How much protein do we NEED?

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Oishii
Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've been googling protein and the requirements seem to be based on body weight, not calorie percentages. When I was on 1200 calories the figures were very similar, but as I'm now 5 kg lighter but seem to need around twice the calories, my protein requirements won't have doubled!

The formulas I found were from 0.8g/kg for a sedentary person to 1.8g/kg for a proffessional weightlifter. I'm 54kg, and mfp suggests I need 87g of protein a day, or 1.6g/kg, within the recommendations for a weight lifter, not a lazy bones like me!

So, I have two questions really:

1) Are many people on mfp in my position, or is it fairly unusual?

2) If protein is only a small percentage of my calorie needs, how should I balance my fat and carbs?

I look forward to some interesting answers :wink:

Replies

  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
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    BTW, I've had to manually input my calories so that I don't keep losing, so that's why the numbers are so high.
  • CassieLEO
    CassieLEO Posts: 757 Member
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    I read that you should have 1 gram of protein to every pound that you weigh to help you lose weight. I do this so I am at 152 pounds right now and I strive for 152 grams of protein.... It definately helps with not over-eating because it keeps me very full throughout the day!
  • chizzledfrmstone
    chizzledfrmstone Posts: 58
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    For nutrient partitioning based on Calories it might be easier to use macronutrient ratios. 40/40/20 (Carbs/Protein/Fats) is what I use.
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
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    Many bodybuilders recommend more protein than what you've seen. They will do a minimum of 2.2 grams per kg of lean body mass. Many recommend twice that. For most people having numbers in this range won't hurt them. Protein is harder to digest than carbs, and will help to maintain, or build muscle mass. I have found MFP's numbers to be quite low for their protein settings. Are you following their default settings, or did you customize them? You can customize them to a different number if you don't think you should consume those amounts.
  • katz22
    katz22 Posts: 116 Member
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    I would also like to know what a better protein/carb/fat ratio is. With the default settings i get right amount of cals but mostly protein and not enough carbs
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
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    Many bodybuilders recommend more protein than what you've seen. They will do a minimum of 2.2 grams per kg of lean body mass. Many recommend twice that. For most people having numbers in this range won't hurt them. Protein is harder to digest than carbs, and will help to maintain, or build muscle mass. I have found MFP's numbers to be quite low for their protein settings. Are you following their default settings, or did you customize them? You can customize them to a different number if you don't think you should consume those amounts.

    I am not a body builder and I can see how you would need huge quantities of protein to build that quantity of muscle, but I'm interested in understanding what a normal body needs. Also 1.8g/kg of body mass could well be the same as 2.2g/kg of lean mass, surely?

    I can make it to the guideline amounts pretty easily, but to go beyond would mean resorting to all the powders, bars and shakes, especially as I don't eat meat. Why would I buy into that?

    How can I possibly NEED more protein than my ancient ancestors would ever have been able to come across?
  • mapexdrummer69
    mapexdrummer69 Posts: 445
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    http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=121703981



    Yes, taken from a body building website, but I can assure you it is great information and there are calculations for sedentary people as well. Don't read the whole thread, just the first post.
  • mapexdrummer69
    mapexdrummer69 Posts: 445
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    http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=121703981



    Yes, taken from a body building website, but I can assure you it is great information and there are calculations for sedentary people as well. Don't read the whole thread, just the first post.
  • Sk1nnyMoo
    Sk1nnyMoo Posts: 18
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    I currently have a higher body fat percentage so to lower that I'm striving for 30% carbs, 50% protein, 20% fat. At 1200 calories that's 90g carbs, 150g protein, 26g fat.

    When I kick into marathon training mode though I eat 40% carbs, 40% protein, 20% fat. At 1200 calories that's 120g carbs, 120g protein, 26g fat. It's a lot easier to maintain because I love my carbs!
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
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    http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=121703981



    Yes, taken from a body building website, but I can assure you it is great information and there are calculations for sedentary people as well. Don't read the whole thread, just the first post.

    Thank you! That really helps explain it all, and reiterates what I'd understood: my body doesn't care about %s, it just needs enough protein, fat and carbs for its mass (and activity levels). I shall read it in more detail and work it all out.

    Thank you so much for the empowerment!
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
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    I have multiple certifications in sports nutrition and have completed my minor in nutrition in college. I have everything but an internship in order to sit for the registered dietitian exam. The 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight is what a sedentary person needs if they don't have any medical conditions that change that need. Some medical conditions decrease the protein need to between 0.5 and 0.6 grams per kilogram (kidney issues) and others increase it to 2.5 grams per kilogram (cancer patients on chemo). Bodybuilders need 1.5 to 2.0 grams per kilogram. There have been studies that show as little as 2.7 grams per kilogram are detrimental to kidney function. This is why being diabetic is the number one risk factor for kidney disease, because diabetics tend to replace carbs in their diets with protein. Personally, I have been told to keep my protein to less then 15% of my diet because I'm donating a kidney and they want it to have optimal function when it is transplanted. After the transplant, I should maintain less then 15% of my intake from protein because I will only have one kidney left to process the nitrogen from the protein breakdown. The doctors believe that after the transplant, I'll be able to go back up to no more then 25% if I want to go back to bodybuilding, but I'll have to watch my kidney function if I do. When I figure my needs based on weight at 190 pounds (86.2 kg) and 0.8 grams per kilogram, that is 69 grams of protein per day. I have a high calorie intake requirement because of my normal daily activity and high muscle mass increasing my BMR so I have to consume 2300 calories per day without exercise. 15% of 2300 calories is 86 grams of protein. So, even at 15% of my daily intake I'm exceeding the 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. That is 1 gram per kilogram and still safe for the kidney transplant while giving me a buffer zone for meeting my needs. Now, when I'm through with the donation and go back to my bodybuilding type workouts, 25% of my calories from protein is about 1.7 grams per kilogram of body weight and within the recommendations for body building and only one kidney, but they want me to watch my kidney function and adjust my protein accordingly.

    So, my best recommendation is to pick the amount of protein you want to consume based on your needs (activity level and disease status) and then do the math with body weight in kilograms (any recommendations you find based on pounds of body weight are not professional recommendations, BTW). After that you can figure out the percentage of your calories by multiplying the grams of protein by 4 and dividing by the total calories. Split whats left between carbs and fat based on the 45-65% carb recommendation and 20-35% fat recommendation. Or if you decide to be an endurance athlete, look at your carb needs for that activity ( 6-8 grams per kilogram for the average exerciser and 8-10 grams per kilogram for the advanced endurance athlete ). Again, multiply by 4 for calories from carbs and divide by total calorie needs to get the %. Whatever is left after carbs and protein are subtracted from 100% should come from fat.
  • mapexdrummer69
    mapexdrummer69 Posts: 445
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    Yes, I forgot to disclaim, dietary needs do change due to diabetes and other metabolic disorders. BUT, if you are not diseased in that manner, the link I posted should work just fine for you :-)
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
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    Thank you too, Tonya. I'm still working out my calorie requirements, and once I feel I've found it I can apply that equation.

    I'm relieved to find the number suggested by the % in mfp isn't necessary as such.

    Mfp is so much more useful than just googling :flowerforyou:

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