what's too much protein when bulking?

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roverdisc98
roverdisc98 Posts: 78 Member
in Food and Nutrition
in order to gain mass you need protein, but what is too much? i've heard lots of different opinions
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Replies

  • diodelcibo
    diodelcibo Posts: 2,564 Member
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    If you're going over a gram per lb of bodyweight (assuming you are less than 20% body fat) it's maybe too much.
  • CaptainHNNNGGG
    CaptainHNNNGGG Posts: 205 Member
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    1G per 1 pound of LBM is usually enough
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I don't think there is "too much", but there comes a point where there is no advantage of taking in anymore. I have seen some studies posted here.
  • bspurrie
    bspurrie Posts: 5 Member
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    I have also been told that most people can't absorb much more than 30 grams of protein at a time. So the point would be that if you are taking in anymore than that at a time it will pass through. Makes you take a more balanced approach instead of trying to do it all at once.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
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    Unless you have some sort of medical condition you probably cant eat to much BUT there is only so much you need for muscle growth and repair. Anything beyond that amount will simply be turned into energy and used or stored.

    You can only make so much muscle and more protein than you need will not increase this.
  • Bettyeditor
    Bettyeditor Posts: 327 Member
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    I just read a good recommendation yesterday (my nutritionist also uses this formula):
    * Divide your bodyweight by 2.2 to get your bodyweight in kilograms, then multiply by 1.4
    * For example: 200 lbs / 2.2 = 90.90 x 1.4 = 127 grams of protein a day.

    This is the formula that you would use if you are doing weight training to build muscle but eating at a deficit to lose fat (this ratio should protect from losing lean muscle mass).

    If you are just bulking, you can eat a bit less, like perhaps multiple by 1.2 instead of 1.4 (in the 200 lbs example, that would be 109g).

    ---
    Another way to calculate it is to measure your bodyfat so that you know your lean body mass. Then eat at least 1 gram of protein for pound of lean body mass. Let's say 200 lbs man at 18% bodyfat is 164 lbs of lean body mass.

    ---
    As you can see, there is more than one way to calculate protein. But the bottom line is that if you are doing a bulk (eating surplus calories to build muscle mass), its hard to get too much protein. You would have to eat a truly huge amount to start putting any strain on your liver or kidneys. Its far more common to be eating too little protein.
  • roverdisc98
    roverdisc98 Posts: 78 Member
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    my daily average protein intake is around 1/2gram of body weight but I want to double the intake and put me around 150+ daily grams

    i'm doing this in order to gain muscle mass while lifting heavy. is this a bad plan?
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
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    If you're eating around 1 gram per pound and it's not too hard to stick with you're probably fine. The common figure thrown around is 1 gram per pound of lean body mass but to me that always felt a bit low. I like 1 gram per pound of total body weight.

    If you're doing 3 or 4 times your body weight in grams of protein, that's probably a waste of time.

    As outlier examples, I recall a documentary of Kaz where he talks about taking in 4 or 5 hundred grams a day, and I know Poundstone takes in a helluva lot too, but I still think it's overkill for all but maybe the most elite. Further for both of those guys even at 5 hundred grams that's still only about 2x body weight (and really, if you're a Kaz or a KK or a Cap'n Kirk...eat whatever the hell you want).
  • benflando
    benflando Posts: 193
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    Go 1.5 per pound of bodyweight.
  • Sul3i
    Sul3i Posts: 553 Member
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    Bump to read later
  • grantdumas7
    grantdumas7 Posts: 802 Member
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    I have also been told that most people can't absorb much more than 30 grams of protein at a time. So the point would be that if you are taking in anymore than that at a time it will pass through. Makes you take a more balanced approach instead of trying to do it all at once.
    That's a myth that will never die. Think about it. A 250 LB bodybuilder can only absorb as much protein as a 130 LB female at one meal.
  • grantdumas7
    grantdumas7 Posts: 802 Member
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    my daily average protein intake is around 1/2gram of body weight but I want to double the intake and put me around 150+ daily grams

    i'm doing this in order to gain muscle mass while lifting heavy. is this a bad plan?
    I would increase it. Macro nutrient % are going out the window. Instead follow one of these approaches:
    1. Proteins 1 gram per Lean body Mass (LBM), Fats .4 to .5 grams per LBM, The rest of calories will come from carbs.
    2. Protein 1 gram per LB of body weight, Fats .4 to .5 grams per LB of body weight, The rest of calories from carbs.

    The first approach you will be eating less carbs and fats then the second but you will be eating more carbs.
    Or even as ben suggested go up to 1.5 per LB.
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
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    im bulking with 35% protein 40% carbs 25% fats
  • takumaku
    takumaku Posts: 352 Member
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    I would suggest finding what works for you. Your body is unique and all nutrition can do is provide a general recommendation.

    For some of us with medical conditions, the amount of protein we eat exceed what is typically posted.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    "It has been observed that the human liver cannot safely metabolise much more than 285-365 g of protein per day (for an 80 kg person), and human kidneys are similarly limited in their capability to remove urea (a byproduct of protein catabolism) from the bloodstream. Exceeding that amount results in excess levels of amino acids, ammonia (hyperammonemia), and/or urea in the bloodstream, with potentially fatal consequences,[1] especially if the person switches to a high-protein diet without giving time for the levels of his or her hepatic enzymes to upregulate. Since protein only contains 4 kcal/gram, and a typical adult human requires in excess of 1900 kcal to maintain the energy balance, it is possible to exceed the safe intake of protein if one is subjected to a high-protein diet with little or no fat or carbohydrates. However, given the lack of scientific data on the effects of high-protein diets, and the observed ability of the liver to compensate over a few days for a shift in protein intake, the US Food and Nutrition Board does not set a Tolerable Upper Limit nor upper Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range for protein.[2] Furthermore, medical sources such as UpToDate[3] do not include listings on this topic." 

    Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_starvation
  • takumaku
    takumaku Posts: 352 Member
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    "It has been observed that the human liver cannot safely metabolise much more than 285-365 g of protein per day (for an 80 kg person), and human kidneys are similarly limited in their capability to remove urea (a byproduct of protein catabolism) from the bloodstream. Exceeding that amount results in excess levels of amino acids, ammonia (hyperammonemia), and/or urea in the bloodstream, with potentially fatal consequences,[1] especially if the person switches to a high-protein diet without giving time for the levels of his or her hepatic enzymes to upregulate. Since protein only contains 4 kcal/gram, and a typical adult human requires in excess of 1900 kcal to maintain the energy balance, it is possible to exceed the safe intake of protein if one is subjected to a high-protein diet with little or no fat or carbohydrates. However, given the lack of scientific data on the effects of high-protein diets, and the observed ability of the liver to compensate over a few days for a shift in protein intake, the US Food and Nutrition Board does not set a Tolerable Upper Limit nor upper Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range for protein.[2] Furthermore, medical sources such as UpToDate[3] do not include listings on this topic." 

    Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_starvation

    The research treats all forms of proteins as one. It is well known the protein found in plant and dairy is handled differently than animal based protein. At one time 30% of one's calorie intake from protein was consider high. Now, 30% is considerate a moderate intake.
  • roverdisc98
    roverdisc98 Posts: 78 Member
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    So in order to increase my protein that means an increase in total calories. If I increase 100g by shakes that'd be almost 600 additional daily calories. Of course fish or chicken may be a tad less.

    What do you guys say about the increased caloric intake?
  • missADS1981
    missADS1981 Posts: 364 Member
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    Go 1.5 per pound of bodyweight.

    this is what I do.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,021 Member
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    So in order to increase my protein that means an increase in total calories. If I increase 100g by shakes that'd be almost 600 additional daily calories. Of course fish or chicken may be a tad less.

    What do you guys say about the increased caloric intake?
    What we actually need to gain muscle mass are calories, so yeah, eat more. Carbs are the best way to increase mass as long as your getting adequate protein. Funnily enough we need more protein when in a deficit than we need in a bulk. I g/lb/lbm is sufficent unless your juicing, which I'm sure your not, right?
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,141 Member
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    So in order to increase my protein that means an increase in total calories. If I increase 100g by shakes that'd be almost 600 additional daily calories. Of course fish or chicken may be a tad less.

    What do you guys say about the increased caloric intake?

    I don't understand why your calories would go up..you just make sure you balance your macros.

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