How Much Protein Do You Need?
This is a difficult question because there isn’t a perfect answer. Nutrition is not an exact science, which is both frustrating (give me a straight answer!) and freeing (there are so many right answers)! When calculating protein needs, we can find a range based on your weight, age, physical activity, and physical condition (illness, wounds, disease). So what is that range for you?
Protein Recommendations
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for protein for adults is 0.8g protein/kg of body weight/day and the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) for protein is 10-35% of calories, if calorie needs are met. If calorie needs are not met, then protein may be used as energy and not for maintaining and building muscle. Okay… so what does this mean?
The RDA represents the average daily intake level of a nutrient that will meet the needs of 97% of healthy people. However, 0.8g/kg/day may not necessarily provide adequate protein and is considered the minimum to maintain muscle. Consistent intakes of at least 1.0-1.5g of protein/kg of body weight have been proposed to maintain and even build muscle, especially in older (65+) adults. Not only do we need to think about the amount of protein in grams, but the quality of the protein is also important (vegetarian, vegan protein sources…complete vs. incomplete protein) but this will be covered in another post! Long story short, the recommended amount is likely not enough for most people, especially if you are wanting to build muscle. For more information on athlete’s protein needs check out Protein and the Athlete — How Much Do You Need? published on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website which has many great, reliable nutrition resources.
How to Calculate Your Protein Needs
Personally, I am wanting to gain muscle; not a ton but enough to get a nice toned look (it’s what everyone wants, right?). I aim to consume 1.0-1.5g/kg/day of protein which is 59-88g/day. I find it’s easier to divide that range by 3 so I can focus on getting 20-30g of protein at each meal. This may sound intimidating to count grams of protein at first, but once you can recognize the average amount of protein in your food it will come naturally. In a future blog post I will provide tips for counting grams of protein in your head, because not everything we eat has a food label!
Steps to Calculate Your Protein Needs (I have provided an example)
1. Convert your weight in pounds to kilograms:
(weight in lbs) / (2.2) = weight in kg
130lb/ 2.2 = 59kg
2. Multiply weight in kg by desired protein goal range:
(weight in kg) x (protein range) = daily goal protein range
59kg x 1.0-1.5g = 59-89g of protein/day
3. (Optional) Divide your protein goal range by your number of meals/day
(protein goal range) / (# of meals/day)
59-89g / 3 = 20-30g of protein/meal
Please comment or DM me with any questions you have about your protein needs or nutrition questions in general! Was this post confusing or helpful? Let me know!
References
1. Gropper SS, Smith JL. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. 7 ed. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning; 2018.
