PROTEIN INTAKE GUIDE
The question of how much protein to consume has been debated for many years, however there is no consensus even among the top figures of the sport industry.
Yet this is one of the pillars:
a) to tone your body: proportions and firmness are ensured by muscles, not fat deposits. Our goal in a diet is to burn fat while maintaining (better yet growing) muscles, which requires building material;
b) protein is essential for health, as we consist of multiple protein bodies: muscles, organs, blood vessels, hair/nails/skin, connective and bone tissues — all of them are protein dependent organs with constant processes of synthesis and breakdown;
c) protein means satiation. Google Protein leverage theory [1], [2].
How much protein do you have to consume? I have no idea. It all depends on your weight, % of fat, your goal and how far you’ve advanced in resistance training.
The diagram in the carousel will help. Or it might get you even more confused. Please note that the numbers provided in research studies are given for 1kg of body weight of a lean person. Those who suffer from obesity should stick to the “lower limit” of the guidelines.
- 0.8 g/kg — minimum recommended by WHO. This is NOT a recommended amount, but the very MINIMUM, further cutback is harmful
- 1.2 g/kg — minimum recommended by various specialists as per the latest studies. Suitable for extremely inactive people [3], [4].
- 1.6–2.2 g/kg — this range is recommended by the majority of sports associations for wide array of gym goers [5], [6].
Lower limit — for overweight people and those trying to gain weight, upper limit — for those losing weight and athletes.
1.8 g/kg — ideal according to Menno Henselmans [8]. Suitable both for weight loss and weight gain and in general.
2.2–2.3 g/kg — in line with classic bodybuilding recommendation of 1g of protein per 1 pound of body weight
4. 1.6 g/kg — satiation point as per Protein leverage theory [1], [2]. Hunger below this point increases [7], if above this point, it gets suppressed even more but the effect is less pronounced.
Suitable for the majority of people on a diet or those who practice recreational training including all non-endurance sports.
5. 1.8 g/kg-2.7 g/kg — range recommended by some scientists and practitioners (Eric Helms, Jose Antonio, Stuart Phillips) for more advanced athletes [5], [9], [10], [11], [18].
6. 2.5–3.0 g/kg — recommended by Lyle McDonald in his book “The protein book” [12].
7. 2.3–3.2 g/kg — range recommended for recomposition [13] (muscle growth with simultaneous fat loss).
2.3+ g/kg won’t guarantee recomposition.
Recomposition is a combination of mild deficit, smart resistance training, sufficient protein intake and adequate recovery period.
This is a rough optimum for those using sport pharmacology
8. 3.3–4.4g/kg as per J.Antonio’s studies [17], where a high-protein diet with calorie surplus resulted in muscle growth without fat gain or with insignificant fat loss. An example of recomposition with calorie surplus.
9. 4.4 g/kg — plenty, satiating, bland, still safe [14], but most likely needless [15]. For extremely high-protein diets such as rapid fat loss by L. McDonald [16].
In Physical Transformation we use our own calculator customized for each and every individual: person’s lifestyle, sex, weight, % of fat, if a person works out, his/her preferred sport and how far he/she has advanced in it.
In a nutshell:
- more protein doesn’t mean better
- less protein doesn’t mean safer
- more protein doesn’t mean more muscles
- more protein is ok if it’s delicious and not at the expense of other macronutrients
- less protein in meals = muscle loss and feeling hungry
- without resistance training you’ll lose muscles if on a diet, but sufficient protein intake will minimize the loss
- 1.6–1.8 g/kg is suitable for majority of people
- higher protein intake might be useful for people who have advanced in resistance training
- higher protein intake might be useful for people using sport pharmacology
If you keep track of protein in your meals, mention your k/kg figures in comments and explain how you got there. Let’s compare our results :) If you don’t count, just give it a try and enter your meals for 2–3 typical days into FatSecret app and see what you get. And then write a comment, we really want to know!
P. S. I stay within a 2.7–3.2g/kg range. This way I’m trying to kill three birds with one stone: get maximum benefit of minimum pharmacology consumption, reach recomposition whenever possible and keep hunger under control.
Season 26 enrollment will start around August.
Click the link to sign up for the preliminary list of participants: https://fiztransform.com/medium
The number of participants is limited. People who joined the preliminary list will primarily be notified about the start of enrollment.
Resources:
1. Protein Leverage: Theoretical Foundations and Ten Points of Clarification (Raubenheimer, 2019)
2. Protein leverage and energy intake (Gosby, 2014)
3. Role of protein in weight loss and maintenance (Leidy, 2015)
4. Higher Total Protein Intake and Change in Total Protein Intake Affect Body Composition but Not Metabolic Syndrome Indexes in Middle-Aged Overweight and Obese Adults Who Perform Resistance and Aerobic Exercise for 36 Weeks (Campbel, 2015)
5. How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution (Schoenfeld, 2018)
6. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise (Jäger, 2017)
7. A Brief Review of Higher Dietary Protein Diets in Weight Loss: A Focus on Athletes (Phillips, 2014)
8. Eric Helms & protein: a research review (Henselmans)
9. Considerations for protein intake in managing weight loss in athletes (Murphy, 2014)
10. High-protein diets in trained individuals (J. Antonio, 2019)
11. Recent Perspectives Regarding the Role of Dietary Protein for the Promotion of Muscle Hypertrophy with Resistance Exercise Training (Stokes, 2018)
12. The Protein Book: A Complete Guide for the Athlete and Coach (McDonald, 2007)
13. Can Trained Individuals Build Muscle and Lose Fat at the Same Time? (Barakat, 2020)
14. The effects of a high protein diet on indices of health and body composition-a crossover trial in resistance-trained men (Antonio, 2016)
15. The effects of consuming a high protein diet (4.4 g/kg/d) on body composition in resistance-trained individuals (Antonio, 2014)
16. The Rapid Fat Loss Handbook (McDonald, 2005)
17. The Effects of Overfeeding on Body Composition: The Role of Macronutrient Composition — A Narrative Review (Antonio, 2017)
18. A systematic review of dietary protein during caloric restriction in resistance trained lean athletes: a case for higher intakes (Helms 2013)
