How Much Protein is Enough?

Whey protein has gained much popularity for its many health benefits, especially within the athletic population.

There has been recent attention focused on understanding the role of protein nutrition for optimal training and body composition. Much of that attention surrounds, “How much protein is too much?” or “How much protein do I need to make the most gains?”.

In general, it is recommended that 10-35% of your daily energy intake should come from protein. The recommended daily intake for protein suggests 0.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight. That would equal around 60g of protein for a 165lb person.

Athletes need even more protein than the average person! To increase muscle mass, it is recommended that a person who lifts weights regularly gets 1.2-1.7g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. More and more research suggesting closer to the 1.7g ram mark for active and/or older people; that would equal 75-128g of protein for a 165lb person. This may seem like a lot, but if we equate grams to calories, this would only be 300-512kcals per day.

Protein supplementation after exercise has been shown to have a large impact on muscle hypertrophy. Studies show that protein ingestion following resistance training stimulates muscle protein synthesis for up to three hours. A protein source that is high in leucine, such as whey, has been shown to be the best at stimulating this muscle growth.

Be sure you are getting at least 1.7g of protein per pound of body weight to maximize your training potential!