How much protein do I need per day?

[BendtheBar]

The only detrimental dieting period I have experienced over the years was with intermittent fasting, or having no protein/BCAAs for extended periods of time. This is certainly not a condemnation of intermittent fasting. My point is that as long as I was taking in protein on some reasonable schedule I never lost muscle or strength.

I have never counted macronutrient totals but I generally know that for most of my life I was eating around 180 to 210 grams of protein per day. Some days as low as 150, some days as high as 300-350 grams.

[Fazc]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

I have never counted macronutrient totals but I generally know that for most of my life I was eating around 180 to 210 grams of protein per day. Some days as low as 150, some days as high as 300-350 grams.

Yep, same here. Training is a much, much larger factor in how I perform/look, eating is the easy part.

But then again, I don't look as ripped as some of Lyle McDonald's proponents! So perhaps I'm not one to comment.

[BendtheBar]

The way I look at it is...the more specific the diet goals, the more precision needed.

Protein levels stay pretty much the same regardless of goals (give or take a minimal amount of grams), and fat intake for most bodybuilders is 20-30%, so everything else generally comes down to carb manipulation or cycling.

That's as deep as I care to get. Beyond that I let the bodybuilders take over.

Regarding protein, the lifter's metabolism, weight, etc. have to be considered. If a hardgainer requires 4000 calories per day, limiting him to 150 grams of protein and 20% fat isn't the easiest way for him to gain weight. Carb overkill...

[Violent Volume]

I eat 3 square and snack in between with whey, meat, cheese, fruit and almonds.

[Soldier]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

Regarding protein, the lifter's metabolism, weight, etc. have to be considered. If a hardgainer requires 4000 calories per day, limiting him to 150 grams of protein and 20% fat isn't the easiest way for him to gain weight. Carb overkill...

Exactly. I've had issues forming a diet plan when working with numbers of macros instead of percentages. You say to yourself "I want to eat 3k cals a day, and I'm supposed to eat 200g of protein, and I read that you need 300g of carbs a day to build muscle." but at some point those numbers have to mesh up and often times one of the macros gets left out.

The balance of the macros is very important within the limitations of the calories you want to take in.

[austin.j.taylor]

I get around 200g a day. I dont sweat it because I believe that everything evens out in the end. I dont really believe that the body can only process X grams of protein at a time either. Thats one I hear on a few sites.

[mattcho]

woah.. thanks for the tips guys... I've only been pretty much intaking 1 scoop of protein shake per day and thought that was enough. I don't eat that much meat for my meals. Now I'm rethinking of intaking more protein... hmm

[Shadowschmadow]

Worry less about protein and more about calories. Protein doesn't mean a damn thing if you don't have the calories to match it. Make better food choices, eat big, and you'll be covered.

[vcjha]

There are research articles I can point out, but it's very hard to find them, that state that going above 1 g per lb is not any more benficial. Although most can agree that 1.5 g when cutting is the maximum.

[5kgLifter]

Originally Posted by mattcho

woah.. thanks for the tips guys... I've only been pretty much intaking 1 scoop of protein shake per day and thought that was enough. I don't eat that much meat for my meals. Now I'm rethinking of intaking more protein... hmm

And don't overlook the fact that peas, beans, bread, nuts and other foods all have some degree of protein in them; many consider meat, eggs and one or two other foods to amount to the total protein that they consume but that isn't the case.