How much protein do you need?

--You Need A Lot Of Protein to Build Muscle.

The fitness industry will have you believe that if you want to build muscle you need a lot of protein. While it is true that you should take in more protein if you are exercising to build muscle, you will not need to take in gross amounts of protein to put on muscle. This is a big industry whopper that has been created to entice you to buy a lot of protein shakes and supplements!

On the other hand, the medical industry and RDA would have you believe that only need .08 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (.36 grams per lb. of body weight) to build muscle but this doesn't add up at all.

Without making you go crazy with formulas, let's just take a look at some basic requirements.

Example: Let's say the *Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) for a 200 lb, 38 year old male, is approximately 1941 calories.

Some Facts:

1 Carbohydrate Gram = 4 calories

1 Protein Gram = 4 calories

1 Fat Gram = 9 calories.

If the RDA claims you should have 35% of your calories coming from Protein, how much protein would that be?...

BIG INDUSTRY WHOPPER!

--You Need A Lot Of Protein to Build Muscle.

The fitness industry will have you believe that if you want to build muscle you need a lot of protein. While it is true that you should take in more protein if you are exercising to build muscle, you will not need to take in gross amounts of protein to put on muscle. This is a big industry whopper that has been created to entice you to buy a lot of protein shakes and supplements!

On the other hand, the medical industry and RDA would have you believe that only need .08 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (.36 grams per lb. of body weight) to build muscle but this doesn't add up at all.

Without making you go crazy with formulas, let's just take a look at some basic requirements.

Example: Let's say the *Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) for a 200 lb, 38 year old male, is approximately 1941 calories.

Some Facts:

1 Carbohydrate Gram = 4 calories

1 Protein Gram = 4 calories

1 Fat Gram = 9 calories.

If the RDA claims you should have 35% of your calories coming from Protein, how much protein would that be? (should be around 40-50% according to most research studies)

1941 BMR x .35 = 679 Calories from protein

679 calories divided by 4 protein calories = 169.75 grams

169.75 divided by 200lbs = 0.85 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.

This is how much protein your body needs just to sustain life in a resting body ( Your BMR). As you increase your activity level, your caloric needs increase too so you will need to increase your protein. It is important to note, however, you will also need to increase your carbs and fats too.

According to most research, once you pass 1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight or 1.4 grams per kilogram of body weight, there is no credible research to support any higher protein synthesis within the muscles.

Finally, muscle growth is not dictated by the level of protein you ingest; rather it is the balance of intense training, cardio and nutrition that ultimately determines how much protein you should consume

Definition* Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): The minimal Caloric Requirement to sustain life in a resting individual. This would be the amount of calories your body would be required to burn if you slept all day for 24 hours.