Protein, gout and gaining muscle mass

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I suffer from gout (ouch!) and so am very careful about protein sources - now I'm looking to gain some muscle mass I'm wondering if there is a minimum level and how that might affect me.

A rate of 1g per kg bodyweight (or more) gets mentioned a lot but even thinking about this much protein makes my toes ache. Is there a recognised minimum level for adding lean muscle mass?

I have been managing my gout through diet and am reluctant to go down the medication route due to possible side effects so any gout/diet advice gratefully received.

Cheers

Replies

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    When my hubby had gout, they just listed red meat. Use a different protein source?
  • elizabethmcopeland
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    Well, there's rules of thumb and then there's research-based. What do you want? :) I mean, ultimately to gain muscle you need to be at a reasonable surplus and also strength training. Lyle McDonald has an article on Muscle Gain math: https://bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/muscle-gain-math.html/, and another on protein numbers: https://bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/protein-requirements-for-strength-and-power-athletes.html/
  • Skee_2802
    Skee_2802 Posts: 296 Member
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    I suffer from same and have managed it through change in diet.
    No meds or attacks for 2-3 years and i use to get them often & severe before I changed my diet.

    Know what your triggers are and minimise or eliminate from your diet. Sounds like you have already have taken this step.

    Too much red or processed meat / food is a trigger for me, so I eat these in moderation in small quantities when I do.

    Other sources of protein that dont cause any of the symptoms for me include (maybe diff for you but to give you an idea):
    Chicken / Turkey/ Eggs / egg whites / Salmon or fish in general / Whey Supplement / Plant based protein like beans are a good source / Plant based supplements.
    The only red meat I can have in excess is Kangaroo meat, and have no idea why it doesnt trigger any symptoms so it's one of my staple protein sources.

    My daily protein goals is set at 1.5g per kg so 180 a day. I have had my protein higher than this without issues.

    If you know what your triggers are, limit your exposure to them. Get your protein from other sources that dont trigger your symptoms and above all else, drink enough water every day.

    Hope this helps.
  • Cant_think_of_a_username
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    I suffer from same and have managed it through change in diet.
    No meds or attacks for 2-3 years and i use to get them often & severe before I changed my diet.

    Know what your triggers are and minimise or eliminate from your diet. Sounds like you have already have taken this step.

    Too much red or processed meat / food is a trigger for me, so I eat these in moderation in small quantities when I do.

    Other sources of protein that dont cause any of the symptoms for me include (maybe diff for you but to give you an idea):
    Chicken / Turkey/ Eggs / egg whites / Salmon or fish in general / Whey Supplement / Plant based protein like beans are a good source / Plant based supplements.
    The only red meat I can have in excess is Kangaroo meat, and have no idea why it doesnt trigger any symptoms so it's one of my staple protein sources.

    My daily protein goals is set at 1.5g per kg so 180 a day. I have had my protein higher than this without issues.

    If you know what your triggers are, limit your exposure to them. Get your protein from other sources that dont trigger your symptoms and above all else, drink enough water every day.

    Hope this helps.

    Thank you - yes that helps. I know we are all different but it's encouraging that you are at that level of protein without attacks as it gives me some courage to try some things!

    I spent a year working through an elimination diet figuring out which foods were my triggers - turns out tomato products, especially those with puree in them (even in crazy low amounts) are a major problem for me. My Doctor suggested adding lean turkey to my diet to boost protein levels which I recently tried and WHAM gout struck back - thanks very much Doc. I have added some chicken into the mix this week at a low level and all seems okay so far, so I will start to push up the amount over the next couple of weeks and see what happens (hopefully nothing!).

    Plant based proteins have been my mainstay while figuring out what works for me but they generally come with a lot of carbs and I'm in danger of starting to look like a falafel :smile: