How much protein is enough, you wonder? Let’s find out.
THE PROTEIN NEEDS OF ATHLETES
According to the Institute of Medicine, 10 to 35 percent of our daily calories should come from protein.
That’s not helpful for us, though, because 10 to 35 percent is quite a range to choose from. Even if we go with 35 percent, if our daily calorie intake is too low, we won’t get enough protein, and if it’s too high, we’ll get more than we need.
So, to find a more definitive answer, let’s look at some of the clinical research available on the matter, starting with research conducted by scientists at McMaster University.
According to their work, protein intake of 1.3 to 1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight (0.6 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight) is adequate for stimulating maximal protein synthesis.
They note, however, that more protein might be needed in the case of frequent and/or high-intensity training and in the case of dieting to lose fat (restricting calories).
A widely cited study conducted by researchers from the University of Western Ontario concluded the same: 1.6 to 1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight might be enough for athletes, but higher intakes may also be warranted depending on a variety of factors, including energy intake; carbohydrate availability; exercise intensity, duration, and type; dietary protein quality; training history; gender; age; timing of nutrient intake; and more.
As you can see, the topic is complex, and there may not be a “one-size-fits-all” solution. That said, the anecdotal evidence of “gym lore” can lend some insight here, and it agrees with the above findings.
• One gram of protein per pound of body weight (2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight) per day has been a bodybuilding rule of thumb for decades.
• Higher levels of protein intake, usually in the range of 1.2 to 1.5 grams per pound of body weight (2.6 to 3.3 grams per kilogram of body weight) per day, are commonly recommended when dieting to lose fat.
If those numbers sound high to you, consider these findings from research published in 2013 by researchers from the Auckland University of Technology:
“Protein needs for energy-restricted resistance-trained athletes are likely 2.3-3.1g/kg of FFM [1 - 1.4 grams per pound of fat free mass] scaled upwards with severity of caloric restriction and leanness.”
Fat-free mass, by the way, refers to the nonfat components of the human body, such as skeletal muscle, bone, and water. Technically, fat-free mass differs from lean body mass because there is some essential fat in the marrow of your bones and internal organs. Thus, lean body mass includes a small percentage of essential fat. Practically speaking, however, we can treat them the same and calculate fat-free mass in the same way as we calculated lean body mass.
In my case, my fat-free mass is currently 167 pounds. So, according to the research cited above, if I were to restrict my calories for fat-loss purposes, I should eat anywhere from 170 to 240 grams of protein per day.
Well, I’ve found this to be true, not only with my body but also with the thousands of people I’ve worked with. As you get leaner, keeping your protein intake high becomes very important. If it drops too low (below 1 gram per pound of body weight, in my experience), the loss of strength and muscle is noticeably accelerated.
So that’s it for the amount of protein you should eat. And again, don’t worry about trying to remember everything I talked about here, as I’m going to give you some simple dietary guidelines to follow when it comes time to create your meal plan. At this point, all you need to do is understand the research and reasoning behind the guidelines.
THE PROTEIN NEEDS OF ATHLETES
According to the Institute of Medicine, 10 to 35 percent of our daily calories should come from protein.
That’s not helpful for us, though, because 10 to 35 percent is quite a range to choose from. Even if we go with 35 percent, if our daily calorie intake is too low, we won’t get enough protein, and if it’s too high, we’ll get more than we need.
So, to find a more definitive answer, let’s look at some of the clinical research available on the matter, starting with research conducted by scientists at McMaster University.
According to their work, protein intake of 1.3 to 1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight (0.6 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight) is adequate for stimulating maximal protein synthesis.
They note, however, that more protein might be needed in the case of frequent and/or high-intensity training and in the case of dieting to lose fat (restricting calories).
A widely cited study conducted by researchers from the University of Western Ontario concluded the same: 1.6 to 1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight might be enough for athletes, but higher intakes may also be warranted depending on a variety of factors, including energy intake; carbohydrate availability; exercise intensity, duration, and type; dietary protein quality; training history; gender; age; timing of nutrient intake; and more.
As you can see, the topic is complex, and there may not be a “one-size-fits-all” solution. That said, the anecdotal evidence of “gym lore” can lend some insight here, and it agrees with the above findings.
• One gram of protein per pound of body weight (2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight) per day has been a bodybuilding rule of thumb for decades.
• Higher levels of protein intake, usually in the range of 1.2 to 1.5 grams per pound of body weight (2.6 to 3.3 grams per kilogram of body weight) per day, are commonly recommended when dieting to lose fat.
If those numbers sound high to you, consider these findings from research published in 2013 by researchers from the Auckland University of Technology:
“Protein needs for energy-restricted resistance-trained athletes are likely 2.3-3.1g/kg of FFM [1 - 1.4 grams per pound of fat free mass] scaled upwards with severity of caloric restriction and leanness.”
Fat-free mass, by the way, refers to the nonfat components of the human body, such as skeletal muscle, bone, and water. Technically, fat-free mass differs from lean body mass because there is some essential fat in the marrow of your bones and internal organs. Thus, lean body mass includes a small percentage of essential fat. Practically speaking, however, we can treat them the same and calculate fat-free mass in the same way as we calculated lean body mass.
In my case, my fat-free mass is currently 167 pounds. So, according to the research cited above, if I were to restrict my calories for fat-loss purposes, I should eat anywhere from 170 to 240 grams of protein per day.
Well, I’ve found this to be true, not only with my body but also with the thousands of people I’ve worked with. As you get leaner, keeping your protein intake high becomes very important. If it drops too low (below 1 gram per pound of body weight, in my experience), the loss of strength and muscle is noticeably accelerated.
So that’s it for the amount of protein you should eat. And again, don’t worry about trying to remember everything I talked about here, as I’m going to give you some simple dietary guidelines to follow when it comes time to create your meal plan. At this point, all you need to do is understand the research and reasoning behind the guidelines.
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