Questioning the Protein Calculator !

[Jibbo]

The protein calculator makes me wonder if that much protein is really necesssary, I take one shake in the morning, one in the afternoon and one at night plus I eat normally. I also take my vitamins and aminos throughout the day. Sometimes I miss a protein shake and it is fine, but with some of the articles I read it just sounds like you are dropping into a catabolic state not taking your protein correctly or not enough. Personally I believe alot of the supplementation industry is going overboard with pushing their products. Best product I take is the Universal Animal Pak, I have taken it for more than 10 years now and I love the product, cant say enough about it "thats why its always at the top of the list". What are your thoughts on supplementation and any good ideas ?

Jibbo

[MecGen]

Protein powders and how much protein to take is widely a personal decision, some people really believe you need 1.5 lbs per lbs body weight others say .3 lbs per lbs body weight is enough, and everything in between. I supplement with whey because I feel that my diet lacks and its a fast snack on the run.

To each their own

[dazlittle]

I aim for 220G a day based loosely on my bodyweight, I get most of it from real food but if I'm lacking I'll supplement with a whey shake. no science behind it for me been doing it for a couple of years and I'm making slow but sure progress (I think).

[ironwill2008]

The protein calculator makes me wonder if that much protein is really necesssary, I take one shake in the morning, one in the afternoon and one at night plus I eat normally. I also take my vitamins and aminos throughout the day. Sometimes I miss a protein shake and it is fine, but with some of the articles I read it just sounds like you are dropping into a catabolic state not taking your protein correctly or not enough. Personally I believe alot of the supplementation industry is going overboard with pushing their products. Best product I take is the Universal Animal Pak, I have taken it for more than 10 years now and I love the product, cant say enough about it "thats why its always at the top of the list". What are your thoughts on supplementation and any good ideas ?

Jibbo

I suggest you head to the nutrition forum and start reading. From what you've posted here, you've been misled about protein requirements and meal timing from supplement ads rather than science-backed sources.

Here's a few places to start:
*Emma-Leigh's calorie/macro thread: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=121703981

*Alan Aragon/ Pre/Post Nutrition: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=123915821

[acrawlingchaos]

OP, exactly how much protein (in grams) do you consume daily?

[uhjin]

A protein calculator like this one http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calpro.htm used to cite PW Lemon as the source for the calculation. Had a look now and it doesn't mention PW Lemon anymore.

Probably because Lemon recommends 1.6-1.8 gms of protein daily per KILOGRAM of bodyweight, the calculator recommend 1.5 grams per POUND of bodyweight which is about double what Lemon really recommends http://www.jacn.org/content/19/suppl_5/513S.full , I wonder why this would be...

Most people here seem to recommend 1 gram per pound as the minimum from what I have read

[BloodySalad]

Most people here seem to recommend 1 gram per pound as the minimum.

Don't forget that's 1g per lb of lbm. Not over-all body weight. That knocks the figure down a fair bit for the vast majority of people.

[uhjin]

Don't forget that's 1g per lb of lbm. Not over-all body weight. That knocks the figure down a fair bit for the vast majority of people.

From what I understand it (1gm per lb) is based on overall bodyweight not LBM. Obviously not a one size fit all approach though due to fat level differences in individuals.

[IronCharles]

Personally, I prefer to err on the side of excess, rather than on the side of deficiency. Nothing worse in my mind, to bust your ass in the gym, but not have enough protein available to rebuild your muscles bigger and stronger. Your body will convert any excess protein to fuel, anyway.

[BloodySalad]

From what I understand it (1gm per lb) is based on overall bodyweight not LBM. Obviously not a one size fit all approach though due to fat level differences in individuals.

I hang out in the Nutrition forum quite a bit and it's normally recommended as 1-1.5g per lb of lbm as recommended by Lyle Macdonald.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat...ieting-qa.html

That said, there are probably dozens of different views as illustrated by your calculator.

IMO, Iron Charles has hit the nail on the head - err on the side of caution and aim high. It's not going to cause you any harm.