Protein is by far the most important macronutrient when it comes to building muscle. Protein is responsible for muscle protein synthesis (MPS), meaning that protein is the only macronutrient that can stimulate muscle growth. Therefore it's crucial to understand how to use protein because otherwise, you may be leaving potential gains on the table. By the end of this email, you'll have a clear understanding of how to use protein for maximum muscle growth. We'll cover topics like:
Let's dive in! How much protein should you eat per day?How much protein you should per day comes down to 2 main things.
When you are bulking, you generally don't need as much protein because you are at a lower risk of breaking down muscle for fuel. When bulking, you are eating in an energy surplus, meaning that your body will get all the energy it needs from food. When bulking, a recommended daily protein intake is 0.7-1g of protein per pound of bodyweight. (1.6-2.2g of protein per kg of bodyweight) So if you weigh 180 pounds, you'd want to eat anywhere from 126-180g of protein daily. When cutting, you are eating in an energy deficit, meaning that your body will turn to other energy sources for fuel than food. There are only 2 other sources it can get energy from and that is your fat stores and muscles. Since you are at a higher risk of breaking down muscle as a fuel source when cutting, a higher protein intake is necessary. When cutting, a recommended protein intake is 0.8-1.2g of protein per pound of bodyweight. (1.8-2.7g of protein per kg of bodyweight) So if you weight 180 pounds, you'd want to eat anywhere from 144-216g of protein daily. Your current body composition also plays a huge role in how much protein you should eat. Simply put, the leaner you are, the more protein you should eat. That's because the leaner you are, the less fat reserves you have that your body can use for fuel and therefore you stand a higher risk of breaking down muscle for fuel. On the other hand, the higher your body fat %, the less protein you need because of the fat reserves you have that your body can use for fuel. Thanks to that, you have a low risk of losing muscle and therefore don't need as much protein. When we look at the protein ranges I brought out earlier, the leaner you are, the higher up on the range you want to be. For example, if you are cutting and are already lean, you should eat 1.2g of protein per pound of bodyweight per day on the scale of 0.8-1.2g. By contrast, the higher your body fat %, the less protein you need due to high fat reserves which can be used for energy, therefore you can "get away with" eating less protein. It's still important to mention that if you just prefer a high protein diet, you don't need to restrict yourself of more protein due to these ranges. These ranges are here to give you an idea and also a minimum amount of protein to eat per day (eating anything less than these ranges can leave tons of gains on the table). I wanted to give you a minimum because what we know for sure is that not eating enough protein is a sure way to leave gains on the table. On the other hand, eating more protein can potentially give you more gains (to an extent). So I think it's better to eat more protein in the hopes that you'll get more gains rather than not eating enough protein and definitely leaving gains on the table. What are the best times to consume protein?Your muscles are the most sensitive to the reuptake of food a couple of hours after finishing your workout. So it only makes sense to consume some protein during that 2 hour window, ideally as soon as you can after finishing the workout. It can be something as simple as having a protein shake right after a workout until you can get your hands on a proper meal. It's still important to mention that the timing isn't nearly as important as hitting your daily protein target but if we want to truly maximize our muscle growth, timing definitely plays a role. What are some high-quality protein sources?The quality of a protein source is usually measure by its amino acid profile. There are 9 essential amino acids that we need to build muscle. Our bodies can't create these amino acids so we need to get them from food. I'm going to add a picture here with all the essential and non essential amino acids just for clarity, there's absolutely no need to remember the names of these acids. It's important to mention that as long as you hit your daily protein target, you are almost guaranteed to get a sufficient amount of each essential amino acid, so there's really no need to go too in depth with this topic. Here's a list of high-quality protein sources: Eggs Fish (all fish) Whey protein powder Dairy (cheese, yogurt) Meat (beef, game, chicken, turkey, etc) Vegan protein powders (rice combined with pea) Is it safe to eat a high protein diet?This 2016 study published in the National Institutes of Health found that there "were no harmful effects on measures of blood lipids as well as liver and kidney function." In conclusionWhen bulking, eat anywhere from 0.7-1g of protein per pound of bodyweight. (1.6-2.2g of protein per kg of bodyweight) When cutting, eat anywhere form 0.8-1.2g of protein per pound of bodyweight. (1.8-2.7g of protein per kg of bodyweight) Generally, the leaner you are, the more protein you should eat to minimize the risks of muscle breakdown. Consume protein within 2 hours after finishing a workout because that's when your muscles are the most sensitive to the reuptake of food. Ideally, consume protein right after finishing the workout. Some high-quality protein sources are eggs, fish, whey protein powder, dairy (cheese, yogurt), meat (beef, game, chicken, turkey, etc) and vegan protein powders (rice combined with pea) That's it for today. Enjoy the rest of your day. - Tauri |
Evidence-based advice getting you leaner, more muscular and healthier.
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