How much protein?

MouthyMatt

hi guys, can anyone give me any guidance on how much protein I should be consuming daily?
I am usually weight training and doing cardio work at the gym 5+ days of the week, but I suspect I'm not currently taking on as much protein as I should and am worried that this will have a detrimental effect on muscle if I carry on as I am.

Will be making up the difference with protein supplements, but unsure on what I should be consuming?
Any help would be greatly appreciated :happy:

ThinningDownChick

I'm not a guy but I aim for .75 grams per pound of body weight. Good luck

dls06

How to Calculate Your Protein Needs:

1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg
2. Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gm.

Use a lower number if you are in good health and are sedentary (i.e., 0.8). Use a higher number (between 1 and 1.8) if you are under stress, are pregnant, are recovering from an illness, or if you are involved in consistent and intense weight or endurance training.

Example: 154 lb male who is a regular exerciser and lifts weights
154 lbs/2.2 = 70kg
70kg x 1.5 = 105 gm protein/day

MouthyMatt

Thanks guys!

Looks like I've got a fairly large amount to consume then, better work out how much I am on at the moment so I can make up the difference

Not sure how easy it will be to take this much on, guess a lot of protein shakes lol

xcrushx28

From the diaries I look there are a lot of people that are trying to lose weight that simply each too little protein. Protein has many advantages when dieting. At the very minimum I would suggest somebody ingest 1 gram for every lb of lean mass.

MouthyMatt

Ok thanks, that may be easier, to try and go by lean mass, as apposed to body mass, especially since I'm still burning fat

pjteige

Generally accepted protein intake in the weight lifting / body building community for men is at least 1 gram per lb. of body weight. You will probably need to supplement with protein powder in order to meet this goal without consuming excessive calories. As far as what type of protein, in your diet from foods, you should try to get as many different sources as possible. In powders, there are many different types available, but whey is the most popular and is very quickly absorbed into the system. That being said, proteins like casein from milk is much more slowly absorbed and has it place, too, as it provides a steady release of protein over time.

I recently read these two articles and found them interesting and informative on this subject:
http://www.simplyshredded.com/10-nutrition-rules-for-beginners-never-ignore-the-importance-diet-plays-in-achieving-a-great-physique.html
http://www.simplyshredded.com/protein-intake-how-much-protein-should-you-consume-and-what-does-the-research-really-say.html