This is a popular question. How much daily protein do you need to build muscle? Wazzup asked in reply to How To Gain Weight While Minimizing Fat Gain:
“How come you keep saying 2 gram protein/lbs when scientific studies point to 0.8 to 1 gram/lbs as being optimal ?“
Why Protein? Strength training breaks down muscle. The harder you train, the greater the breakdown.
Your body adapts to the systematic stress you’re submitting it to by building stronger & bigger muscles. But to do this it needs protein. Dietary protein.
You want to build muscle? Make sure muscle recovery occurs faster than muscle breakdown. Give your body what it needs to build muscles. That’s why you must eat your proteins.
Recommended Protein Intake. Here’s the daily protein intake recommendation of institutions with authority:
- United States Recommended Daily Allowance: 0.8g-1g/kg (0.45g/lbs)
- American College of Sports Medicine: 1.6-1.7 g/kg (0.72g/lbs)
The problem is that the above recommendations are tested & aimed on average populations. People leading sedentary lifestyles. If you exercise & diet, you’re not the average population. You’re a specific population.
Experiment with Protein Intakes. Eat 1g/lbs protein daily for three months. Monitor everything. Keep a log, shoot pictures, measure body fat, etc. Three months later up your protein intake to 2g/lbs daily. Compare.
I advise 2g/lbs protein daily because it always worked better for me. 1 g/lbs is not optimal, but the bare minimum in my book.
Sources of Protein. You can find foods high in protein using Nutritiondata. Here are some examples:
- Red Meats. Beef, pork, lamb.
- Poultry. Chicken, turkey.
- Fish. Tuna, salmon.
- Dairy. Cheese, eggs, milk.
- Whey.
Track your protein intake using Fitday to get an idea of where you are now.
Dr. John M Berardi on Protein Intake. Articles you should read:
- Protein Prejudice: read the benefits of high protein at the bottom.
- The Protein Debate: Do Athletes Need More Protein?
- What You Need To Know About Protein and Growth
Hi Mehdi,
2 Questions on Tuna…
1) I have started with one can a day…Man its bland…Someone suggested add a teaspoon of light mayo and garnish it with Salt and Pepper…Is that too fatty?
2) The eternal debate about mercury poisoning…Some articles suggested limit tuna to 2-3 cans a week! There is no other food which gives me almost 40g of protein in compact puny can…I am hoping to have one daily with no issues….Your comments?
And a generic question…One should consume as much protein on a weekend too?
Thanks a ton!
You should be careful about this “more is better” attitude that is very common in in strength training. Excessive protein consumption can create serious dietary imbalances and, in some cases, renal failure.
You’re also wrong about the ACSM recommendations. The 1.6-17g/lb/day is the maximum recommended protein intake for strength training and athletes looking to build muscle, not for sedentary laypeople. Research has shown that most people can’t even metabolize this much. In fact, most people gain serious muscle with only 0.8g - 1g/lb/day. If you’re going for 2g/lb/day you’re probably just wasting your money, unless you’re one of the few individuals who can actually safely metabolize this much protein. Protein isn’t everything. Your body also needs carbs and fats to build muscle, so unless your diet is balanced, excessive protein consumption isn’t going to do much for you. More is not always better.
Not to mention it tastes sooo good. The grilled fish on th picture had me salivating…at 9:00 am. Intake is definitely most important right after an intense workout and for the hours following. I’m not convinced, though, that there is a set number of grams of protein intake for body weight for an athlete, but I do believe the timing of intake is most important. Whey protein immediately following training is absorbed faster while, milk and egg protein are better for long duration absorption. Ori Hofmekler has a 3 part series on protein at http://www.warriordiet.com/blog/archives/P2.html which I found to be very helpful and serves as a reminder to go get a “refresher”.
Dan John has a simple formula which just says, if I get this right, eat protein at every meal and also have fiber and oil.
Rissam
1) Eat real mayo if you’re going to eat mayo. Don’t fear fat, check your total fat intake of the day. You should get a decent amount of fat daily. Mayo is made by eggs, contains saturated fat. Saturated fat is good for your testosterone levels.
I like tuna with brown rice or tuna with salad/tomatoes/olive oil/salt/pepper.
2) 1 can chunk light tuna a day is safe, check this article on t-nation.
Tuna has been a staple of my diet for years. Very easy to prepare, take with you & cheap.
Currently I am around 225lbs and have been consuming, according to FitDay, around 200g of protein per day since January. Since actively tracking my food intake I have noticed strength & size increases.
My question is what is the best way to double that number, as it is I am eating every couple of hours.
Thanks
Your site is a great resource.
A can a day isn’t healthy. Tuna contains mercury. Too much of that heavy metal will cause permanent damage to your cognitive abilities. I think the recommended amount is no more than 2oz a week.
As for taste, mayo + tuna = basic tuna salad. It tastes great, but this is coming from somebody who loves both tuna and mayo independently.
For protein, get whey protein. This is something that everybody should be taking daily, like a multivitamin.
Actually I do believe that protein stresses your body, including kidneys, because of it’s acidic properties. That’s why I advise anyone to eat green veggies, especially spinach, to alkanize your body to balance the high protein intake.
I know about the ACSM recommendation being aimed at strength training athletes. They have lower ones for sedentary people. But it’s still to low in my opinion.
I don’t really care about the research. Practical experience has learned me that I feel better & look better at 2g protein a day. Something everybody should test & draw his own conclusions of. Also the health consequences. Strength training is safe, but there are risks on the lower back for example. Same with nutrition, I do believe that protein stresses the body, and that’s a choice everybody has to do: accept or not, your take.
Sure, but are your gains coming from the increased protein or the increased caloric intake? With a protein increase usually comes an increase in calories as well. You’re definitely correct that everyone’s body is different and serious bodybuilders may benefit from 2g/lb/day, so there’s no one size fits all. I just thought it was important to point out that most people will gain just as much with 0.8g/lb/day and there’s no reason to waste money on cans of tuna and protein supplements if 0.8g is sufficient.
How about Protein Bars vs/and Cheese Strings?
I keep my bodyweight at 72kg year-round. Caloric intake is always stable: 3000kcal a day.
Like i wrote in the article Josh: 1g/lb is the bare minimum in my book. Get 1g/lb at least & expirement from them if you want to get to know your body.
It’s not a grilled fish but grilled steak Mark
Thanks for the link to Hofmekler’s blog. I didn’t know he had one.
Eat bigger quantities Frick. 3 eggs => 6 eggs. 200g meat => 500g meat. Etc. And try to eat more: every 3 hours.
Thanks for the motivating words on this blog. I really like what I do, I’m glad to read it helps you.
steak, fish, whatever. It looks tasty. I am going to fire up the grille this weekend!
Why not. Protein bars are expensive around here. Cheese strings are great source of protein, but watch out with your total fat intake for the day (unless you’re on the Anabolic Diet).
Protein day in the weekend is the same as in the week yes, make it a daily habit. Some cycle their food intakes (like on the A.D. where you go high carb/low protein in the weekend - high protein/low carb in the week). Feel free to experiment.
Very tasty indeed
Enjoy the bbq 
I’d have to disagree here, Mehdi. What you’re advising is doubling his total food intake over the course of a day, not just his protein intake. Instead, I’d say to eat the same amount (or maybe a bit more, but not double) and focus on making sure that most of what you eat is protein-rich. Check the labels on all the food you buy, (bread, veggies, etc., not just meat or other traditional protein foods) and see if there’s a higher-protein option on the shelf. If you’re still not getting the amount of protein you think you need, look into whey protein powder or protein bars/cheese strings, as mentioned above.
Correct Lucas. Frick eats 200g protein & wants to double that number to 400g protein. By doubling his protein intake he ups his caloric intake.
The solution is to manipulate the macronutritients. Eat more protein, eat less carbs or fat so total calories stays equal. Bodyweight will stay stable.
Ok, right, then we agree. It would appear that I misinterpreted your inital response. My bad!
On a side note, I feel kind of bad because I’m only posting comments when I disagree with what you’re saying. Just for the record, I think this blog is great and I’ve learned a lot from your posts.
No need to appologize Lucas
Feel free to post what you honnestly think, makes it much more everything. I particularly liked Josh’s comments above for example.
And thanks for the motivating words on this blog. I really like what I & I’m glad to read you benefit from my work Lucas.