We all know that protein is essential, but do all we know required optimum daily protein intake?
Based on my experience, the majority of people can’t meet their minimum requirements for daily protein consumption.
In this post, I am going to write about optimal protein intake that is mandatory to reach your goal, whether it is weight loss or muscle gain.
When talking about daily protein requirements it is worth to mention an article written by Former Executive Editor, Harvard Men’s Health Watch Daniel Pendick.
In this article, Daniel wrote that 0,8 – 1.0 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight is essential to maintain homeostasis, which translates overall balanced health.
It means that if you weigh 80 kg, your daily protein intake should be somewhere between 64 – 80 g.
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The daily minimum protein intake for males and females is pretty much the same.
Few exceptions can influence protein requirements, and most important are:
Apart from mentioned above exceptions, all men and women should aim to deliver somewhere between 0.88 g to 1.0 g / 1 kg of body weight daily.
One interesting study showed an effect of increased protein intake in men’s and women’s diets.
Results showed that higher protein content contributed to the density and strength of quadriceps muscles.
The conclusion of the study says that maintaining adequate protein intake with age may help preserve muscle mass and strength in adult men and women.
Eating less doesn’t equal weight loss, especially when it comes to protein.
Mentioned 0,88 – 1,0 g per kg of body weight is essential to:
Whether you have to lose 30 kg or 10 kg first step is to sort out your protein intake.
The next step is to control your energy intake, which comes from carbohydrates or fats, or both.
To gain weight, you need at least the same amount of protein as for weight loss.
The only difference between losing and gaining weight is in calories coming from energy sources like fat and carbohydrates or both.
Everything comes down to a simple rule:
It’s generally known that the minimum daily protein intake for athletes is around 1.2 g per 1kg of body weight, whereas competitive bodybuilders consume somewhere between 1,9 to 4,9 g.
Massive difference in the daily dose of protein between athletes is influenced mostly by the type of workout they practice.
Training load, type of activity, intensity, and capacity directly stimulate the muscular and nervous system and recovery time.
The training focused on hypertrophy and strength leads to more micro damages in muscle tissue than the training oriented on developing technical skills or endurance.
Therefore disciplines like weight lifting, bodybuilding require more protein to recover damaged tissue, unlike running or swimming where direct impact on muscle tissue is less.
0,8-1 g / kg
1.0 – 2.0 g / kg
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I hope that now you have the clarity that protein intake is essential not only for weight loss or muscle gains but also for recovery.
Differences in daily protein doses are influenced mostly by lifestyle, amount, and type of stress which muscular and nervous system are exposed to.
