1 gram of protein per pound of your body weight is considered the optimal protein consumption for anyone trying to build muscle or stay lean
There has been a long and ongoing debate about the optimal amount of protein required for muscle gain and fat loss.
The National Research Council developed the recommended daily allowance (RDA) guidelines and according to the council’s recommendations the recommended intake of protein is 0.8 grams per kg. This implies that a person weight 75 kilograms needs to consume 40 grams of protein… which is totally bogus.
These guidelines cannot be applied to an athlete or a body builder who wants to lose fat and gain muscle. The RDA recommendations can be applied to a sedentary person wih low physical activity to avoid deficiency.
On the other hand there are body builders who endorse protein powder supplements and recommend an intake of 300-400 grams of protein per day… which is also totally bogus. The reason behind endorsing such a high intake of protein has to do with the tie-ups they have with protein supplement companies. Our bodies are not capable of absorbing so much protein unless you are on some form of anabolic steroids.
Optimal allowance
It’s been a long standing belief among body builders that one gram of protein per pound of body weight is optimal for building muscle.
Leading research conducted in the field of sports medicine confirms this belief. Leading researchers such as Dr.Lemon confirm that our bodies are under high metabolic and physical stress during weight and resistance training. The protein needs of the body are almost doubled under such circumstances and the trainee needs to consume high quantities of protein to maintain a positive nitrogen balance.
The recommended intake of protein for athletes and body builders is around 1.8 grams per kg body weight or around 0.8 gram per pound of body weight.
However there is more metabolic breakdown and biochemical patterns that increase the requirements for proteins. Therefore a daily intake of 1 gram per pound of body weight is considered optimal for bodybuilding.
This provides the body with enough supplies of protein to handle the metabolic and physical stress and build muscle at the same time.
This formula can be used conveniently by people who have an average build and want to get ripped and get flat abs. However this formula does not hold good for obese or over weight individuals since the high body weight will equate to high amount of proteins and high amount of calories.
So the recommended intake of protein per day for a person with average build is around 1 gram per pound or 2.2 grams per KG.
Example:
- A person with body weight of 78 KGS will need 78 x 2.2 = 171.6 grams of protein.
- A person weight 160 pounds will need 160 grams of protein per day.
- This amount needs to be spread over 5-6 meals each day.