'I quit protein supplements for six weeks and put on muscle'

Ali is a 23-year-old dentist from Cardiff who takes protein supplements.

He's been on a mission to bulk up ahead of getting married.

As well as going to the gym, he's been taking around 120 grams of synthetic protein or powder a day, on top of his meals.

We challenged Ali to stop taking supplements for six weeks , and instead, have a similar amount through food spread out throughout the day.

You can see how he got on in our iPlayer documentary Addicted to Protein.

He says he started taking supplements to try to speed up the time it takes to put on muscle.

Used correctly extra protein can help you repair and build muscle.

"I've always thought I want to put on some weight at some point.

"My friends were a big factor and they were taking protein.

"I thought I'm going all in. I bought the biggest bag [of protein supplements] possible."

Ali features in the BBC iPlayer documentary Addicted to Protein

Ali used to take his first protein hit with his breakfast and the second after his workout before dinner.

This is where dieticians told him he and a lot of other people go wrong.

Taking protein supplements at "the right time of the day is also vital," according to Professor Graeme Close Liverpool John Moores University.

Keeping your levels of intake relatively constant, rather than additional shakes after meals, is more effective and where many go wrong, he says.

And if you take more than your body can process at any one time you'll just excrete it in your urine.

Ali he found it difficult to know where to look to get the correct information on gym supplements.

"If I'm honest I don't think anyone really knows how much they should be taking.

"It's just word of mouth really. You see how much your friends are taking you'll take roughly that much."

"I want my mental perception of myself to be better.

"I know people who are taking much more than me and I ask them 'Why are you taking so much more?' And they're like 'no idea'."

Ali was put through something called a DEXA body scanner - a machine that measures how much of your body is fat and how much is lean mass or muscle.

Before the test Ali had 58Kg of muscle. After six weeks we brought Ali back to John Moores University in Liverpool.

Ali features in the BBC iPlayer documentary Addicted to Protein

He'd been cold turkey on the protein shakes and been spreading his food out throughout the day.

"I'm in shock," were his first words when he was put through the scanner again and found out he'd increased his muscle by 1kg.

Despite that, a month on Ali is back on the supplements. But why?

"There are a few reasons really. It's a lot easier to cook a few meals a day and have protein in-between rather than making five meals a day.

"I just don't have the time for it. Secondly there are no real proven health risks with using them, especially if you use it in the right amount."

Professor Graeme Close is not surprised by the result. He thinks a food first approach is always best, with supplements just being used to top up, if necessary.

He says: "You can get those gains in muscle, what young people are looking for, without having to rely on what can be expensive supplements."

Find us on Instagram at BBCNewsbeat and follow us on Snapchat, search for bbc_newsbeat