How many calories do you have to burn to get 1 more gram of

Vchizek
Vchizek Posts: 5
edited October 3 in Fitness and Exercise
I usually go over on protein and I know when you exercise you need more, but does anyone know the specifics? For example for every extra 100 calories I burn I would get one more gram of protein for the day. Also, what is the downside of eating too much protein?

Replies

  • puggleperson
    puggleperson Posts: 740 Member
    is there a downside? bump for info :)
  • aneumany
    aneumany Posts: 165 Member
    you should aim to get approx 1g of protein per goal weight.. so if u wanna weight 125lbs u should consume roughly about 125g of protein each day...make sense?
  • msjac23
    msjac23 Posts: 140 Member
    You should be taking in one gram on protein per your pounds of weight. For example if you weigh 100 pounds you be taking in 100 grams of protein.
  • Gemnildy
    Gemnildy Posts: 124 Member
    Bump
  • RAFValentina
    RAFValentina Posts: 1,231 Member
    4kcal/gram of protein!
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
    There is no downside --- MFP sets your protein too low anyway --- practically backwards.
    Change your default settings.

    I changed mine to 45% protein, 25% carb, 30% fat --

    Most people seem to use: 40% protein, 30% carb, 30% fat
  • Shweedog
    Shweedog Posts: 883 Member
    Protein is broken down into building blocks known as peptides.

    Then broken down into amino acids.

    The amino acids are absorbed through the small intestine's lining and enter the blood stream.

    Some of the amino acids build the body's protein stores.

    ***Excess amino acids are converted to fats and sugars and follow the paths described above.

    This is such a simple concept, but many people still believe that consuming lots and lots of protein will put muscle on their bones. Don't be fooled by this notion! Even excess protein turns to fat.

    *Taken from a nutrition consult
  • Kolohe71
    Kolohe71 Posts: 613 Member
    Protien is set way too low by default on MFP in my opinion. The default is that only 15% of your calories should come from protien and 55% should com from carbs. I use the custom setting an change these both to 40% with 20% coming from fat. Seems a little more realistic too me.
  • sweetheart03622
    sweetheart03622 Posts: 928 Member
    Yes, you can figure it out, but it depends on what your macronutrient breakdown is. Basically, you take the number of calories you burned (say 100) multiplied by the percentage of your calories that should come from protein (say 30%) and then divide by 4 (the number of calories in a gram of protein). So for this example:

    100 calories x 30% = 30calories of protein, or 7.5g

    Make sense?
  • Tree72
    Tree72 Posts: 942 Member
    The basic MFP setting is quite low if you are doing any strength training. I've adjusted mine up to 25%, which is pretty conservative by many standards.

    The only time to worry about getting too much protein is if you have kidney problems. If you're basically healthy, don't worry about eating too much protein. Just be sure to stay well hydrated so that your body can process it easily.
  • scraver2003
    scraver2003 Posts: 526 Member
    There is no downside --- MFP sets your protein too low anyway --- practically backwards.
    Change your default settings.

    I changed mine to 45% protein, 25% carb, 30% fat --

    Most people seem to use: 40% protein, 30% carb, 30% fat
    Dumb question - how do you change this in default settings? ETA: NEVERMIND! I figured it out!
  • lucisept61
    lucisept61 Posts: 20
    Great question! Thanks for asking it because I benefitted from reading all the responses! :happy:
  • LotusLoo
    LotusLoo Posts: 17
    Muscle is constantly breaking down, hence why everyone needs protein throughout the day (in spread out servings) to maintain lean muscle mass on the body. The more you workout, the more protein that you'll need to maintain or gain lean muscle. For a general person doing general exercise (non-athlete), protein intake can be determined using the following equation:
    (body weight in kg) x (0.8)

    To get your body weight in kg, just divide your body weight in pounds by 2.2. Also, on that 0.8 part - this can vary depending on how active you are. If you are very active and workout more intensely than the averge person, that number can up (no more than 1.8). So, I usually say to multiply by anywhere between 0.8 and 1.0, especially for people looking to lose weight.

    Also, the ideal range (backed by research) for protein consumption after a workout is 10-20 grams. Many people do more than this, but 20 grams is about the max your body can take in and use all at one time regardless of body weight. More than 20 grams and you're looking at excess calories that either get excreted as waste or end up being stored around the waistline.

    Downside to eating more protein throughout the day than needed... potential weight gain, gastrointestinal issues (stomach cramps, gas), and possible dehydration due to the buildup of ketones. While these sound scary, be sure to never cut protein from your diet - there are nine essential amino acids that we get from consuming protein. These are important for our immune system, enzymes and hormones, skin, hair, bones, and as mentioned, lean muscle.
  • sweetheart03622
    sweetheart03622 Posts: 928 Member
    Muscle is constantly breaking down, hence why everyone needs protein throughout the day (in spread out servings) to maintain lean muscle mass on the body. The more you workout, the more protein that you'll need to maintain or gain lean muscle. For a general person doing general exercise (non-athlete), protein intake can be determined using the following equation:
    (body weight in kg) x (0.8)

    To get your body weight in kg, just divide your body weight in pounds by 2.2. Also, on that 0.8 part - this can vary depending on how active you are. If you are very active and workout more intensely than the averge person, that number can up (no more than 1.8). So, I usually say to multiply by anywhere between 0.8 and 1.0, especially for people looking to lose weight.

    Also, the ideal range (backed by research) for protein consumption after a workout is 10-20 grams. Many people do more than this, but 20 grams is about the max your body can take in and use all at one time regardless of body weight. More than 20 grams and you're looking at excess calories that either get excreted as waste or end up being stored around the waistline.

    Downside to eating more protein throughout the day than needed... potential weight gain, gastrointestinal issues (stomach cramps, gas), and possible dehydration due to the buildup of ketones. While these sound scary, be sure to never cut protein from your diet - there are nine essential amino acids that we get from consuming protein. These are important for our immune system, enzymes and hormones, skin, hair, bones, and as mentioned, lean muscle.

    I'm curious as to where you're getting this. According to your numbers, I should never go above 130g of protein per day, which is quite low for anyone that is trying to maintain their lean muscle mass, letalone gain any muscle. Now, 0.8 x your weight is pounds is different and more along the right course. With this calculation, I should be eating 58g of protein each day, or 232 calories of protein. In my roughly 1600-2000 calorie diet, that's only 11.6% to 14.5% of my intake from protein. I think it's safe to say that, if you're going to use this 0.8 equation, you need to be doing it for your weight in pounds.
  • LotusLoo
    LotusLoo Posts: 17
    Hi - All of this information is from nutrition research. To add a little more credit, my background is a master's in exercise physiology, certified personal trainer, and I currently work as a fitness/nutrition expert and scientist. I will never post anything that is outside of what solid research states.

    The 0.8 x weight in kg equation has been around in the exercise and nutrition world for a long time - it is from the Institute of Medicine. The equation was meant to determine protein needs for non-athletes and, as stated in my previous post, the 0.8 can increase with increasing activity levels, but 1.8 x body weight in kg is about the highest recommended for the general public. If you feel that 0.8 x body weight in kg is too low for you, then increase that number a bit. Higher levels of protein in a diet can help with weight loss if those protein calories replace calories from refined carbohydrates. Due to my activity level, I multiply my body weight in kg by 1.2 to estimate my protein intake.

    130 grams of protein per day seems like a whole lot, especially when you consider that the human body cannot use more than about 20 grams of protein at one time. So, in order to consume 130 grams of protein (or more) each day, that means that you must consume more than 20 grams of protein for each meal/snack (unless you are having meals and snacks 7 or more times throughout the day). Since the body can only use about 20 grams of protein at one time, any more than that ends up being just extra calories (they go to waste or storage as body fat).

    This is completely for note and suggestion based on research findings - use it if you'd like and good luck.
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