional supplements, and party. When in reality the mental toughness it takes to be in the gym day in and day out doing the same repetitive movements and working yourself into exhaustion takes its toll on the human body. A perfect example of how bodybuilding can have detrimental effects is the life of Ronnie Coleman today. Although he is still hugely successful with his own nutritional supplements and was even more successful as an 8 time Mr. Olympia, he faces daily struggles with pain and joint deformation due to years of heavy lifting. The stigma surroundings body builders has not really changed over time, for the most part, people have always seen these athletes as freaks of nature who consume huge quantities of food. With the implementation of protein powder to the athletes diet, a wide range of nutritional companies and supplements has been developed. items like a Whey protein based weight gainer, a powder product that provides the user with a caloric dense shake at an easy convenience.  the way the fitness industry has changed over time, from feeding your babies, to helping you lose a few pounds as a meal replacement, even as a tool to fuel muscles in order to build and sculpt your body. The fitness industry has evolved from being just something those bone headed guys use in the gym all day, to a viable food source of which a variety of meals can be made.  


This page has paths:

Contents of this path:

This page references: