Point of diminishing returns for protein intake.

[Mulletsoldier]

Mullet has it on the dot for me. It's about total cals, not about the cals themselves. I like to eat the carb level that gives me consistant energy, add in the amount of fat I'm eating on the diet, and the rest is protein. Remember, your body can convert excess protein to energy if required.

Exactly. Like, I don't shoot for x amount of suggested protein, I experiment to find the daily values for each macro that work for me the best in both calories and the split of those calories. It has just so happened that my split ends up being way more protein then 'needed' or suggested, but like he said for me it's about the calories.

[Nitrox]

Mullet has it on the dot for me. It's about total cals, not about the cals themselves. I like to eat the carb level that gives me consistant energy, add in the amount of fat I'm eating on the diet, and the rest is protein. Remember, your body can convert excess protein to energy if required.

Keep in mind that protein has the highest thermogenic effect of the three main macronutrients. Some allowances should be made for this in your calorie counting. I find that when I increase my carb ratio at the expense of protein I need less total calories to gain weight than with a higher protein ratio.

[CHAPS]

If i'm training naturally 1g per lb of bodyweight and if enhanced 1.5g's per lb of bodyweight.

[BigVrunga]

I think jacking protien up to 400+g for short periods can have a positive effect on growth, it seems to for me. I usually hover around 1 - 1.5 g/lb generally.

BV

[ArnoldIsMyIdol]

I still don't see why someone would need so much even if on steroids. I mean if you consider that a pound of muscle is like 70% water anyway, so theoretically, 135 grams above maintenice protein should provide enough to gain a pound of muscle a day. Even taken into account the PER this should be plenty of protein right? Even if you are on heavy steroids, can you really gain a pound a day (I mean a pound of REAL muscle, not water)?

[UHCougar05]

I still don't see why someone would need so much even if on steroids. I mean if you consider that a pound of muscle is like 70% water anyway, so theoretically, 135 grams above maintenice protein should provide enough to gain a pound of muscle a day. Even taken into account the PER this should be plenty of protein right? Even if you are on heavy steroids, can you really gain a pound a day (I mean a pound of REAL muscle, not water)?

A pound of muscle a day would be a bit of a stretch, but then again most of those who are enhanced are (or should be) looking at the long term, and rapid gains are often hard to hold on to. I would take a look at the idea of beating the PTOR (Protein Turnover Ratio) that ALR talks about in BTPB. His ideas make sense in the fact that you need to ingest more protein than your body breaks down to stay in a positive nitrogen balance. Of course, he also bases this on the amount of LBM you have and not just standard weight. It's a pretty interesting idea and gives a bit of food for thought on the subject.

[WannaGro]

A pound of muscle a day would be a bit of a stretch, but then again most of those who are enhanced are (or should be) looking at the long term, and rapid gains are often hard to hold on to. I would take a look at the idea of beating the PTOR (Protein Turnover Ratio) that ALR talks about in BTPB. His ideas make sense in the fact that you need to ingest more protein than your body breaks down to stay in a positive nitrogen balance. Of course, he also bases this on the amount of LBM you have and not just standard weight. It's a pretty interesting idea and gives a bit of food for thought on the subject.

I agree with this too, I base all of my numbers off of LBM and not total body weight, why count fat weight when its not useing the calories for anything positive. Other than to store those calories that you alotted for it. This is just me and I have found that this has worked the best in terms of bulking basically year round and staying quite lean at the same time.

[Nitrox]

I still don't see why someone would need so much even if on steroids. I mean if you consider that a pound of muscle is like 70% water anyway, so theoretically, 135 grams above maintenice protein should provide enough to gain a pound of muscle a day. Even taken into account the PER this should be plenty of protein right? Even if you are on heavy steroids, can you really gain a pound a day (I mean a pound of REAL muscle, not water)?

Well we also have the whole psychological side of things; if a little is good, then more is better.

[Mulletsoldier]

I still don't see why someone would need so much even if on steroids. I mean if you consider that a pound of muscle is like 70% water anyway, so theoretically, 135 grams above maintenice protein should provide enough to gain a pound of muscle a day. Even taken into account the PER this should be plenty of protein right? Even if you are on heavy steroids, can you really gain a pound a day (I mean a pound of REAL muscle, not water)?

Let me break it down for you this way. The current level of kcals I take in daily was reached through experimenting both with the macronutrient ratios, and the total calories injested daily. I found I need a certain amount of calories to grow. I have also found that if I go over a certain ratio of Pro/Carbs I begin to accumulate fat in areas I do not wish to. So, given my current daily intake, if I were to eat 135 grams above maintenance for protein and fill in the rest with carbs I would be fat. I have never looked at it as I needed x amount of protein and x amount of carbs. I have just discovered the amount of kcals I need daily to grow, and the ratio of protein to carbs that has facilitated that proccess while staying lean.