More and more studies are pointing to protein as the key macronutrient for optimizing both your health and nutrition.
Opinions are all over the board however when it comes to the formula for determining the amount of protein for the average person.
Many recommendations have you eating more than 3 meals per day to meet your protein targets.
Busy executives, engineers, and entrepreneurs often find eating this many meals per day difficult to incorporate into their schedule.
This probably has you asking the question “how much protein do I need“?
This post will break it all down into digestible bites and help you find a plan that works for you.
The Importance of Protein
In her Lyon Protocol, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon refers to muscle as the organ of longevity.
She points out that studies are showing preservation of muscle tissue may be the critical component of healthy aging. The two things that impact our skeletal muscle health are resistance training and dietary protein.
Protein also aids in our regular recovery and repair processes.
Additionally, increasing protein intake has been found to be beneficial for people looking to manage their weight as protein is both more thermogenic and filling than carbohydrates or fats.
Daily Protein Recommendations
The current U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance for protein is .8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight.
This translates into .37 grams per pound of bodyweight. This would equal 45 grams of protein for a bodyweight of 120 pounds and 74 grams of protein at a bodyweight of 200 pounds.
These recommendations were published in the 1980’s and most experts agree these are outdated and likely the minimum thresholds to prevent deficiencies.
Optimal daily protein intake levels are between .6 grams to 1 gram per pound of bodyweight.
For individuals looking to lose weight, protein intake levels can be determined using your ideal bodyweight as opposed to your current bodyweight.
Using the same bodyweight examples as above, let’s apply the mid-point of optimal protein intake level at .8 grams per pound.
The 120 pound individual would need 96 grams of daily protein and the 200 pound individual would need 160 grams of daily protein.
Muscle Protein Synthesis
Muscle Protein Synthesis is the metabolic process that incorporates amino acids into bound skeletal muscle proteins.
MPS is the critical process for building and maintaining muscle tissue and MPS is highly responsive to both exercise and nutrition.
For individuals over the age of 30, the amino acid Leucine is the primary catalyst for Muscle Protein Synthesis.
Protein Thresholds Per Meal
On average, you’ll need to consume a minimum of 30 grams of protein per meal to trigger Muscle Protein Synthesis.
The 30 grams of quality protein is the amount needed on average to yield the 2.5 grams of Leucine required for MPS.
However, the actual amount of Leucine differs by protein source.
This is the reason Whey Protein is so popular in protein powders due it’s high concentration of Leucine.
You will hit 3 grams of the amino acid Leucine with 27g of whey protein, 34g of beef protein (5 ounces), 38g of soy , 44g of wheat or 50g of quinoa.
Generally speaking, the sweet spot for protein intake will be between 30 grams and 50 grams per meal.
Research has indicated that it may be especially important to achieve the 30 gram protein threshold at your first and last meals of the day.
Studies have shown that higher levels of protein intake are beneficial for resistance-training individuals in a calorie deficit.
While there have been influencers claiming higher protein diets to be harmful to your kidneys, there is no evidence to support this and studies have consistently shown no harmful effects at higher intake levels.
Putting Your Plan Together
Let’s say you’re a 200 pound person and you’ve run the numbers. You need around 160 grams of protein per day and between 30 to 50 grams per meal.
The problem is you only consume two meals per day.
Remember that your minimum threshold is 74 grams per day.
In this example, the primary thing to focus on will be exceeding 35 grams of protein at each meal.
From here, you have a few options with developing your plan.
You could work towards adding another high protein meal, incorporate a protein shake, or simply increase your protein intake at each meal to 40 or 50 grams.
There isn’t a right or wrong option here. What ultimately matters is finding the option that works best for you as an individual.
If you’re currently consuming around 50 grams of protein per day, getting to 150 grams per day may seem insurmountable.
It’s important to focus on making progress, not achieving perfection. Increasing your protein intake to 75 grams and then 100 grams is fantastic progress!
One of the benefits of running a gym is getting to see the practical application of these strategies in action.
We regularly see busy professionals consistently consume two high protein meals per day and preserve and / or build lean muscle tissue.
Some add a high protein snack, some may add a protein shake, and some may use egg whites or another protein source to increase their per meal protein intake.
You have options at your disposal in progressing towards optimal protein intake levels.
It should be noted that if your primary goal is to add muscle, you’ll want to get closer to hitting the optimal daily intake levels of 160 to 200 grams of protein.
This will likely require adding high quality high protein meals into your daily schedule.
Conclusion
As studies continue to show the benefits of increasing protein intake, you may want to revisit how this may help you reach your goals.
Protein is important for preserving / building muscle, recovery and repair, longevity and maintaining body composition.
Understanding the best approach for you, your goals and your schedule, will allow you to create the best plan of action to reach your protein targets.
