“There’s never enough protein!” This common joke is often heard, especially within the strength training and weightlifting community.
This question might seem simple to some, but majority of fitness enthusiasts often over consume protein and neglect other macronutrients. This stems from the misconception about proteins and muscle building. We all know that proteins are the basic building blocks for our body, however, muscle building is not as simple as many individuals believe to be.
For the untrained individual, a daily consumption of 0.8g/kg of bodyweight is sufficient. But due to the amount of stress the muscles receive during exercise, strength training athletes require a daily intake of 1.2-1.5g/kg of bodyweight worth of protein in their diet. For example, a 70 kg athlete would require at least 91 g (= 70 x 1.3) of protein in their diet.
In fact, majority of us consume more protein that we actually need. Individuals who should actually be concerned with regards to their protein intake are usually professional athletes who train more than once or twice per day. Due to the high amount of stress they impart on their muscles, their protein requirements would be significantly higher. Therefore, for the majority of the fitness community, protein should constitute to approximately 20-30% of an individual’s total daily caloric intake.
Cheers and #stayalpha
#thenattybrofessor
References:
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/DRI/DRI_Tables/macronutrients.pdf
http://www.hpb.gov.sg/HOPPortal/health-article/2652
http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html#How%20much%20protein
THENATTYBROFESSOR 