The researchers found that over 40 percent of these men increased their use of supplements over time and that one in every five of them replaced their regular meals with dietary supplements that are not intended as meal replacements. Three percent of the men also reported having been hospitalized because of liver or kidney problems that are associated with their use of the supplements.

I personally consider protein powders as normal food products rather than sports supplements because they are separated from natural food products such as milk or eggs and thus not the result of chemical production (water, olive oil, table sugar and salt are other examples of 'pure' substances that are not considered sports supplements). Any good whey protein powder contains 20-25% BCAA's and 40-50% EAA's that get absorbed by the body within 2 hours after consumption and is a much cheaper source of quickly available amino acids.