Tuesday, October 1, 2013
How Much Protein
Proteins are the building blocks for our entire body including bones, muscles, skin and blood. It has become standard operating procedure that if you are looking to add muscle increasing your protein intake is the correct action. Many companies and books claim that 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight is the optimal value for increased muscle gain. A website I use to track my calories/nutrition (www.myfitnesspal.com) recommends an astounding 1.4g of protein per pound (for my recommended daily allowance they recommend 236g!).
But is this true?
A new article titled 'The Myth of 1g/lb: Optimal Protein Intake for Bodybuilders' debunks the myth of 1g per pound. The article which can be found at http://mennohenselmans.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/
So what is the optimal protein intake? Many papers and articles listed in the link state that .82g/lb is the upper limit of protein intake where benefits were observed. The article also discusses that the more advanced your are in body building the less protein you synthesize due to the fact you are nearing your genetic limit. Walberg et al. (1988) found that lean body mass can be maintained with as little as .73g/lb.
But what about bodybuilders you ask? They certainly intake more than .82g/lb and are very muscular. Bodybuilders use anabolic steroids or growth hormones which effect the natural chemical balance of the body. There are a lot of supplement companies who have invested millions of dollars in the myth of 1g per pound which is another reason for the proliferation of this benchmark along with the fact their studies/marketing as based on the bodybuilder diet and lifestyle.
That being stated none of the studies mentioned any adverse effects to consuming more than .82g/lb nor does the article mention any issues. A new guideline is being established for this blog for protein recommendation is .64g/lb-.82g/lb. For a 170lb athlete that would result in 140g per day at the highest end of the spectrum.
how does this effect your diet?
---rich
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Hi Rich,
ReplyDeletei just did a little math based on the caloric breakdown of the ideal human diet (according to Paul Jaminet) and came up with very similar numbers: The recommended human macronutrient breakdown is something like 60% fat; 20% protein, 20% carbs. 1g of Protein has 4 calories. If I know take an average athletic person with a daily caloric need of 3000 calories, I would end up with a requirement of 150g of daily protein intake. For me it is difficult to get that much protein on a daily basis, especially since I still rely on cafeteria food at work.
Cheers,
Mike
Hey Mike, I aim for 2700 calories a day. I start my day with bulletproof coffee (coffee plus 30g of unsalted kerry gold butter and 2 tbsp of MCT oil) resulting in 50g of fat but no protein. For lunch I try to add protein in large amounts via 8oz-12oz of meat, chicken or fish. Two or three pieces of grilled chicken (8oz) is 60g of protein. The same is true of grilled salmon. You can also supplement during the day with organic beef jerky (I like well food co.) or my new favorite snack Siva Seeds which are high in protein and omega 3. For dinner I again lead towards grass-fed beef or pork in 8-10oz which combined with lunch and snacks allows me to hit my goals. And if my case due to the new study I can reduce the size of my protein portions and still meet my daily requirements.
ReplyDeleteRich