How Much Protein Do You Need To Build Muscle?
Most people don’t consume enough protein.
Protein is an essential building block of the human body. Protein is critical for maintaining muscle mass, building strength, and recovering from exercise. Protein provides a high degree of satiety, which makes you feel full after eating and keeps you satisfied between meals. All of the key benefits of protein only take place when you consume enough.
But how much protein do you really need?
The answer depends on several factors: weight, age, gender, body composition, and fitness goals. Some people may need to supplement with protein or consume foods that are fortified with protein to hit their goals - but most people are not getting enough protein through their normal diet alone. About 1 in 3 older Americans do not meet the daily requirement on protein intake.
This is a big mistake, you do not want to be low on protein.
What Is Protein?
Protein is a vital nutrient, made up of smaller building blocks called amino acids, which are essential for building muscle and repairing tissues in your body. When it comes to building muscle, protein plays a crucial role.
Imagine your muscles are like a wall that's constantly being broken down and rebuilt. Protein is like the bricks used to rebuild the wall. If you're trying to build muscle, you need enough protein to not only replace the bricks that are worn out but also to add new ones, making the wall bigger and stronger.
How Much Protein Do I Need?
Most likely more than you are currently eating.
Based on the latest sports nutrition research, protein intake can heavily depend on your fitness goals. If you are a non-obese, active individual who regularly performs resistance training…
Bulking (calorie surplus to add muscle mass) = 0.7 to 1g per lb bodyweight.
Cutting (calorie deficit to lose fat) = 0.8 to 1.2g per lb bodyweight.
If your BMI is over 30.0, then the story is a bit different.
The obesity category means that you have a larger surplus of body fat, and thus the equation changes. A simple equation for protein intake for obese individuals is to consume 1g per cm in height.
So if you are 5-foot 8-inches tall (173 cm), simply consume 173 grams of protein per day. This is plenty of protein to support recovery from training and maintain muscle mass when in a caloric deficit.
Why Protein Intake Changes With Age
In the United States, over 40% of men and 60% of women over the age of 50 have sarcopenia.
Sarcopenia is a condition where your body progressively loses muscle mass and strength as you age. Physical inactivity, disease and inadequate nutrition all accelerate sarcopenia. Strength training and a high-protein diet are the primary methods for reducing and reversing sarcopenia.
An aging organism experiences an overall decline in protein synthesis rates.
What Happens If You Don’t Get Enough Protein?
Protein is the only essential macronutrient. The body needs protein to survive.
Even in complete starvation, the body can produce enough carbohydrates on its own to satisfy basic needs. Essential fatty acids are required in such small amounts, that you’ll easily obtain them from natural food sources. Your diet would have to have zero fat in it for a long time to become deficient in fatty acids.
It’s different when it comes to protein - if you don’t eat enough protein, you will suffer from fatigue, weakness, muscle loss, impaired healing, accelerated aging, bone loss, hair loss, heart issues, hormone imbalances, mood disorders, a compromised immune system, at the very least.
If you are trying to lose fat, build muscle, and combat sarcopenia (or all three of those things), increase your protein intake and incorporate strength training into your routine. You’ll live a longer, healthier, happier life because of it.
