A normal bodybuilding diet does not need to include massive amounts of protein, in spite of what the fitness experts currently say. The average currently suggested is one gram of protein per pound of body weight. That is roughly 200 grams per day, for a 200 pound man. The body building magazines recommend an even higher number compared to this.
The recommendation by the RDA for Protein for Adults is .8 gram per kilogram of body weight.
That would translate to about 64 grams if you’re weighing 175 pounds. So why are these numbers so vastly different? The RDA’s suggestions are based on research studies using college aged men. This was the amount of protein needed to keep the nitrogen balance in these young men stable. Unfortunately, nitrogen balance is not a 100% proven way to predict muscle gain or muscle loss. Because of this it’s not the best way to estimate protein intake for a body building diet.
The AMDR recommends that 10%-35% of daily calories should be protein.
This makes the amount of protein you eat dependent upon how many calories you consume in a day. The AMDR is an acronym for Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range, which in 2005 was initially established by the Institute of Medicine. The issue taken with this recommendation is the fact it has a fairly large range. Neither this recommendation or the RDA takes into account . A person who is exercising actively needs to incorporate this factor into their body building diet plans.
So It Doesn’t Look Like the RDA or the AMDR are Useful in Coming up With a Body Building Diet
Some body building magazines suggest as high as 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. However, that would end up being 350 grams per day for just a 175 pound male! You need to remember the problem with depending on information from body building magazines is they aren’t always unbiased. Selling ads to various advertisers is their main source of income. And the number one product advertised in body building magazines is protein supplements. So it seems logical that 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight is far more than you really need.
The More Protein You Are Eating, The More Protein You Will Be Able To Digest
One of the weird things about protein is that if your body is already use to large amounts of protein in each of your meals, it will be okay with absorbing those same high amounts every meal. If you are used to eating less, then a high protein meal will simply cause an upset stomach due to the body’s inability to digest that protein. Most people assume that the more protein you digest the more muscle you will build, but it’s not that easy.
Ten Times More Protein Digested Does Not Equal Ten Times More Muscle
Research has shown that the more protein you eat, the more your body switches to using amino acids as fuel. Your body uses protein, fat, and carbs for fuel. Depending on what goes into your system, your body adjusts its fuel burning needs to output energy. Based on that information it doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense to keep increasing the protein, but exactly what is enough?
For Exceptional Muscle Gains A Recent Study Recommends 70-120 Grams Of Protein Each Day
Brad Pilon is the author of “How Much Protein”, a book on this very topic. After comparing quite a few studies, Brad discovered 0.55 to 0.7 grams of protein for each pound of body weight is enough to achieve excellent muscle gains. He quotes several of these studies which found that a protein intake of over 120 grams per day didn’t contribute in any way to additional muscle gain. So you can believe the supplement companies or scientific research. The choice, as always, is yours. My own suggestion would be to just average about 100 grams of protein over your day, which will be easy without having to add the protein shakes to whatever bodybuilding diet you’re on.


