How Much Protein Do We Need?

We always hear about protein and conflicting view on how much we're suppose to have in the day, so.. how much is it anyways?

It does depend on your lifestyle, and it's not just a same amount for everyone approach. It is largely dependant on your fitness goals, your body type, and your lifestyle.

Protein is considered one of the most vital nutrients for our health. It is made of amino acids that our bodies use to not only build and repair muscle but our bones, cartilage, ligaments and skin. It also assists in our energy metabolism, and can be sometimes used as an energy source. This is not necessarily what we always want, which will hopefully make more sense once we figure out how much we should be having!

The recommended amount for a healthy adult with a sedentary lifestyle is between 0.8 - 1.0g per kg bodyweight. So if you do not exercise at all and are not very active, say as an example your bodyweight is 170 pounds (77kg), you should be consuming between 61 - 77g per day. 0.8 being the recommended minimum it seems we should look more towards the 1 gram per kg bodyweight. So if you are not a person with a sedentary lifestyle, or you have more specific goals like gaining muscle or losing body fat, things change a little bit.

If you are trying to gain muscle you will want to consume more than this amount. If you are already at a healthy bodyweight, you will want to increase to somewhere between 1.6 and 2.0g per kg body weight. If you are someone that has a naturally high metabolic rate or an "ectomorph" body type (harder to gain muscle), you can even increase to 2.5 for a short period of time. If you are already at a healthy bodyweight and are just looking to maintain the lean body mass you already have, you do not need to consume as much. For this between 1.2 - 1.6 g per kg bodyweight is good.

if you are trying to lose body fat you will not need to consume as much protein, but you will still want to ensure you are having enough so your body doesn't need to use it as an energy source. Our body burns fat with our muscle.. so we need to keep it to keep burning fat! For someone who is considered overweight you will want to consume somewhere between 1.2 - 1.5g per kg of your current bodyweight. Around the same as those trying to maintain.

For my vegan/vegetarian friends these goals may sound tough.. I tried to include some high protein sources for everyone! Another great source of protein for vegetarians would also be eggs and other hard cheese's, for vegetarians and vegans other sources are chickpea's, quinoa, lentils, hemp seeds, and of course tofu.. a bit of a controversial one as it is high in Phylates, these compounds may reduce the absorption of minerals such as calcium, zinc, and iron. It also contains Trypsin inhibitors. These compounds block trypsin, an enzyme needed for the proper digestion of protein. This may also cause indigestion, abdominal pain, and reduce the absorption of certain minerals. If you follow a well balanced diet it is not too much of a concern, I just wouldn't recommend it as a frequent source :).

Hope that helps ! If you have more question as always feel free to reach out to info@trainingbyrobyn.com