By Madyson Muresan
Arts & Culture Editor

Social media fitness trends come and go, but this fad seems to have more of a grip on the average consumer. Whether it be athletes, gym-goers or everyday people, artificial protein has entered the daily lives of everyone. 

With the rising emphasis on protein consumption among fitness influencers, the question is: who is this all for? Fitness influencers’ core audience can be a diverse group of people, depending on their niche and mission. Corporations such as Pop-Tarts, Doritos and Starbucks, however, have a clearer core consumer: the everyday person.

“It’s really predatory. Right now, I feel like [we are] in a protein craze where protein’s like everything,” said Olajuwon Sobomehin, a wrestler at Clackamas Community College and a future commit to Westcliff University in Irvine, California. “It’s like, just get in as much protein as possible. When really they’re just trying to overcomplicate things and trying to just sell you a bunch of crap that doesn’t actually benefit you.”

While certain companies may not have a marketing scheme, their products have gone mainstream and may do little to no benefit for the average person. They aren’t the healthiest option for athletes either, as artificial protein lacks the vitamins and fiber found in whole foods. 

Doritos new product, protein Doritos, on the shelf of the Fred Meyer in Oregon City. Photos by Madyson Muresan

Ultra-processed protein snacks often load up on sugar and saturated fats to make up for the unpleasant taste of artificial protein. There have also been studies done by Consumer Report and Clean Label Projects, on protein products where results showed unsafe levels of heavy metals such as lead. 

CCC track athlete, Hayden Slaughter, shared similar sentiments about protein-dense products becoming commonplace in an athlete’s diet.

“I think it definitely pushes too much supplementation.
 [Athletes] want to fill [their diets] with protein powders or other ways to get [protein] in, other than eating just whole foods. They’re so obsessed, it’s almost getting too much protein in.” said Slaughter. “I mean, you really don’t need as much as the craze will tell you, like, ‘Oh, you need 300 grams’, or ‘You need 400 grams’, but just one gram [of protein] per kilogram of body weight should be good.”

Sobomehin gets about 90% of his protein intake from whole foods. He also applies the nutrition rule of 80/20. The 80/20 rule is a non-restrictive eating philosophy where 80% of the food you eat comes from whole foods and 20% comes from sweets or treats. This rule allows flexibility while also meeting your health goals. 

“That’s why it’s just really important to be conscious about what you actually eat, because you can eat Doritos when you’re trying to live a healthy lifestyle. You can, but you have to make room for that. If that’s either counting calories or just living 80/20.” said Sobomehin. “You could have a very healthy lifestyle while also eating the things that you enjoy. But, all these companies are doing is trying to just extract more money out of the consumer, ultimately.”

Protein Cheerios on the shelf of the Fred Meyer in Oregon City.

Protein is necessary for maintaining and building muscle, repairing tissue and supporting your immune system. Athletes rely on protein during their cutting season when they aim for food with the lowest caloric value and the most grams of protein. This is done to preserve muscle while reducing body fat. 

Brett Sanchez, head wrestling coach at CCC, spoke about the wrestling program’s emphasis on whole foods for their wrestlers.

“You have to really do your research on what you’re putting in your body. Obviously, it’s easier to get the artificial [option], and I think it’s cheaper, right? But the investment that we have to put into our bodies as student athletes, you know, you have to spend a little bit more,” said Sanchez. “So, not a fan of artificial. We try to do our best to be 100% grass fed for our protein.”

Sanchez also elaborated on the sometimes toxic culture among athletes pushing themselves past their limits in physique or skill.

“I think, you know, at least for our wrestling team, the guys have really bought into trying to make their bodies jump to another level and to be able to do that, like I said earlier, you’ve got to invest. Like I said, the culture is really developing in making those types of gains,” said Sanchez. 

Fairlife’s Core Power Elite protein shakes in the vending machine outside the CCC weight room.

Shelby Moran, assistant throws coach for the CCC track team with a certificate in nutrition for nutrition coaching, weighed in on whether the craze has educated athletes on making better nutritional choices or has pushed unnecessary supplementation.

“I think both because it has brought awareness to, like, you need protein as an athlete, but then it’s also pushed it too far in some areas where people are going and spending hundreds of dollars on supplements and over-consuming protein and kind of forgetting that athletes run on carbohydrates too,” said Moran. 

With the protein craze appearing to hit its peak in 2025, it seems like the trend is still alive and well. New protein snacks and drinks alike seem to pop up every day, creating a cloud of protein wherever consumers set foot. Will the cloud dissipate and give way to clearer days, or will fake protein continue its tyrannical rule over the food & beverage industry? Only time will tell.