How much protein do you need to build muscle?

Protein is a really essential macronutrient ingredient that is highly required for our body to be healthy and fully functional. It is broken down into substances known as amino acids which are used to develop tendons, organs, skin and of course build and repair muscle. Protein is also used to produce enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters and various tiny molecules that serve important functions. So, adequate protein intake is important whether you exercise or not, but how much is enough?

People that perform high intensity level of physical activity, such as athletes, need to consume a high-protein diet to maximize performance. When you exercise you basically damage your muscle tissues which means that protein is consumed since muscles consist of protein. In order to rebuild damaged muscle, your body needs to replenish the amount of protein that was broken down and if you want to build more muscle you need to have a protein surplus.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein comes to 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. The RDA is the amount of a nutrient that is needed in order to meet our basic requirements. But, since we are talking about muscle growth, the basic requirements are not enough.

There are various studies that contradict on the amount of protein that is required to build muscle. According to the American College of Sports Medicine in order to increase muscle mass you need to consume between 1.2 and 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, or 0.5 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight, combined with physical activity.

On the other side, 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight or 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, per day has been a bodybuilding rule of thumb for decades. Whereas higher levels of protein intake, usually in the range of 2.6-3.3 grams per kilogram of body weight (1.2-1.5 g/pound of BW) each day, are commonly recommended when aiming for fat loss.

Personally, i have found out through my own experience that 2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight lead to amazing results on my body, as long as i train hard of course. Before you consider supplementation, first of all you need to calculate your daily protein intake. So, put all the food you consume daily into a macronutrient calculator app (i use MyFitnessPal) and find out how rich in protein is your diet.

If your protein intake is less than 2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight, then you need to consume more protein or consider supplementation, if you seek further muscle growth. In this case, i highly recommend using Thewhey or Protein Impact whey for best results.

Sources:

1. https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/95/3/614/4578300

2. https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-9-42

3. https://www.muscleforlife.com/how-much-protein-build-muscle/