The truth about too much protein???

[exec23]

I have been looking for some information on the effects of too much protein and have come across the following link: http://www.bodybuilding-supplement-g...e-you-fat.html

All of those calculations may or may not be correct but it depends on YOU!

FACT: The #1 protein mistake people make is: They ingest more then they need.

MYTH: Any excess won't be stored as fat so it doesn't matter.

That's right a formula needs some input to make it work for you. So here's how you can quickly and easily figure out how much protein you need. Keep in mind that protein has calories. And while it's true that protein isn't as easily stored as fat there still remains the truth that your body only needs so many extra calories to grow.

Any excess just don't disappear.

It gets stored. As fat.

And that can and will include protein.

Ingesting 10x more then you need will not make your muscles any larger but it might add to your abdominal area in a way you wish it didn't. So figure out how much protein you need and eliminate the excess calories that can potentially just turn into fat storage.

Protein Calculation Formula:

The secret to figuring out how much protein you need is not by just taking some number you found like 30g and apply it to yourself. If everybody had the same needs we would all be the same. And we both know that just isn't true. Each person is slightly different.

Let me explain. We've all heard that a person can only digest 25-30g of protein in one sitting. B.S.!

Just think about it. Does an IFBB professional bodybuilder intake the same amount of protein as the guy who's 135 lbs just starting out? Even if there is a 200 lb weight difference?

The answer might shock you. NO

Needless to say, so many people just take some number, multiply that by their body weight and that's what they think they need a day. Tell me, if a person is 35% body fat, should they use their weight or their lean weight to figure out how much protein they need?

Simple. Lean weight. Your daily protein requirements are based on your lean body weight. And how do you figure out your lean body weight?

Use the skin fold caliper home test. Go back to Question #2.

Step 1:

Take your body weight in pounds

Example: 194 lbs

Step 2:

Find your body fat % using one of the methods in Question #2

Example: 15.7% (which is .157 for the step below)

Step 3:

Take your body weight in pounds and subtract the % body fat

Example: 194 lbs - (194 x .157 = 30.45 lbs of fat) = 163.54 lbs of lean body weight

Step 4:

Take your lean body weight and multiply by 1.14

Example: 163.54 lbs x 1.14 = 186.4g of protein a day

Step 5:

Divide your daily protein requirements by 5-6 meals and that is what your protein target is for each meal.

Example: 186.4/6 meals = 31.07g of protein per meal

As you will see, a person who is 286 lbs of lean body weight will require a lot more protein. And a person who is 286 lbs should not be consuming the same amount of protein if their percentage of body fat is 35%.

But why use 1.14 for protein requirements?

The RDA recommends .75g of protein. But that's been shown to be too low for active athletes.

Some sites will recommend 2.0g of protein. But that seems a bit high and your body will have trouble absorbing that not to mention you will probably have a lot of excess calories which can lead to fat gains.

1.14-1.5 is the most efficient range for most active, healthy adults. This range will help build muscle but not lead you into a high protein diet. Feel free to adjust within that range if you feel you need more protein.

Myth Busted!

Excess protein might not be bad for you but it's still excess calories and it doesn't just go away. It gets stored. So if you've ever heard that protein can't be stored as fat, that's simply not true.

I thought this is pretty interesting...because I'm about 6'3" at 206lbs with a bear gut however I don't drink. I use to have a stomach however has lost it through weight training. Now I seem to have gained it back. Really sucks!!! I was taking about 200 grams of whey protein a day aside from eat 6 meals. Now I have to try losing it again.

[vazquez]

rep'd

i know experienced members already know this but for me it was new.

[EMISGOD]

There is a lot of oversimplification going on there as well as some misunderstandings.

I'm not quite sure where you're going with the post, but unless you make the information "digestible", it is meaningless, whether true or not.

Gaining fat or losing fat or maintaining equilibrium is the same equation, regardless of the source of calories and it is the ratio of Kcal consumed vs. Kcal burned.

Yes, protein (and fat) conversion into energy is a sloppy process and very inefficient (hence why ketosis works so well for lipolysis, at least temporarily), but it all boils down to the same equation above. You could substitute alcohol and carb calories if you wished, but the equation above is immutable. Rather than putting the finger on protein (where it doesn't belong), you need to address the overall situation and get accurate numbers for both sides of the Kcal situation.

[Michael M]

I'd venture to say that the majority looking to put on mass aren't having a problem with too much protein in their diet.

[Biggzy]

I'd venture to say that the majority looking to put on mass aren't having a problem with too much protein in their diet.

I gotta agree there. You can never have too much protein.

[EMISGOD]

I gotta agree there. You can never have too much protein.

You can, but it is very difficult to do, typically and almost always requires a deficit of everything else...

[theeberk226]

Yup, I am one of the unpopular opinions on this website regarding protein intake. There is no proof that having 200 grams of protein a day is beneficial for protein synthesis. In one study, researchers found that a meal containing 30 grams of protein boosted muscle-building activity by about 50%. It turned out, however, that increasing the amount of protein in the meal didn't create a bigger boost in muscle synthesis. On average, subjects who ate 90 grams of protein at a meal got exactly the same benefit as subjects who ate 30 grams. This is because your body can NOT absorb all the proteins you eat if you eat too much, so instead of using it for normal protein activities that we think of like protein synthesis it is converted into a lipid. Any extra protein we consume is converted to and stored as fat. As a result, if individuals consume large amounts of extra protein in addition to their regular dietary intake, any weight gain would very likely be in the form of fat. You may question why someone on the Atkins diet (grade A rubber band diet) loses weight, well the truth is that excess protein leads to water loss and dehydration (losing weight), plus it is a bit successful at losing weight, but nothing like a balanced diet that enables you to keep the weight off.

Now to how much protein we need. Athletes like you or me should not just be eating the daily value recommended to the normal person, but there is NO evidence that eating over a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight increases protein synthesis. In fact, there is evidence that there is NO correlation between massive amounts of protein and increased protein synthesis. ZERO. I actually don't believe that over 1 gram for every pound is necessary, because like I said, having that extra protein causes no increase in strength and/or protein synthesis. 0.6 to 0.9 is fine for an athlete.

Just remember, there are many personal trainers who have no idea what the concept of science is and they don't realize what our body is and isn't capable of.

Studies: www<dot>ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3197704 (URL edited because I don't have 50 posts)
Bryant, Cedric X. 101 Frequently Asked Questions about "Health & Fitness" and "Nutrition & Weight Control". Sagamore Publishing, 1999."

[EPolis13]

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[extremenergy3]

Strong 6 year thread bump

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