How Much Protein Should I Eat Daily?

Preface

*Warning* There may be some science and math in these articles. I don't apologize for that. I will do my best to make information palletable. You are intelligent and I will treat you as such. With that said, send me a message of Facebook and let me know if these articles make sense and provide value or if I helped you get to sleep.




For most people, just starting to eat whole foods like vegetables/fruits and whole grains, less junk, and eating until content will suffice for a start in nutrition. But for those of you who are numbers people, who want to go more in depth, or who just like to know, let's dig a little deeper!

First, what is protein? You may have heard it said that proteins are the building blocks for cells. The analogy I like to use is that the proteins are the lumber and materials used to build the house. Proteins are also used to make hormones and many other structures and substances in your body.

So How Much?

There are some things to consider when figuring out how much protein you need. Are you involved in a sport? Are you exercising regularly? Do you do mostly cardio or do you have some resistance training in there? How much? How heavy? Do you want to get buff? Do you want to get toned? Or do you just want to be healthy?

Since graphics are awesome and easy to organize, here's a table:

Who?	How Much Daily (grams per kilogram)?
Sedentary (walking to car, around office, etc.)	0.8
Aerobic Athlete (marathon runner, cyclist, etc.)	1.2 – 1.4
Strength Athlete (Strongman, bodybuilder, etc.)	1.4 – 1.8

As you can see, the more you do with muscles, the more protein you need. Anytime you are growing or recovering, more protein is needed to rebuild. Adolescents need about 0.9 grams per kilogram of body weight because they are growing. Anyone trying to build muscle would require more protein than sedentary or even an aerobic athlete.

"You can't build a house without materials. You can't build a muscle without protein."

Now, this doesn't mean someone trying to get tight and toned doesn't need protein. They may not want to build big muscles but they are still damaging the muscle during a workout which means they need protein to rebuild... they just don't need tons of calorie to gain lots of muscle.

Lemon Swai with Peppers! Yum!

Mary Fitness

Let's say Mary Fitness wants to tighten and tone. She weighs 154 pounds (70 kilograms).

Body weight in kilograms * 1.2 

Body weight in kilograms * 1.8

70kg * 1.2 = 84 grams

70kg * 1.8 = 126 grams

With this range, Mary would do well eating between 84 and 126 grams of protein per day.

How Much Per Meal?

Using the example above, let's say Mary eats 4 times per day.

84 grams per day / 4 meals = 21 grams per meal

126 grams per day / 4 meals = 31.5 grams per meal

If she eats 4 times per day, Mary would do well aiming for 20 - 30 grams of protein at each meal. Personally, I think his is a better way of thinking about protein intake since part of our goal is to maintain hunger (protein at regular intervals = happy tummy, a sane mind, and better decisions). Not only can protein help control hunger but since protein is NOT stored in the body like carbs and fat, we need a steady stream so our body has what it needs to do well.

The Gist

For most people who want to be healthy, fit, and toned, anywhere from 1.2 - 1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight will be plenty. Personally, I like to be on the higher end. I have found with myself and clients that a little extra protein also helps control hunger.

For the average 155 pound person (about 70 kilos) here's a simple rule of thumb that's easy to remember:

30 every 3

Eat 30 grams of quality protein every 3 hours or so and you'll be covered.  

30 grams equals about 4 ounces of lean meat (1 palm worth or a deck of cards).

My favorite bread and tortillas!

Awesome Sources of Protein

Now we know how much protein, but where do we get it? To keep it simple, any lean meat like fish, poultry, and occasionally lean red meats (>90% lean) is a great source of protein. Also, the occasional protein bar or shake works well in a pinch. For a vegetarian option, any combination of legume and grain, such as beans and an Ezekiel tortilla or beans and brown rice, works well. There is also tempeh and other soy products.

I pray this helps you in your fitness ventures! Send me your fitness and Christianity related questions and I will do my best to answer them so we can honor God and witness to others by leading a healthy lifestyle!

Love God, love people!

-Chris

1 - Baechle, Thomas R., and Roger W. Earle, eds. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. 3rd ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2008. Print.

2 -  McArdle, William D., and Frank I. Katch. Essentials of Exercise Physiology. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2000. Print.