Really confused about protein...advice please?

letsdothis2010

First off, I'm not on a low carb diet. I try to make my ratios hover around 40-30-30 (carbs, protein, fat).

Most days, my total protein is in the 90's and exercise adds on more protein (that I usually don't fully fulfill). I've done research about how much protein should be consumed a day (and my answers ranged from 60 grams a day to 100 grams for me).

I'm really confused. I know that too much protein can be harmful, but I also know that it's important to get enough in your diet if you are active & doing strength training.

How much is too much? How much do you consume? Any input is appreciated

joejccva71

Too much protein is when it's causing your calorie intake to become a surplus causing you to gain weight unless you are trying to gain weight. Too much protein is when you weigh 120 lbs and are eating 500g of protein.

ak_in_ak

too much would be 300 or more grams. I have mine set to the same ratios and have never been able to meet them with 2 protein shakes a day! The benifit of protein is that it keeps you fuller for a lot longer then anything else. As long as you are losing weight do not worry about it too much.

as far as ways yo add more protein, almond milk, almonds, and edamame beans are great.

SeasideOasis

Too much protein is when it's causing your calorie intake to become a surplus causing you to gain weight unless you are trying to gain weight. Too much protein is when you weigh 120 lbs and are eating 500g of protein.

This guy is right.

Rule of thumb, if you are being active, you should try and shoot for 1 gram of protein per every pound you weigh. Yes, it is a lot. I should be trying for 159 grams, which is ABSOLUTELY doable if you try. Add in lean proteins (go to your nearly wholesale place and grab LOTS of chicken, salmon, whole turkeys) everywhere. Im adapting my snacks to things like turkey dipped in a low sodium low cal dressing. Its the little things that go a long way.

Egger29

If you're actively training, you'll want to set your protein intake to 0.6 - 0.8g / lb of body weight. So, someone who weights 150 lbs would need between 90 and 120g of protein in their daily diet to enhance and synthesize tissue repair from workout stress.

Timing is crucial with your best window of absorption being in the first 30 mins after your workout, and up to 2 hours. Any later than 2 hours and you've missed your window with little to no benefit from supplementing at that time.

That being said, you also want your post recovery drink to contain come carbohydrate as well as protein, (Ideally in a 2:1 ratio ). 30g Carb with 15g Protein in a recovery drink immediately after workout has been shown to have the most benefit to stimulating the Growth Hormone response, as well as insuling release in the blood that kicks up your fat burning mechanisms.

If you want some really hardcore details on Advanced Workout Nutrition, check out the article by Dr John Berardi posted in my Blog. It'll tell you everything you need to know.

dperez108

I always do one gram of protein for every one pound that i weigh.

letsdothis2010

Thanks everyone! Really clears it up for me. Since I'm pretty active but not severely, I'll probably go with the calculation of .8 g per pound of body weight.

joejccva71

Timing is crucial with your best window of absorption being in the first 30 mins after your workout, and up to 2 hours. Any later than 2 hours and you've missed your window with little to no benefit from supplementing at that time.

That being said, you also want your post recovery drink to contain come carbohydrate as well as protein, (Ideally in a 2:1 ratio ). 30g Carb with 15g Protein in a recovery drink immediately after workout has been shown to have the most benefit to stimulating the Growth Hormone response, as well as insuling release in the blood that kicks up your fat burning mechanisms.

I'm going to quote my favorite guy, Mr. Alan Aragon himself.

Pre, During, & Postworkout Nutrition
Hierarchy of Importance

When speaking of nutrition for improving body composition or training performance, it's crucial to realize there's an underlying hierarchy of importance. At the top of the hierarchy is total amount of the macronutrients by the end of the day. Distantly below that is the precise timing of those nutrients. With very few exceptions, athletes and active individuals eat multiple times per day. Thus, the majority of their day is spent in the postprandial (fed) rather than a post-absorptive (fasted) state. The vast majority of nutrient timing studies have been done on overnight-fasted subjects put through glycogen depletion protocols, which obviously limits the applicability of the outcomes. Pre-exercise (and/or during-exercise) nutrient intake often has a lingering carry-over effect into the post-exercise period. Throughout the day, there's a constant overlap of meal digestion & nutrient absorption. For this reason, the effectiveness of nutrient timing does not require a high degree of precision.

The Primary Laws of Nutrient Timing

•The First Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.
•The Second Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.

- Alan Aragon

Egger29

Dare to Expand your mind: www.precisionnutrition.com and www.johnberardi.com

http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/advanced_workout_nutrition.htm

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/about-post-workout-nutrition

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/about-post-workout-nutrition

There is an optimal window for post-workout nutrition/fuelling based on elevated levels of Growth Hormone following the workout, which is enhanced by increased release of insuling through the injestion of carbohydrate.

Several studies have shown that after two hours post-exercise...this is not the case.

Overall, however, if you are not meeting your daily requirements then yet, timing would be irrelevant...BUT, if you want to optimize your performance and workouts, then there is a benefit to properly timing your post-workout nutrition.

Timing is crucial with your best window of absorption being in the first 30 mins after your workout, and up to 2 hours. Any later than 2 hours and you've missed your window with little to no benefit from supplementing at that time.

That being said, you also want your post recovery drink to contain come carbohydrate as well as protein, (Ideally in a 2:1 ratio ). 30g Carb with 15g Protein in a recovery drink immediately after workout has been shown to have the most benefit to stimulating the Growth Hormone response, as well as insuling release in the blood that kicks up your fat burning mechanisms.

I'm going to quote my favorite guy, Mr. Alan Aragon himself.

Pre, During, & Postworkout Nutrition
Hierarchy of Importance

When speaking of nutrition for improving body composition or training performance, it's crucial to realize there's an underlying hierarchy of importance. At the top of the hierarchy is total amount of the macronutrients by the end of the day. Distantly below that is the precise timing of those nutrients. With very few exceptions, athletes and active individuals eat multiple times per day. Thus, the majority of their day is spent in the postprandial (fed) rather than a post-absorptive (fasted) state. The vast majority of nutrient timing studies have been done on overnight-fasted subjects put through glycogen depletion protocols, which obviously limits the applicability of the outcomes. Pre-exercise (and/or during-exercise) nutrient intake often has a lingering carry-over effect into the post-exercise period. Throughout the day, there's a constant overlap of meal digestion & nutrient absorption. For this reason, the effectiveness of nutrient timing does not require a high degree of precision.

The Primary Laws of Nutrient Timing

•The First Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.
•The Second Law of Nutrient Timing is: hitting your daily macronutrient targets is FAR more important than nutrient timing.

- Alan Aragon