Protein – Let me answer this once and for all.
Protein is the most versatile macronutrient we consume
. It can be used to build tissue, be broken down to make energy, used as an enzyme in metabolism, or used as a cofactor in detoxification. Because our body can use protein for so many things, how much we need is relative to what our body is doing, and what we are doing to our bodies from a training and nutritional standpoint
.
Your training is perhaps the biggest variable in how much protein you need. The amount of protein you need is proportionate to the volume of training! Specifically the volume of eccentric loading
. This means a set of 10 with a 5 second eccentric is more protein demanding than a set of 10 with 3 second eccentric’s.
The reason is most tissue damage occurs during the eccentric range of motion
. If you are not having many carbs, then the overall volume (total number of reps) of training is also important as well, because you will be burning more protein as a fuel source. Lastly, the muscle volume you are training also makes a difference. You may want to have 20g more in your post workout after a leg day than an arm day workout, and maybe 10g more on a chest and back day.
Here are some baseline numbers that I recommend to start with:
If your goal is max-mass
(meaning you can have carbs as well), 1g/lb of lean body weight should be plenty.
If your goal is to make lean gains (and your carbs are fairly low), you may need to increase to 1.5g/lb of lean bodyweight.
If your goal is to get ripped (you are also probably carb conscious and also calorie conscious), then 1.5 up to 2g/lb is more suitable.
Hope that clears things up, these specifics, when utilized correctly, can only ever benefit you!
If you’d like to find out more, just simply DM me the word “Protein” or click here.
To Your Success,
Christian Poulos