How much is TOO much protein?

sheguay · May 2012

Sorry to double dip...I looked around online and found the info below to be helpful...I have been over everyday on my protein and have been thinking about the kidneys and liver so this makes me feel a bit better. According to this I should be having 100 to 115 a day which seems high to me...yet I am always going over the MFP by about 40-60g and am still under the formula below...glad you asked this question!!!

http://www.anytimehealth.com/questions/4894-how-much-protein-is-too-much

"Protein Formula
.8 grams to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight is an appropriate amount.
But, body builders are at the higher range (2 grams) and should consult a doctor first, in my opinion, before consuming 2 grams per kilogram of body weight.
As an example; I weigh 135 pounds.
To get my weight in kilograms, divide 135 by 2.2 = 61.36 kilograms
61.36 x 1.2 grams of protein = 74 grams of protein. This amount works well for me." (site statement, not my weight!!)

doubglass · May 2012

If you are really working out you can approach 1 gram per lb. Google protein needs for endurance athletes or weight lifters. There are a number of studies. They are all over the place but it is clear if you are in a rigid training regime you can eat a lot more protein than the recommendation on mfp.

StephenTurnbull · May 2012

Currently consuming anywhere from 170g-220g a day weighing at 110kg (losing fat while building/maintaining muscle mass)

Jordant107 · May 2012

I didn't even know it was possible to have 'too much protein'!!! It fills you up far more than fat or carbs do, and has much less of an impact on you gaining weight!! It aids muscle repair, and is fantastic for you- don't be scared of it!!

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

melaniecheeks · May 2012

It is possible to get too much......but if you have no other health issues then around 100g a day is absolutely fine.

Why are you drinking a protein shake?

bathsheba_c · May 2012

I had this same problem, too. The issue is that MFP defaults you to 15% of calories from protein. Once I changed to 40% carbs 30% protein 30% fat, the site showed that I was under-eating protein and over-eating carbs, which is probably totally true. You can also fidget with the number to suit your goals (I have lower fat and cholesterol allowances, for instance).

teacherbarb · May 2012

consuming up to half your body weight is acceptable

:noway: that's a LOT of protein!!

teacherbarb · May 2012

consuming up to half your body weight is acceptable

:noway: that's a LOT of protein!!

Not really when you think of my weight at 137....half would only be 68.5 grams

acalper · May 2012

I am appalled. I have seldom seen such horrible misinformation about protein in on place as I have here.

First: Excess protein consumption leads to kidney disease. It can also damage your liver. What is excessive?

Normal protein needs are 0.6-1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass per day, spread out throughout the day (not in one or two big meals). There you have it. Go for the 1 gram if you are doing hard workout, lots of exercise, work at hard manual labor, etc.

Eating more than that amount of protein if you are heavy body building or strength training will NOT speeds your increases in bulk or strength, they will, over time, kill your kidneys. Killing your kidneys will make you sick, lead to things like dialysis, transplants and or death. This is not a good way to body build. No one looks good in a casket.

I bring you this as a quote from my registered dietitian who specializes in sports medicine.

jameehardey · May 2012

they say you should be eating how much you wanna weigh... say 150lbs so you eat about 150g.... i dont know if thats accurate but going over on protein isnt the worst thing and certainly isnt bad for you! mines set about 70 and some days i go over to about 160! so u shldnt worry

jaysonhijinx · May 2012

I've changed my macros in MFP to 30/40/30 (c/p/f) and average 200g consumed Monday through to Saturday (Sunday is rest day and obviously don't need as much) as I do regular weight lifting + basketball. My protein is consumed throughout the day through normal food intake and protein supplements post workout and not in a single large dose.

As others have said, I wouldn't be fussed about too high protein intake as doing so would cause you to fly past your calorie goals for the day.

ralwoe · August 2013

Like most things.....moderation! Use common sense.

shadus · August 2013

Check this link out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_starvation

Here's an excerpt

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.

So basically if you figure their numbers down to kilogram weights then at the low end you're looking at 3.563g/kg is the upper limit of what you can digest on a daily basis.

So... some numbers for the not so math inclined...

100 lb = 45.359kg * 3.563g = 161.614g/day
125 lb = 56.699kg * 3.563g = 202.019g/day
150 lb = 68.039kg * 3.563g = 242.423g/day
175 lb = 79.379kg * 3.563g = 282.827g/day
200 lb = 90.719kg * 3.563g = 323.232g/day
225 lb = 102.058kg * 3.563g = 363.633g/day
250 lb = 113.398kg * 3.563g = 404.037g/day
275 lb = 124.738kg * 3.563g = 444.441g/day
300 lb = 136.078kg * 3.563g = 484.846g/day

To put it another way, for every 25lbs (11.339kg) of body weight you can safely have ~40g of protein day.... every day. Going over once isn't going to kill you... just not something your body takes well in the long term. This is one of the reasons most ketogenic diets are high in fat... you really don't want to eat your TDEE in lean meat every day... but honestly unless you're literally eating nothing but extremely lean meat all day every day... it's unlikely to become an issue.

A good example is, 80/20 beef for instance... ~90g of fat, 78g protein. So roughly ~1120 calories, ~810 from fat (9*90), ~310 (4*78) from protein... if you were 150 lbs you'd need to eat 3.1lbs of 80/20 ground beef a day to hit numbers like that... which would be 3472 calories... or roughly ~1500 over a sedentary tdee.

Largely, if you're watching calories and matching it to your exercise level... you're unlikely to go near the "dangerous levels" of protein for long enough (weeks) to ever cause a serious issue. Urea buildup and toxic levels of protein your body can't handle aren't single day affairs.. they take time to occur... and most normal people aren't eating 300g+ of protein a day. You're highly unlikely to ever encounter the issue... especially if you're counting calories at any level.

YMMV of course. Good luck!

drazani · August 2013

Male 5'11, 203lbs. I regularly have between 180g (rest day) and 265g of protein (HIIT Day) half way through my HIIT program I went and had a check up with my doctors to make sure I was doing everything correctly. Blood Preassure 124/62, Cholesterol 4.9, resting pulse 61. I also asked if my protein intake was too high and was told it is fine and unless I start to feel ill to carry on doing what I'm doing. The ok from the docs is good enough for me.

How much is TOO much protein?

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