Beware the Protein Calculator Quiz

leanmalika
leanmalika Posts: 8 Member
in Food and Nutrition

I took the the protein calculator quiz and got some very conflicting info. I am a 74 yo 5'2" female. I weigh 128 lbs (58 Kilos). Their computation said I should eat 144 grams of protein daily. Their story said a 150 lb person should be eating 82-136 grams daily. Clearly I am 20 lbs less than the example and should not be eating that much protein (excess protein is the source of gout and kidney stones, so no thanks). From another source, I got a computation of 60 grams of protein a day which seems more likely and is something I can actually achieve without messing up my caloric intake. So my advice is do your own math and do what makes more sense to you. MFP is not always right. Good luck on your weight loss/gain/maintenance goals.

Replies

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 36,365 Member

    Well . . . maybe. I don't know about the MFP calculator. I tried it, couldn't seem to get the same answer twice, but maybe that's just me messing up because software doesn't usually do that. 😆

    The USDA recommendations here are usually at the low end, IMO way too low, as compared with more recent research results.

    https://www.nal.usda.gov/human-nutrition-and-food-safety/dri-calculator

    They suggest 48 grams for me. Recent research suggests that's too low. Research also suggests relatively more than that is beneficial if one is athletically active, aging, losing weight - among other cases. As a generic source for an evidence-based recommendations that takes some of those factors into account, I think this calculator and guide is useful:

    https://examine.com/guides/protein-intake/

    Depending on what I tell it my goals are, it suggests something from 72 to 96g daily is optimal, with up to 144g potentially providing extra body composition benefits in some circumstances, based on limited evidence.

    In addition, I think there's something that matters for our demographic (I'm female, 69, 5'5" (165 cm), 132 pounds (60 kg) this morning, active). There was an international group of experts convened to review protein needs of aging people. Their report is here:

    https://www.jamda.com/article/S1525-8610(13)00326-5/fulltext

    That's quite nuanced and multi-factorial, so I won't try to boil down their recommendations into one number or range for me, but what I read there made me reasonably comfortable with what the protein calculator above suggested for me. I shoot for 100g protein minimum, and usually exceed it. I avoid going below it.

    An additional factor for me that probably doesn't apply to you is that I'm vegetarian. I won't go into detail under the assumption it doesn't apply to you, but essentially it's that getting a bit extra protein can better balance amino acid completeness of one's overall protein intake, when there are a lot of plant sources of protein in the mix. How much extra would be good for a plant-based eater depends on details about food choices.

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,643 Member
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10936692/beware-the-protein-calculator-quiz

    The poor body building community with all the gout and kidney stones that must be reeking havoc. ☺️

  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 13,956 Member

    Can excess protein cause kidney issues? Absolutely.

    Is it likely? Only if you already have a pre-existing kidney issue. If you have normal-functioning kidneys, the amount of protein you need to consume is measured in the several-hundreds, every day, for long periods of time. Going over by a few dozen will not be an issue for most people.

  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,961 Member

    From Ann's USDA calculator link, the fine print: Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) value for protein is provided here as the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein. An RDA is the average daily dietary intake level sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97–98 percent) healthy individuals in a group.

    The Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) for protein is defined as a range of intake - with a lower and upper boundary - that is associated with reduced risk of chronic disease while providing adequate intake of essential nutrients.

    The AMDR for protein is expressed as a percentage of total energy intake because its requirement is not independent of other energy fuel sources or of the total energy requirement of the individual. Thus, the AMDR is not considered a Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) that provides a defined intake level.

    The AMDR for protein is 5-20% of total energy intake for children age 1-3 years, 10-30% of total energy intake for children age 4-18 years, and 10-35% of total calories for adults.

    For more information on DRIs for protein, see the "Protein and Amino Acids" chapter in the Dietary Reference Intakes: The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements.

    (PAGE 144 to 155 I believe would be the relevant ones)

    There are differences between minimum to avoid health issues, a good value to aim for based on individual circumstances, and an upper value I should not exceed.

    Also, of interest to me, are the definitions and multipliers used in their activity levels. Per the USDA site linked to by Ann:

    Physical activity level should be selected based on typical or average daily activities. Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are included in all activity levels and include 30 minutes of walking plus 90 minutes of light to moderate activity such as household tasks, vacuuming, raking the lawn, etc.

    Inactive: ADLs only. Minimal activity beyond ADLs and little or no occupational physical activity.

    Low Active:ADLs plus 60-80 minutes of moderate intensity activity such as walking at 3-4 mph.

    Active:ADLs plus 30-50 minutes of moderate intensity activity such as walking at 3-4 mph, and 85 minutes of vigorous activity such as moderate cycling and doubles tennis.

    Very Active:ADLs plus 130 minutes of vigorous activity such as cycling, jogging at 6 mph, and tennis.

    Their INACTIVE appears to be an activity factor of ABOUT 1.49. This would put it just above the "new" MFP new base value and between Sail Rabbit's "lightly active=1.425" and "moderately active=1.55" values.

    Low active looks to be about 1.625; Active seems to be exactly 1.75, thus equal to Sail Rabbit's VERY Active; and the USDA Very Active appears to come in just above Sail Rabbit's Extremely Active (1.9) at about 1.93

    I suppose they might be using something other than Mifflin as their base. The numbers I discuss are based on Mifflin.

    I note that in my personal case and per the USDA site DRI is 57g but, again per the same site once you click on the little "i" icon, AMDR is 72g to 216g.

    My "personal" take of 0.7 to 0.9g per lb of body weight but OK to go a bit under or sometimes over if you want to would suggest 109g to 140g of protein per day, which to me appears to be safely above 57g and well within the 72g to 216g range.

    I note that the 0.7 to 0.9g per lb of body weight loosely corresponds to 0.8g to 1.0g per lb of lean mass for most of us who do not 100% know what out lean vs fat mass may be.

    And a numerical coincidence makes the 0.8g per lb look a lot like a lb to kg conversion mistake when one looks at DRI which is often expressed as 0.8g per kg

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