The muscle-building macro contains amino acids, the building blocks used for muscle growth, but exactly how much do you need to consume daily to keep building bulk? Protein guidelines generally fall into one of two camps; a proportion either of how much you eat, or how much you weigh. However, both are flawed if you’re looking to build muscle as rapidly as possible.
Take only eating a specific percentage of protein. The problem is that the numbers are going to be affected in a big way by your total calorie intake. For example, 30 per cent protein on a 2000-calorie diet is very different from 30 per cent protein on a 4000-calorie diet despite the fact that the percentages are exactly the same.
The preferred was to measure protein intake is based on lean body mass rather than total weight. Expressing protein intake relative to your weight is better, because it remains the same no matter how many calories you’re eating. So if you were to eat 2g of protein per kg of bodyweight, you’ll be getting the same amount of protein whether you’re eating 1500 or 3000 calories. But this system is also not without its flaws.
How to Calculate Your Protein Needs
So what is the preferred method then. Well, the best way to measure how much protein you need to consume daily is based on lean body mass, or everything in your body that isn’t fat, rather than total weight.
Now, if you’re a cover model existing at 4 per cent body fat, then there’s obviously not going to be much difference whether protein intake is expressed relative to your weight or lean body mass. But it’s a different story for someone who’s carrying more weight around their midriff.
Sources of Protein
Chicken Breast: 33g of protein per 100g
Cod: 18g of protein per 100g
Whey Protein: 80 to 90g of protein per 100g
Clams and Other Molluscs: 48g of protein per 100g
Low-sodium Parmesan Cheese: 42g of protein per 100g
Tofu: 17g of protein per 100g
Lean Beef: 36g of protein per 100g
Lamb: 25g of protein per 100g
Pork Tenderloin: 23g of protein per 100g
Soya Protein Isolate: 88g of protein per 100g
Let’s look at an obese man who weighs 135kg. Would you still base his protein intake on total bodyweight? Give him that same 2g of protein per kg and he’ll be taking in a whopping 270g of protein per day.
Our hypothetical overweight man definitely doesn’t need to be eating the equivalent of 10 chicken breasts a day, even if he’s looking to build muscle. In fact, most research shows little benefit to consuming more than 2.2g of protein per kg of lean body mass.
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. Far more realistically achieved by upping your steak and eggs intake.
How Much Protein is Too Much?
Guys with several years of training behind them may be able to get away with even less. 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.
In short, if you’re trying to gain muscle, or even if you just want to hold on to the muscle you have while you drop fat, 2.2g of protein per kg of lean body mass is plenty.
