For example, a 150-pound person living an inactive lifestyle would need about 55 grams of protein a day, Sass says. But if that same person was doing regular cardio and strength-training workouts to build muscle, their protein needs would go up to about 150 grams per day, she explains.
Experts differ on what the exact amount of protein you need to build muscle, but the general consensus is that if your goal is muscle gain you should consume 1 gram of protein for every pound of your target body weight. So if you want to weigh a muscle-stacked 185, that's 185 grams of protein daily.
Some experts suggest an even higher number—the International Society of Sports Nutrition, for instance, recommends some active individuals get up to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. That could mean up to 90–150 grams a day if you weigh 165 pounds, depending on your unique needs.
People who regularly lift weights or are training for a running or cycling event need 1.2-1.7 grams per kilogram. Excessive protein intake would be more than 2 grams per kilogram of body weight each day.
You definitely don't need nearly that much. Studies show a range of 1.3-1.6 g/kg being optimal, above which there is no observed effect.
What are the signs of too much protein? Too much protein can cause fatigue, dehydration, nausea, diarrhea, indigestion, and digestive discomfort. It is best for a person to contact a doctor for advice if they believe they are consuming too much protein.
Incorporating Protein into Your Meals
Animal-derived proteins: 3 oz canned tuna (20 g of protein), 3 oz cooked salmon (19g), 3 oz skirt steak (25 g), 3 oz cooked chicken breast (27 g), 4 slices of deli meat (8 g), 156 g plain Greek yogurt (16 g), 220 g cottage cheese (24 g), 245g 2% milk (8 g), or 1 whole egg (6g).
Myth = busted! This means that you would need to be in a calorie surplus to be gaining weight and getting bulky – so as long as you're maintaining a healthy, balanced diet, and taking recommended doses of protein and/or protein supplements, you will not experience any bulking.
Some high-protein diets limit carbs so much that you might not get enough nutrients or fiber. This can cause problems such as bad breath, headache and constipation. Some high-protein diets allow red meats, processed meats and other foods high in saturated fat.
Lifting and doing strength training without adequate nutrition, especially without enough protein, can actually lead to loss of muscle tissue. Furthermore, if you aren't eating right you won't have the energy to do the workouts that lead to muscle gain.
It's not recommended to eat more than 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight a day. Following this recommendation, a healthy adult weighing 220 pounds could eat up to 200 grams of protein daily. However, if you weigh less than 200 pounds, this amount of protein could be excessive.
Breaking it down based on weight, a person who weighs 150 pounds (68.2 kg) has a recommended protein intake of about 55 grams per day. If you're trying to build muscle, aim for 69-102 grams of protein per day. If you're trying to lose weight, shoot for 68-82 grams of protein per day.
In general, for CKD stages 1 and 2, the current recommendation is to limit dietary protein to no more than 0.8 grams per kilogram of your ideal body weight. For example: if your ideal weight is 150 lbs or 68 kg, your protein needs are: 68 kg x 0.8 g/kg = 54 grams of protein or less per day.
For the average person who weighs 150 pounds, that would be at least 54 grams of protein daily. Aiming for closer to 150 grams of protein — which is more like 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, if you weigh 150 pounds — is beyond the recommended amount for even a 150-pound Olympic athlete.
Several organizations support a formula to help active people understand their protein needs. The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend 1.2 to 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.
This means a 180-pound (81.8 kg) male, for example, would need to consume between 98 and 131 g of protein daily, combined with resistance training, to support muscle growth.
For individuals without diagnosed kidney conditions, there is generally no evidence to suggest that moderate whey protein consumption as part of a balanced diet poses a risk to kidney health.
How much protein do I need a day? The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is a modest 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.36 grams per pound. The RDA is the amount of a nutrient you need to meet your basic nutritional requirements.
On the other hand, if we're eating so much protein that we're getting more total calories than our body burns, those calories will be stored as fat. Whether you're working out or not, it's also important to remember that protein isn't the only nutrient our bodies need to thrive.
The intervention study showed an increase in muscle mass with the intake of milk protein in the morning rather than in the evening (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Protein intake at breakfast might have relatively stronger effects on skeletal muscle mass than at lunch and dinner.
Long-term consumption of protein at 2 g per kg BW per day is safe for healthy adults, and the tolerable upper limit is 3.5 g per kg BW per day for well-adapted subjects. Chronic high protein intake (>2 g per kg BW per day for adults) may result in digestive, renal, and vascular abnormalities and should be avoided.
For instance, let's say that you determine your current weight and you're a 150-pound person. In this case, your target should be between 112 grams and 150 grams of protein per day to effectively support muscle protein synthesis, prevent muscle loss, and promote muscle gain. How can you figure this out for yourself?
so, when you have 150 grams of chicken breast, only a portion of that weight is protein. that's why the protein content is around 46.5 grams for 150 grams of chicken breast, not 150 grams total.