To build muscle how much protein do you need to eat in a day and do you have to eat that amount of protein every single day or only on the days when you workout?
So the RDA for protein for healthy people is 0.4 grams per pound. If you work out regualry, you may need a bit more than this. Several studies use between 0.6 and 0.9 grams per pound. Some research suggests 0.7 grams per pound may be optimal but since we are all different, the optimal dose is probably not known. From my research, my hunch is that for most people its probably 0.6 to 0.7 grams per pound.
Hope that helps.
0.8g per pound is a decent goal when you’re bulking/not in a caloric deficit. 1g/pound is advisable when you’re in a deficit. Also, consider your lean body mass. If you’re extremely overweight you can have 1g per centimeter of your height.
You’ll probably get better advice in some of the workout and muscle building subs. Here, the conversations are usually about being healthy which is essentially eat a well balanced diet and don’t overindulge in foods that do not contribute helpful vitamins, minerals, and other helpful nutrients.
Your specific muscle gaining goals may require a detailed and personalized diet which would be most helped by a licensed or accredited nutritionist and possibly a physical trainer.
If you’re just trying to be healthier and leaner, see above. People typically don’t need crazy protein intake or anything to build muscle and become leaner.
A person who frequently lifts weights or who is training should consume between 1.2 and 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day in order to grow muscle mass in conjunction with physical activity.
Every day, because on days you don’t work you are still recovering which is actually super important.
Protein also helps maintain muscle mass so even when you have a break, it’s wise to keep it up.
No need to smash copious amounts but you will need enough if building muscle is the goal.
0.83-1g per lb of lean body mass and if you’re losing fat you might want to go to the upper end of that maybe as high as 1.2gper lb at the most as it’s harder to retain muscle in a defecit (if you are not a beginner aka less than one year of proper training). Anything over this and it’s not going to add to your gains, only do it if you actually want more protein.
If you’re a beginner work up to it as it can be hard to get into the habit of eating more protein. You’ll gain a lot of muscle at the beginning of your journey regardless of whether you do things optimally, but make the most of the time by starting on the right foot and get the best out of it 👍
I’d look at Layne Norton’s work if you want to know more, Greg Nuckols, Brad Schoenfeld, Bill Campbell there are plenty of other evidence based people out there but these guys are pretty well established in the evidence based info.
Also Ben Carpenter if you want it all broken down with science but in more layman’s terms. The other guys are great but they will go right in depth on the science. He’s brilliant.
You should aim for 0.8 - 1 gram if protein per pound of body weight. You don’t need to hit the target daily, but by the end of the week, your combined total should average out to your target.
It is perfectly fine to cycle between higher and lower days if that works better for you.
You need 75 Ov Um grams of protein per day in general anymore than that and the body will use them for energy and not tissue repair and building You also need to be sure to move your electrons through reality when working out to maximize results.
Protein is constantly being broken down in the body, so you should be getting protein throughout the day every day to replenish. Plus, It is an essential nutrient which means the body can’t make it and it’s vital for you to live.
On how much to take in, the go-to is 1g/pound of BW. This is great if you want to be on the safe side. I usually go by 1g/pound of lean body mass plus 10. If a person is overweight, I’d recommend going by target bodyweight.
Protein requirements are dictated by your recovery demand; if you’re not getting it done in the gym and creating the necessary stimulus to ilicit a hypertrophy response, then no amount of protein is going to build you muscle.
Generally speaking it’s recommended to consume around 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight when trying to build muscle; think of this as a general guideline not a rule, you may require more or less depending on your individual requirements.
You will also want to ensure you’re consuming adequate carbohydrates (or extra protein if you eat no/low carb for some reason) to spare protein being converted to glucose via gluconeogensis.
International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Protein and Exercise (J Int Soc Sports Nutr., 2017):
> For building muscle mass and for maintaining muscle mass through a positive muscle protein balance, an overall daily protein intake in the range of 1.4-2.0 g protein/kg body weight/day (g/kg/d) is sufficient for most exercising individuals, a value that falls in line within the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range published by the Institute of Medicine for protein.
Eat 35 to 50 grams of protein every 4 hours while awake. Either eat it or drink it. Do not cut out carbs because you need those to build muscle as well as fats. If you really want to push the envelope go get your testosterone levels checked and if not at or above 600 then start with testosterone boosters (go to joe rogans podcast, they did a deep dive on supps that actually do work) and if real low like 300 get on trt. Workout like a madman, log all your lifts and incrementally increase the load every week or 2:)Trenbaloney sammiches work wonders too lol!