What credibility or scientific backing does 1g protein per 1lb of body weight have for its applications?

Asked by: Courtney Briggs

How important is 1g of protein per pound?

A common recommendation for gaining muscle is 1 gram of protein per pound (2.2 grams per kg) of body weight. Other scientists have estimated protein needs to be a minimum of 0.7 grams per pound (1.6 grams per kg) of body weight ( 13 ).

Is it 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass?

For building lean muscle, aim for roughly 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass.

How much protein does your body need per pound?

The commonly recommended range of protein for both men and women is roughly 0.8 to 1.0 grams per pound of weight (in kilograms) or 0.36 to 0.45 grams per pound of body weight.

Is 0.8 grams of protein per lb enough?

The recommended daily intakes (RDIs) can also be calculated by a person’s body weight. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends that the average individual should consume 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram or 0.35 grams per pound of body weight per day for general health.

How much protein do we actually need?

Some plant foods also are high in protein, including quinoa, broccoli and nuts. The Institute of Medicine recommends that all adults should consume 0.83 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. This amounts to 56 grams per day for the average male and 46 grams per day for the average female.

Do you really need protein to build muscle?

Protein intake is absolutely essential if your goal is to build muscle. Protein is the building block for tissue growth and repair, and without this, you will not be providing your body with the tools it needs to grow new tissue! If you want to increase your muscle mass then you must be in a consistent calorie surplus.

Do you need to eat your bodyweight in protein?

Anywhere from 10% to 35% of your calories should come from protein. So if your needs are 2,000 calories, that’s 200–700 calories from protein, or 50–175 grams. The recommended dietary allowance to prevent deficiency for an average sedentary adult is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight.

What happens if you eat too much protein?

Excess protein consumed is usually stored as fat, while the surplus of amino acids is excreted. This can lead to weight gain over time, especially if you consume too many calories while trying to increase your protein intake.

Should protein intake be based on lean body mass?

Guidelines on protein intake are often given based on a person’s total body weight. A more accurate way to gauge the amount of protein you need, however, might be to base it on your lean mass weight. Lean body mass is everything in your body except fat, including muscle, skin, bones, blood and organs.

Is 0.8 grams of protein per pound enough to build muscle?

The Verdict
Based on the averages from evidenced backed recommendations, a good rule of thumb for maintaining existing muscle is to eat roughly 0.8 to 1 grams of protein/pound of body weight. And this amount may increase as high as 1 to 1.5 grams/pound when looking to add lean mass using a calorie surplus.

Is 2g of protein per lb too much?

If you want to maximize muscle growth, you need to eat well over 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily, even hitting a good 1.5 grams—and up to 2 grams—per pound of body weight. The fewer carbs you consume, the closer you need to be to 2 grams per pound.

Is 0.8 grams of protein per body weight enough?

According to the Dietary Reference Intake report for macronutrients, a sedentary adult should consume 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.36 grams per pound. That means that the average sedentary man should eat about 56 grams of protein per day, and the average woman should eat about 46 grams.

How many grams of protein do I need to put on muscle?

To increase muscle mass in conjunction with regular exercise, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that a person eats between 1.2-1.7 g of protein per kg of body weight per day. For a 130-lb woman looking to gain muscle mass and strength, that’s 71-100 g, and for a 150-lb man, that’s 82-116 g.

How much protein do I need a day to maintain muscle?

According to the University of California, Los Angeles, sedentary people need about 0.36 grams of protein per 1 pound of body weight per day. This is the approximate amount of protein that will help you maintain your body’s current muscle mass. As an example, a 150 pound person would need 54 grams of protein per day.

How much protein should I eat while cutting?

Most studies suggest that 0.7–0.9 grams of protein per pound of body weight (1.6–2.0 grams per kg) is sufficient for conserving muscle mass on a cutting diet ( 4 , 10 ). For example, a 155-pound (70-kg) person should eat 110–140 grams of protein per day.

How much protein do I need a day to build muscle bodybuilding?

If you’re training hard or looking to get larger, aim for around 1 gram per pound of body weight, or around 2.3 grams per kilogram.

What happens if you eat too much protein?

Excess protein consumed is usually stored as fat, while the surplus of amino acids is excreted. This can lead to weight gain over time, especially if you consume too many calories while trying to increase your protein intake.

Can you get too much protein?

It is possible to each too much protein — if more than 35% of your daily calories come from protein, you might experience side effects. Eating too much protein can worsen kidney problems, and over time can cause symptoms like bad breath, indigestion and dehydration.