Can you eat too much protein?

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  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,124 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    There is a point at which more protein ceases to provide any benefit...that point is different for someone who is sedentary vs an endurance athlete vs a strength athlete...at that point, you're just making really expensive fuel.

    Here's a nice article and illustrative graph...

    http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/

    The other group that you don't mention is those in a caloric deficit. Then protein requirements are higher as well. Even then there is a point where the benefits stop increasing.
    cushman5279 wrote: »
    For endurance athletes the recommended range is 1.4 g to 1.7 g per kilogram of body weight per day. If you're eating in excesses of that whatever your body doesn't use for fuel will be stored as fat or will come out in your urine.

    At 1000-1200 calories a day it will be used as fuel. The only time it will turn to fat is when total calories exceed maintenance.
  • Anvil_Head
    Anvil_Head Posts: 251 Member
    edited October 2016
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    Guitarman1994 wrote: »
    Can't eat too much protein. Your body will only absorb 30 grams at one sitting anyway. So anything past that is not getting used. To gain muscle stay around 1.5 grams per pound of body weight daily. Just don't try and fit it all in one meal bc it won't do any good. Stagger it out through the day!

    No.

    http://atlargenutrition.com/is-there-a-limit-to-how-much-protein-the-body-can-use-in-a-single-meal/
    (Research review by Alan Aragon - study references included)
  • Anvil_Head
    Anvil_Head Posts: 251 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    There is a point at which more protein ceases to provide any benefit...that point is different for someone who is sedentary vs an endurance athlete vs a strength athlete...at that point, you're just making really expensive fuel.

    Here's a nice article and illustrative graph...

    http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/

    Be sure to read the entire back and forth between Menno Henselmans and Eric Helms in this follow-up article: http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/eric-helms-protein/

    It's not as clear cut as it seems.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    withoutasaddle wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Remember to keep protein in the right range (.8-1.2g per pound LBM).

    Yes. Remember to keep it in the right range of .8-1.2 (sometimes 1.4)g per KILOGRAM.

    No, this is wrong. I provided the range for muscle retention in athletic individuals.

    You provided (??). The per kg of total body weight is only applicable to individuals who are 1.) not overweight and 2.) sedentary
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,392 MFP Moderator
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    For protien, it's reasonable to maintain muscle mass with 1.5-2.2g/kg of weight. Below is a good paper on it.


    http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/apnm-2015-0549

    "In practice, 1.5 to 2.2 g/(kg·day) of high-quality protein constitutes a reasonable recommendation for adults as part of a complete diet."


  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    edited October 2016
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    psulemon wrote: »
    For protien, it's reasonable to maintain muscle mass with 1.5-2.2g/kg of weight. Below is a good paper on it.


    http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/apnm-2015-0549

    "In practice, 1.5 to 2.2 g/(kg·day) of high-quality protein constitutes a reasonable recommendation for adults as part of a complete diet."


    Yes, this is the equivalent to the suggestion i made based upon LBM.

    Here's more on this:

    Beyond the zone: protein needs of active individuals.
    ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11023001

    Based on laboratory measures, daily protein requirements are increased by perhaps as much as 100% vs. recommendations for sedentary individuals (1.6-1.8 vs. 0.8 g/kg). Yet even these intakes are much less than those reported by most athletes.


    Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to optimum adaptation.
    ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22150425
    Elevated protein consumption, as high as 1.8-2.0 g · kg(-1) · day(-1) depending on the caloric deficit, may be advantageous in preventing lean mass losses during periods of energy restriction to promote fat loss.

    Increased protein intake reduces lean body mass loss during weight loss in athletes.
    ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19927027

    These results indicate that approximately 2.3 g x kg(-1) or approximately 35% protein was significantly superior to approximately 1.0 g x kg(-1) or approximately 15% energy protein for maintenance of lean body mass in young healthy athletes during short-term hypoenergetic weight loss.



    From the Journal of Sports Sciences
    olympiatoppen.no/fagomraader/idrettsernaering/Fagstoff/artikler/media39080.media

    To optimize the ratio of fat-to-lean tissue mass loss during hypoenergetic periods, athletes are advised to ensure that they lower their carbohydrate intake to *40% of their energy intake (with an emphasis on consumption of lower GI carbohydrates), which usually means no more than 3–4 g kg71 day71 , and increase their protein intake to *20–30% of their energy intake or *1.8–2.7 g kg lean body tissue .... By engaging in resistance exercise during a hypoenergetic dieting period, athletes will also provide a markedly anabolic stimulus to retain muscle protein. All of the aforementioned strategies will, however, result in less absolute weight loss than if protein is not increased and resistive exercise is not performed, which may be important for some athletes.



    Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
    fnic.nal.usda.gov/sites/fnic.nal.usda.gov/files/uploads/recommended_intakes_individuals.pdf

    Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs): Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges : Carbohydrates 45–65%, Dietary Fat 20–35%, Protein 10-35%


    Essentially the USDA and ACSM recommend minimum intakes for fat and protein to active individuals while carbohydrates can vary. Active individuals require more protein to maintain a positive nitrogen balance. An acceptable macronutrient ratio which generally meets minimum protein, fats, AND carbs is 40%carbs, 30%protein, 30% fat. This falls within the guidelines of the RDA and also supplies adequate protein to assist with lean muscle retention during exercise and/or calorie deficit.


    Edit:
    Also, as stated you can run into issues with "per KG" of total body weight when individuals are overweight as this does not take into account lean body mass and minimum requirements. This is why according to my training we've been advised to base protein needs off of LBM and as we work with clients who mostly use the imperial system base it off of pounds. In KG our recommendation has been 1.3-2.0g per KG lean body mass.

    For a 150 pound female (68.03 KG) with 25% body fat, this would be a range of:
    90-135 grams of protein.

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