
How much protein do I need to maintain muscle mass?
This is the approximate amount of protein that will help you maintain your body's current muscle mass. As an example, a 150 pound person would need 54 grams of protein per day.
Is protein essential for muscle growth and repair?
Yes, protein is essential for muscle growth and repair. Although fat and carbohydrates are also required for muscle function, it is the protein that builds muscle tissue. However, protein is not stored effectively in the human body, so if it is not used it is expelled as waste relatively quickly.
How much protein do bodybuilders really eat?
Group two consumed around 99 grams of protein daily (1.4 grams per kilogram of body weight). Some of the bodybuilders consumed up to 2.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Despite the high levels of dietary protein, blood and urine samples showed that all markers of kidney function were well within the normal range.
How much protein do athletes need to build endurance?
According to UCLA, the ideal amount of protein for the average endurance/aerobic athlete is 0.55 to 0.64 grams of protein per 1 pound of body weight per day.

Does protein help repair muscle?
The muscle damage initiates a repair process in which certain hormones, along with the macronutrient protein, synthesize new satellite cells, which are used to repair the damaged muscle fibers. In other words, the role of protein is to help repair tissues damaged by exercise.
How much protein is needed daily for recovery?
How much protein should I consume? It is well established that athletes require a higher daily protein intake of between 1.2-2.3 g/kg of protein compared to non-exercising individuals to facilitate recovery and training adaptations.
Is 50 grams of protein too much after a workout?
In general, getting about 20 grams of protein after a strenuous workout is ideal, says Michalczyk. Research suggests that you can go up to 0.4 grams per kilogram of bodyweight in one meal, which would be about 25 grams of protein for a 135-pound person.
Is 40g of protein too much?
Studies show higher intakes — those more than 40 grams — in one sitting are no more beneficial than the recommended 15–30 grams at one time. Don't waste your money on excessive amounts.
Does eating more protein help recovery?
Conclusions: Overwhelmingly, studies have consistently demonstrated the acute benefits of protein supplementation on post-exercise muscle anabolism, which, in theory, may facilitate the recovery of muscle function and performance.
Do I need protein for muscle recovery?
Indeed, muscle repair and rebuilding requires both protein and carbohydrates. Protein helps restore the muscle and build strength; carbohydrates refurbish the glycogen levels. Glycogen is a substance that's stored in the muscles and used by the body for energy.
Does eating more protein help you recover faster?
Numerous studies demonstrate that eating more protein after injury can help speed up recovery ( 36 , 37 ). more protein can help you recover faster if you've been injured.
Does protein reduce recovery time?
A recent, small scale study concludes that protein shakes, compared with high carbohydrate drinks, do not reduce muscle pain or speed up muscle recovery after a workout.
Why is protein important for muscle?
Why Protein Is Important for Building Muscle. To build muscle, your body needs to synthesise more muscle protein than it breaks down, which is why anyone looking to build muscle needs to make sure they're getting enough protein, as well as making sure the work they're doing in the weights room is right too. It's not just us saying that, there's ...
How much protein should I eat a day if I weigh 90 kg?
If you weigh 90kg with 20 per cent body fat, you have 72kg of lean body mass. Multiply that number by 2.2, and you get a daily protein target of 158g per day. If you weigh 90 kilograms with 10 per cent body fat, you have 81 kilograms of lean body mass. Multiply that by 2.2, and you get 178 grams of protein per day.
How much protein should I eat a day?
So the current daily reference intake of protein is 50g, while the recommended dietary allowance suggests that you should eat a modest 0.8g of protein daily per kg of bodyweight. If you're not already aware, let us be the first to tell you: that's not enough to really pack on muscle.
Does protein help build muscle?
It's not just us saying that, there's a body of research that confirms the part protein plays in building muscle. A study published in the journal Nutrients, for example, found that "protein intake was shown to promote additional gains in lean body mass beyond those observed with resistance exercise alone.".
Can you get away with less protein?
For any guy who's cut his teeth on the gym floor and with several years of training behind them could theoretically get away with less daily protein. That's because, the closer you are to your genetic limit in terms of muscle growth, the slower the gains will come. And the slower your rate of growth, the less protein you need to support that growth. Understood?
Can you eat a specific percentage of protein?
However, both are flawed if you’re looking to build muscle fast. Take only eating a specific percentage of protein.
Is protein a macronutrient?
Put simply, protein is a macronutrient ( a nutrient that we need in larger quantities) that is built from amino acids, which are stitched together into long chains. Some of these chains your body can make naturally – known as ‘non-essential’ – and some of which it can’t.
How much protein should a sedentary person consume?
Sedentary. Sedentary people need about 0.36 grams of protein per 1 pound of body weight. If you don't work out regularly, you fall into the sedentary category for protein intake. According to the University of California, Los Angeles, sedentary people need about 0.36 grams of protein per 1 pound of body weight per day.
How much protein should a 150 pound athlete eat?
A 150 pound aerobic athlete can aim for 82 grams to 95 grams of protein per day. The average adult in the U.S. usually get this amount of protein from a regular diet. Advertisement.
How to maintain muscle mass?
To maintain your current muscle mass, you need to create a nitrogen balance by consuming just enough protein to satisfy your body's need for the nutrient. Consuming too much protein will lead to greater increases in muscle mass or body fat. Advertisement.
What balance is needed for muscle growth?
Muscle growth requires a positive nitrogen balance in your body. Image Credit: LUNAMARINA/iStock/Getty Images. Muscle growth requires a positive nitrogen balance in your body. Proteins contain nitrogen, which is released during protein synthesis -- the process necessary to build and replace broken down cells and tissue.
Why do we need protein?
Your body needs protein to maintain muscle mass. One of protein's primary functions in the body is to replace broken down proteins in muscle tissue. These proteins are necessary for muscle maintenance and development. The amount of protein necessary to maintain your current lean muscle mass depends upon several factors, including your body size, ...
Which type of athlete needs more protein?
Endurance. Endurance athletes need more protein than sedentary people. Image Credit: Błażej Łyjak/iStock/Getty Images. Endurance athletes who participate in any type of aerobic activity regularly, such as jogging or biking, need more protein compared with sedentary people.
Who is Joseph Eitel?
Joseph Eitel. Joseph Eitel has written for a variety of respected online publications since 2006 including the Developer Shed Network and Huddle.net. He has dedicated his life to researching and writing about diet, nutrition and exercise.
Why is protein important for muscle?
Although fat and carbohydrates are also required for muscle function, it is the protein that builds muscle tissue. However, protein is not stored effectively in the human body, so if it is not used it is expelled as waste relatively quickly. This is why regular protein intake is required.
How many cases of protein supplements are there per year?
Protein supplement manufacturers have responded to this health warning by stating that on average there is only one case per year. The improvements in fitness and internal health that result from improved fitness far outweigh the risks associated with taking extra protein to build more muscle.
What is the best protein to eat in the morning?
Whey protein is best in the morning. Eat more protein as snacks in between your meals. Casein protein is a good choice throughout the day because it is a slow release protein which means protein will remain in your blood longer to keep replenishing muscle supplies. Protein after your workout.
How to build muscle after workout?
You need to eat protein before or after workout to build muscle. Protein timing is as much an art as a science. However, the key rules are: 1 Start the day with protein. Your body is in a catabolic state when you wake up and therefore you are at risk of breaking down muscle tissue for energy. So a quick protein boost helps you to change your metabolism to burn fat instead. Whey protein is best in the morning. 2 Eat more protein as snacks in between your meals. Casein protein is a good choice throughout the day because it is a slow release protein which means protein will remain in your blood longer to keep replenishing muscle supplies. 3 Protein after your workout. Most people are in agreement that this is the most important time to consume protein. Research has shown that protein should be consumed within 30 minutes of exercise for maximum benefit. The best way to take this protein is as a shake. Whey protein is an excellent choice. There are also some benefits of whey protein before bed, although many take a slower release casein protein before bed. 4 More protein before bed. As you will ideally be sleeping for at least 8 hours to give your body every chance to recover and rebuild, you need to stock up on protein before you sleep. A late night shake is a good idea here.
Why is whey protein important?
So a quick protein boost helps you to change your metabolism to burn fat instead. Whey protein is best in the morning. Eat more protein as snacks in between your meals.
How to calculate protein intake?
One popular way of calculating protein intake is to use this equation: Daily protein requirement (g) = Your body weight in pounds. So in the above example, the 95kg male weighs about 209 pounds, so the daily requirement would be 209 grams. This actually gives them more protein per day.
What is the best way to maintain a healthy diet?
However, to maintain a healthy diet consume low GI carbohydrates. Fresh salads with your protein choice are an excellent way to eat a balanced diet. Possibly the most important thing to remember is to test and analyse results.
How much protein should I eat to build muscle?
To build muscle, aim for around 0.7 grams of protein per pound, or 1.6 grams per kilogram, of bodyweight, each day. That will do the job for most people. There’s no reason you can’t eat more. If anything, I’d rather err on the side of eating a little too much, rather than not enough.
How to calculate protein needed for muscle growth?
To calculate the amount of protein you need to maximize muscle growth, multiply your bodyweight in pounds by 0.7. If you prefer metric, multiply your bodyweight in kilograms by 1.6. Weight. Daily Protein. 130 lb (59 kg)
How much protein is in a pound?
There was also a control group that didn’t take any protein. Protein intake in the three supplement groups was around 0.9 grams per pound (2 grams per kilogram) of bodyweight. In the placebo group, it was 0.7 grams per pound (1.6 grams per kilogram) of bodyweight.
Is a high protein diet bad for kidneys?
The idea that a high-protein diet is “bad” for your kidneys is something that people have been arguing about for years. It dates back to the early 1980′s when Dr Barry Brenner proposed a link between high protein diets and the progression of renal disease (renal refers to the kidneys).
Does protein matter when you eat low?
However, the fact that this pool exists doesn’t mean that the source of protein in your diet doesn’t matter , because it does.
Does whey protein increase muscle mass?
The researchers thought that subjects given whey protein would gain the most muscle. But, they didn’t. Whey protein, irrespective of whether it was a concentrate or a hydrolysate, was no more effective than a placebo for increasing muscle mass in previously trained young men.
In the journals
Can higher protein intake build more muscle in older men? Not according to a study in the April 2018 JAMA Internal Medicine.
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