Protein

BeccaLoves2lift
BeccaLoves2lift Posts: 375 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Quick question about protein when maintaining/recomping. How much do you need for the muscle development? My current weight is 115 lbs and I eat anywhere from 100-130g of protein a day. I know this is necessary in a deficit but what about when trying to recomp? TIA!

Replies

  • Grimmerick
    Grimmerick Posts: 3,342 Member
    edited October 2017
    So I read the plan with recomp was to lose fat and gain muscle without losing weight. The recommendation was to eat at a slight deficit on non weight lifting days and to eat at maintenance on lifting days with protein being 1 gram per lb of body weight. Here is an article I read on it that I liked. The article will give you the calorie/Macro details.

    http://physiqonomics.com/body-recomposition/
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    That should be plenty. I think the recommendation is usually about 1 g per lb of body weight, or .6-.8g per lb of lean body mass. Good job!
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    I would aim for 0.8-1g per lb lean body mass or lb bodyweight minimum. Protein is the most important for retaining muscle in a deficit so I typically keep it higher, but obviously important for muscle building too (in recomp or bulk)..you can go on the higher end as long as it isn't crowding out other macros.
  • BeccaLoves2lift
    BeccaLoves2lift Posts: 375 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    I would aim for 0.8-1g per lb lean body mass or lb bodyweight minimum. Protein is the most important for retaining muscle in a deficit so I typically keep it higher, but obviously important for muscle building too (in recomp or bulk)..you can go on the higher end as long as it isn't crowding out other macros.

    That's what I did during my deficit so I'll just keep it up then!
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    For muscle building, muscle retention, those weight lifting and athletes etc, the numbers will be higher than the RDA which I believe is more for sedentary or only lightly active individuals

    Yes, you can certainly eat a bit more, the question is, how much more and why. Overeating protein doesn't automatically make you add muscle, exercising (particularly weight training) does that. My point is that when you go too high in protein while within a calorie limit, your body just has to metabolize protein for fuel, which is inefficient. You can simply go by how you feel.

    First off, OP is maintaining so her calorie limit shouldn't be that low.

    Second, I actually did indicate that you don't want protein to be so high that it crowds out other macros (this would be more for those with a lower cal limit). I usually keep fats around 0.4-0.6g per lb lbm then carbs for the rest. If OP finds her energy lacking, she can always play around with her macro ratios.

    No, protein alone will not lead to muscle building..but adequate protein is important to provide the building blocks. Ya sure, you can perhaps get away with recomping using the absolute minimum....but why not err on the side of caution and stay somewhere in the middle.
  • BeccaLoves2lift
    BeccaLoves2lift Posts: 375 Member
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    I think that's too much. The US RDA is only .8g of protein per kg body weight per day, indicating that you'd only need 42g per day. You could go higher, but there is a cost: you must then lower your fats and carbs to stay on program. The issue is that when you under-eat fats and carbs, your body has to metabolize protein, which is a poor fuel. You may find you don't feel all that peppy and are hungry. (If not, then carry on.)

    I am trying to lower my bf and build some muscle. I don't think 42g of protein a day will be near enough for me. Also, the protein does help to keep me feeling fuller, when I do more carbs I tend to want to eat more in general.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    emmydoodles83 wrote: »
    So I read the plan with recomp was to lose fat and gain muscle without losing weight. The recommendation was to eat at a slight deficit on non weight lifting days and to eat at maintenance on lifting days with protein being 1 gram per lb of body weight. Here is an article I read on it that I liked. The article will give you the calorie/Macro details.

    http://physiqonomics.com/body-recomposition/

    That's one way - but it's totally unnecessary to calorie cycle. That's just making maintenance restrictive and subject to pointless rules. You could equally make the case for eating more on recovery days...
    That protein amount is excessive for someone at maintenance too, not harmful but higher than required.

    Being at maintenance takes away one of the drivers (retention of muscle in a deficit) for having a higher protein allowance.
    But someone during heavy exercise does benefit from a higher protein allowance compared to someone not exercising.

    Personally I feel aiming for 1g of protein per lb of estimated lean mass is a nice level.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    edited October 2017
    MrsBeccaM5 wrote: »
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    I think that's too much. The US RDA is only .8g of protein per kg body weight per day, indicating that you'd only need 42g per day. You could go higher, but there is a cost: you must then lower your fats and carbs to stay on program. The issue is that when you under-eat fats and carbs, your body has to metabolize protein, which is a poor fuel. You may find you don't feel all that peppy and are hungry. (If not, then carry on.)

    I am trying to lower my bf and build some muscle. I don't think 42g of protein a day will be near enough for me. Also, the protein does help to keep me feeling fuller, when I do more carbs I tend to want to eat more in general.

    i agree, I would be starving on that little protein!
  • cs2thecox
    cs2thecox Posts: 533 Member
    MrsBeccaM5 wrote: »
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    I think that's too much. The US RDA is only .8g of protein per kg body weight per day, indicating that you'd only need 42g per day. You could go higher, but there is a cost: you must then lower your fats and carbs to stay on program. The issue is that when you under-eat fats and carbs, your body has to metabolize protein, which is a poor fuel. You may find you don't feel all that peppy and are hungry. (If not, then carry on.)

    I am trying to lower my bf and build some muscle. I don't think 42g of protein a day will be near enough for me. Also, the protein does help to keep me feeling fuller, when I do more carbs I tend to want to eat more in general.

    Me too.
    I'm on 130-140g protein and weigh about 60kg.
    I feel much, much more satisfied on higher levels of protein than I do on higher levels of carbs, so I chose to go down this route.

    I'm also basically in maintenance/recomp although on a tiny bit of a cut at the moment.
    Along with lifting 3 times a week, it's been working fabulously for me over the last year or so. I haven't really lost any weight, but I've shrunk quite a lot and people have been commenting that I look great.

    As I understand it, as long as you don't have any kidney issues, then choosing to be higher protein within an otherwise balanced and nutritionally sound diet is absolutely fine, and just a matter of personal preference.
  • Grimmerick
    Grimmerick Posts: 3,342 Member
    edited October 2017
    sijomial wrote: »
    emmydoodles83 wrote: »
    So I read the plan with recomp was to lose fat and gain muscle without losing weight. The recommendation was to eat at a slight deficit on non weight lifting days and to eat at maintenance on lifting days with protein being 1 gram per lb of body weight. Here is an article I read on it that I liked. The article will give you the calorie/Macro details.

    http://physiqonomics.com/body-recomposition/

    That's one way - but it's totally unnecessary to calorie cycle. That's just making maintenance restrictive and subject to pointless rules. You could equally make the case for eating more on recovery days...
    That protein amount is excessive for someone at maintenance too, not harmful but higher than required.

    Being at maintenance takes away one of the drivers (retention of muscle in a deficit) for having a higher protein allowance.
    But someone during heavy exercise does benefit from a higher protein allowance compared to someone not exercising.

    Personally I feel aiming for 1g of protein per lb of estimated lean mass is a nice level.

    Good to know, thanks! Always more than one way to skin a cat on MFP :) and I always like the path of least resistance........except for training.......then I like more resistance......I think I should have used another idiom.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    MrsBeccaM5 wrote: »
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    I think that's too much. The US RDA is only .8g of protein per kg body weight per day, indicating that you'd only need 42g per day. You could go higher, but there is a cost: you must then lower your fats and carbs to stay on program. The issue is that when you under-eat fats and carbs, your body has to metabolize protein, which is a poor fuel. You may find you don't feel all that peppy and are hungry. (If not, then carry on.)

    I am trying to lower my bf and build some muscle. I don't think 42g of protein a day will be near enough for me. Also, the protein does help to keep me feeling fuller, when I do more carbs I tend to want to eat more in general.

    i agree, I would be starving on that little protein!

    Me too! I usually get around 40g just at lunch. OP i hover between 120-150g of protein a day.
  • BeccaLoves2lift
    BeccaLoves2lift Posts: 375 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    I think that's too much. The US RDA is only .8g of protein per kg body weight per day, indicating that you'd only need 42g per day. You could go higher, but there is a cost: you must then lower your fats and carbs to stay on program. The issue is that when you under-eat fats and carbs, your body has to metabolize protein, which is a poor fuel. You may find you don't feel all that peppy and are hungry. (If not, then carry on.)

    It is important to understand that the RDA for protein is a minimum for general health...it's not a max RDA. It also assumes a more or less sedentary lifestyle.

    You do eventually get to a point where more protein has little to know value...that amount is typically around .82 grams per Lb of body mass in a strength athlete...less in an endurance athlete, and even less for someone who is sedentary.

    If someone is eating at maintenance, they should have about zero issue under eating fats and carbs while taking in around 0.8 grams per Lb of protein.

    This is one of my favorite articles on optimal protein intake and sites a lot of sources...it focuses more on the upper limits...

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

    This is a good one talking about RDA and the confusion people have with RDA...

    https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-much-protein-do-you-need-every-day-201506188096

    Thank you for the articles!
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    If someone is eating at maintenance, they should have about zero issue under eating fats and carbs while taking in around 0.8 grams per Lb of protein.

    I think we are all in agreement here, including Henselmens. You can benefit by eating a bit more protein than the RDA. Just not so much more that your body has to metabolize a lot of protein for energy. Some people report being tired and/or hungry in that case, so, as I said, you can go by how you feel.

    Btw, eating low carb doesn't mean you need to over-eat protein. Don't forget your healthy fats. Very satisfying.

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