Some gym users will soon no longer have to rely on protein bars or shakes to boost their recovery and lean muscle mass after a hard workout, thanks to the dubious invention of protein that you can smoke through a hookah.
Answering a question that few people were asking in the first place, the fitness organization GymNation has, supposedly, figured out how to ingest protein while relaxing with a nicotine-free hookah pipe.
These protein shisha bars, which are being launched in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, have been designed for health conscious gymgoers to use while winding down after a workout, with up to 25g of protein absorbable over a 45 minute session.
“Shisha culture is a huge part of social life across the region, just as gym culture has become,” said GymNation's marketing boss Rory McEntee. “This concept brings those two worlds together in a way that aligns with our values - no tobacco, no nicotine, and no compromise on the gym environment.”
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This supposedly smokable protein has been developed into a mixture of herbs and molasses, similar to traditional shisha without the nicotine, with flavors baring the supplement-related names like 'The Whey Cloud', 'Macro Mist' and 'BCAA Breeze'.
GymNation hopes that this will become incorporated into the growing space in the fitness sector for services that offer both a place to exercise and somewhere to socialise, which the Middle East based business is hoping to crack into.
The protein-delivering hookah was developed with Dr. Sami Al-Banna, who works in aerosolised nutrition, and his explanation for how it all works is pretty insane.
He said: “When protein is delivered via inhalation, it bypasses traditional digestive breakdown and can enter circulation far more efficiently.
"This delivery method enhances bioavailability, resulting in faster uptake, reduced metabolic loss and superior functional benefits compared to conventional protein consumption.”
But while this is Dr Al-Banna's explanation, another doctor has questioned the science behind this smokable protein delivery system.
LA-based cancer specialist Paul Hanona, MD, took to LinkedIn to tear apart the claims made about the protein hookah pipe, which he didn't think was even scientificially possible. He started by saying: "Let me save you the membership fee."
The doctor broke it down, saying: "Your lungs evolved for gas exchange, not nutrient absorption. Drugs work nasally because they’re tiny, lipid-soluble molecules engineered to cross membranes.
"Whey protein is 20,000 daltons — it physically cannot diffuse across your airway epithelium. There’s no amino acid transport system in your lungs. That’s your gut’s entire job."
With people potentially spending up to 45 minutes inhaling proteins that they cannot actually process, Dr Hanona raised some concerns about the potential side effects of protein-maxxing your lungs.
"At best you’re inhaling expensive particles that irritate your airways," he said. "At worst, hypersensitivity reaction."
Although, he did admit that the 'marketing is genius', with the caveat that the 'science is zero stars.' For Dr HanonaPor, there was only one true hack: "Eat your protein."
William Morgan