How much is really enough??

[mathis50262]

Ok, so I have heard from 1 gram all the way to 1.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight.... Where is a happy medium? I mean at my weight it could be a difference of 153 grams, thats a lot of protein!! Right now I'm on CKD diet and have been for 6 weeks. I'm making great progress, even at 300 grams, so I'm beyond the point of worrying about it turning glyco. But, where is the line of min/acceptable amount of protein?

 

[Zr1]

It's 1g of protein per lean body mass, not body weight. 175g of protein a day for you is perfect. Try to get your fats from EFA's and carbohydrates from optimal sources. Although, in the end it really doesn't matter as long as your in a calorie deficit. (No research has ever proven that particular foods in a deficit makes a difference) Eating sufficient protein is just help to retain as much muscle as possible on a cut.

 

[UKStrength]

There is no definitive answer mate, its a question that's been argued for years amongst academics and sports people alike.

Some tout the literature-based 1.4-1.8g/kg (of lean body weight, mainly due to no further improvements in protein synthesis or nitrogen balance balance at intakes above this.

Invalid Link Removed (an up-to-date concensus on protein intake from the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition).

However, many other sports gurus suggest intakes far in excess of this, closer to 2.0g/lb of lean body weight (charles poliquin comes to mind). His rationale being that, whilst intakes above the literature don't necessarily promote further improvements in protein synthesis or overall nitrogen balance, the other effects of a high protein diet (especially from organic sources) promote an environment in the body that augments improvements in body composition (e.g. insulin sensitivity, greater TEF/TEM, higher GH secretion).

Therefore, a very high protein intake isn't going to make much difference between one trainee and another but over time I believe the difference in body composition would be marked.

 

[Rosie Chee]

Ok, so I have heard from 1 gram all the way to 1.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight.... Where is a happy medium? I mean at my weight it could be a difference of 153 grams, thats a lot of protein!! Right now I'm on CKD diet and have been for 6 weeks. I'm making great progress, even at 300 grams, so I'm beyond the point of worrying about it turning glyco. But, where is the line of min/acceptable amount of protein?

It's not 1-1.8g per pound of body mass per day; it's 1-1.8g per KG of body mass per day (or, as said that per pound is for per pound of LBM per day; BIG difference between per pound of body mass and per pound of LBM!)

I've actually just finished a short article on this. An extract from it:
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There is a level of g/day at which dietary protein becomes optimal for muscle growth; however, above this there are no further anabolic effects, with excess protein ingested being oxidized through other metabolic pathways (Lambert, Frank & Evans, 2004; Tarnopolsky, et al., 1992; Tarnopolsky, 2006).

...

According to studies done (Rennie & Tipton, 2000) the general population require only 0.8g/kg/day of protein. Bodybuilders and those trying to gain muscle mass require higher amounts, ranging from 1.0-1.2g/kg/day for those who do their resistance training in a steady-state, and as much as 1.5-1.7 g/kg/day for those who train in the early morning or in a fasted state (Consolazio, Johnson, Nelson, Dramise & Skala, 1975; Rennie & Tipton, 2000; Tarnopolsky, MacDougall & Atkinson, 1988; Tarnopolsky, 2006; Torun, Scrimshaw & Young, 1977), with female athletes requiring ~15% lower g/kg/day than their male counterparts (Tarnopolsky, 2006).

It is recommended that protein make up 25-30% of daily total energy intake (Lambert, Frank & Evans, 2004).
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If you're on a CKD diet, then your protein intake is going to be higher than 25-30% of your daily energy intake; probably more along the lines of 55-60% of your total daily energy intake.

 

[UKStrength]

Exactly ^^^^ and there's probably no harm going above this amount unless you have some sort of underlying kidney disorder, most athletes do and don't seem to suffer any performance detriment from it.