How Much Protein You Really Need (According to Science)

Summary

This video script delves into the intricacies of protein intake for muscle maintenance and growth. It debunks the myth of consuming one gram of protein per pound of body weight daily, suggesting instead a range from 0.8 grams per kilogram (RDA) to 2.0 grams per kilogram for athletes and bodybuilders. The script also addresses the protein needs of endurance athletes, explaining why they might require similar protein intakes as bodybuilders despite their differing physiques. It concludes with a discussion on safety, suggesting 2.5 grams per kilogram as a safe upper limit to avoid potential toxicity from ammonia buildup.

Takeaways

• 💪 The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, which is the minimum for basic physiological functions.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Athletes, especially those involved in resistance training, may require up to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day to support muscle building and maintenance.
• 🏃‍♂️ Endurance athletes, including ultra-runners, might also need a higher protein intake due to increased protein breakdown during long-duration activities.
• 🔄 Protein is in a constant state of turnover in the body, being both broken down and synthesized, which is crucial for understanding protein needs.
• 🌟 The sequence and bonding of amino acids determine the functionality of a protein, with the human body utilizing 20 different amino acids.
• 🧠 Nitrogen balance, the difference between nitrogen intake from protein and nitrogen loss from protein breakdown, is a key metric used to determine protein requirements.
• 🚫 Consuming too much protein can lead to an increase in ammonia, which needs to be converted to urea by the liver for safe excretion, suggesting a practical upper limit.
• 🍽️ Individual protein needs can vary based on physiology, genetics, and specific training goals, so some trial and error may be necessary to find the optimal intake.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Bodybuilders often aim for higher protein intakes, but scientific data suggests that 2.5 grams per kilogram may be a safe upper limit for most individuals.
• 📈 Protein requirements can change based on the phase of training, with different needs during periods of high-volume training versus maintenance.

Q & A

What is the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein intake for adults?

The RDA for protein intake for adults is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, or about 0.36 grams per pound of body weight per day.

Why do bodybuilders and strength athletes need to be concerned with their protein intake?

Bodybuilders and strength athletes need to be concerned with their protein intake because protein is essential for muscle repair and growth. A higher protein intake can help them achieve their goals of increasing muscle mass and strength.

Do endurance athletes like runners need more protein than the general population?

Yes, endurance athletes like runners might need more protein than the general population because their bodies break down more proteins during long-duration and high-intensity exercise, necessitating more protein intake for recovery and muscle maintenance.

What is nitrogen balance and how is it related to protein needs?

Nitrogen balance is the difference between nitrogen intake, which comes from protein, and nitrogen loss, which comes from the breakdown of protein. It is used to determine protein needs because a positive nitrogen balance indicates more protein synthesis than breakdown, which is necessary for muscle building.

How does protein intake affect muscle maintenance and growth?

Protein intake affects muscle maintenance and growth by providing amino acids, which are the building blocks of muscle tissue. Adequate protein intake is necessary for the body to synthesize new proteins and repair or build muscle fibers, especially after exercise.

What is the role of amino acids in protein synthesis?

Amino acids are the compounds that make up proteins. They are essential for protein synthesis as they are the building blocks that the body uses to create new proteins, including those that make up muscle tissue.

Why might ultra-endurance athletes need a high protein intake similar to bodybuilders?

Ultra-endurance athletes might need a high protein intake similar to bodybuilders because their bodies break down more proteins during long-duration and high-intensity exercise. Additionally, they may use a greater percentage of protein for energy, necessitating higher protein intake for recovery and muscle maintenance.

What is the upper limit of protein intake that is considered safe?

Most data suggests that an intake of up to 2.5 grams per kilogram of body weight is relatively safe. Going above this might increase the risk of maxing out the body's ability to convert ammonia to urea, potentially leading to toxicity.

How does caloric intake affect protein needs?

If an individual is at a caloric deficit, more of the protein ingested may be used for energy, potentially reducing the amount available for muscle maintenance and growth. Therefore, increasing protein intake is advised when trying to lose weight while preserving muscle mass.

Why is it important to experiment with protein intake based on individual goals and responses?

It is important to experiment with protein intake because individual differences in physiology and genetics can affect how much protein is needed for muscle maintenance, strength, or size goals. Adjusting protein intake based on personal response can help optimize results.

What are the different categories of proteins in the human body?

Proteins in the human body are classified into five categories: enzymes, hormones, transport proteins, immune system proteins like antibodies, and the structural and contractile proteins of muscle tissue.

Outlines

00:00

💪 Protein Intake for Muscle Building

The paragraph discusses the common misconception about protein intake for muscle building. It mentions the advice given to the speaker in the past to consume one gram of protein per pound of body weight daily, which would have been 175 grams for him. The video aims to clarify the correct amount of protein needed and address why athletes like bodybuilders and strength athletes, as well as endurance athletes, should be concerned with their protein intake. The speaker also mentions the potential safety concerns of too much protein intake.

05:03

🏋️‍♂️ Protein Needs for Different Athletes

This paragraph delves into the protein requirements for different types of athletes and exercisers. It explains that protein needs can vary widely, from 1.2 grams to 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, depending on the individual's exercise intensity and goals. The speaker uses himself as an example to illustrate how protein needs can be calculated based on body weight. The paragraph also introduces the concept of nitrogen balance, which is crucial for understanding protein turnover in the body.

10:03

🏃‍♂️ Protein for Endurance Athletes

The paragraph focuses on the surprising protein needs of ultra-endurance athletes, explaining that they may require as much protein as bodybuilders due to the high volume of their training, which leads to increased protein breakdown. It also discusses how these athletes may use a greater percentage of protein for energy, necessitating higher protein intake to replenish what is broken down during long training sessions.

15:05

🥗 Adjusting Protein Intake Based on Goals

This paragraph discusses the variability in protein recommendations based on individual differences in physiology and genetics. It emphasizes the importance of adjusting protein intake based on personal goals related to muscle maintenance, strength, or size. The speaker also touches on the need to increase protein intake when in a caloric deficit to prevent protein from being used primarily for energy instead of muscle building. The paragraph concludes with a discussion of the safety of high protein intake and the potential risks of exceeding the body's ability to process protein safely.

Keywords

💡Protein

Protein is a macromolecule composed of amino acids and is essential for the growth and repair of body tissues. In the context of the video, protein intake is crucial for muscle building and maintenance. The script discusses the misconception of needing one gram of protein per pound of body weight for muscle growth and provides a scientific approach to determining protein requirements.

💡Amino Acids

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, consisting of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. The video explains that proteins are made up of varying sequences of these amino acids, which determine their structure and function. The script emphasizes the importance of amino acids in muscle tissue and their role in protein synthesis.

💡Nitrogen Balance

Nitrogen balance refers to the equilibrium between nitrogen intake from protein and nitrogen loss from protein breakdown. The video uses this concept to explain how researchers determine protein requirements. A positive nitrogen balance is necessary for muscle building, as it indicates that more protein is being synthesized than broken down.

💡Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)

The RDA for protein is the minimum amount required to maintain basic nutritional needs. The video clarifies that the RDA of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight is not sufficient for those engaging in regular exercise or athletic activities, as they require more protein for muscle repair and growth.

💡Muscle Hypertrophy

Muscle hypertrophy, or the increase in muscle size, is a key goal for bodybuilders and strength athletes. The script discusses how protein intake plays a critical role in achieving hypertrophy, with higher protein intakes recommended for those specifically aiming to build muscle mass.

💡Endurance Athletes

Endurance athletes, such as long-distance runners, may require more protein than typically assumed. The video explains that during prolonged exercise, these athletes experience increased protein breakdown and may use protein for energy, necessitating higher protein intakes for recovery and performance.

💡Caloric Intake

Caloric intake is the total amount of energy an individual consumes through food and drink. The script highlights that protein recommendations are based on the assumption of adequate caloric intake. In a caloric deficit, where individuals aim to lose weight, more protein is needed to prevent muscle loss and support muscle maintenance.

💡Nitrogen Containing Compounds

Protein breakdown produces nitrogen-containing compounds, such as ammonia, which can be toxic if not properly processed. The video discusses how the liver converts ammonia into urea, which is then excreted, and the potential risks of excessive protein intake that could overwhelm this detoxification process.

💡Urea

Urea is a waste product formed from the conversion of ammonia by the liver. It is a key concept in the discussion of protein safety in the video. The script explains that excessive protein intake could lead to an accumulation of ammonia if the body's ability to convert it to urea is exceeded, potentially leading to toxicity.

💡Muscle Maintenance

Muscle maintenance refers to the process of preserving muscle mass and preventing muscle loss. The video emphasizes that adequate protein intake is necessary for muscle maintenance, especially during periods of intense exercise or caloric deficit where protein may be used for energy.

💡Bodybuilders

Bodybuilders are individuals who focus on increasing muscle mass and size. The script mentions that bodybuilders often seek to consume more than the recommended 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight to maximize muscle hypertrophy, although the video suggests that 2.5 grams per kilogram is a safer upper limit.

Highlights

The common myth that one needs to consume 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily is discussed.

Proteins are made up of amino acids, with nitrogen being a key element in their discussion.

There are 20 amino acids that our body uses to build proteins.

Proteins serve multiple functions beyond muscle tissue, including enzymes, hormones, transport, immune system proteins, and muscle tissue.

Protein is in constant turnover in the body, with synthesis and breakdown occurring simultaneously.

Nitrogen balance is a measure used to determine protein needs, calculated by the difference between nitrogen intake and loss.

The RDA for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day.

For muscle building, protein intake should be higher than the RDA, ranging from 1.2 to 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight.

Endurance athletes might require more protein than expected due to increased protein breakdown during long-duration activities.

Ultra-endurance athletes can have protein needs ranging from 1.2 to 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight.

The type of exercise, intensity, and individual goals influence protein requirements.

Individuals may need to experiment with protein intake to meet their specific muscle goals.

Protein recommendations assume adequate caloric intake to meet energy demands.

At a caloric deficit, more protein may be needed to prevent muscle loss.

Serious bodybuilders may consider protein intake up to 2.5 grams per kilogram of body weight for safety and effectiveness.

The body has a maximum rate for converting ammonia to urea, which is why very high protein intakes can be unsafe.

The video is sponsored by Brilliant, an online learning platform for STEM subjects.

Transcripts

how much protein do you really need

especially if the goal is to maintain or

even build muscle now when I was younger

and first trying to build muscle key

word trying I was told by many people

that I needed to consume one gram of

protein per pound of body weight per day

and for me at the time that would have

been about 175 grams of protein each day

was that too much too little well in

today's video we're not only going to

discuss the proper amounts of protein

we're also going to talk about why

bodybuilders and strength athletes are

not the only ones that need to be

concerned with their protein intake for

example Runners and other endurance

athletes might need more protein than

you actually think so we'll talk about

those recommendations for different

people and even get into a little bit

about if too much can ever be unsafe

it's going to be a nitrogenous one so

let's jump right into this

thank you

so a few quick Basics on proteins a

protein is made up of hundreds to even

thousands of amino acids bonded or

strung together and amino acids are

compounds made up of carbon hydrogen

oxygen and even nitrogen and this

nitrogen is going to be important for

our discussion about potential safety

concerns and even when we talk about

something called nitrogen balance but

even though a protein could be made up

of thousands of amino acids there are

still just a total of 20 amino acids

that our body utilizes to build various

proteins so that means a protein or its

unique feature and functionality is

dependent on the order or the sequence

of the amino acids the number and just

how they're folded and bonded together

now obviously for our discussion we're

going to focus on the types of proteins

that are utilized in this amazing tissue

the muscle tissue but as a quick cool

FYI proteins are used for much more than

just muscles they're pretty much

classified into five categories you've

got enzymes made from proteins certain

hormones are made up of protein we've

got transport proteins that literally

transport substances throughout the

blood you've got immune system proteins

like antibodies are made from protein

and again of course the structural and

contractile protein of the muscle tissue

that we'll focus on so how do we know

how much protein we need well for us to

answer this it's helpful to understand

that protein is in constant turnover

throughout our bodies meaning that

throughout a day your body is

simultaneously breaking down proteins as

well as building or synthesizing new

proteins so for example during

resistance training or certain types of

exercise you'd be breaking down more

proteins but during rest and feeding

you'd be building up or synthesizing

more proteins and so this whole

synthesizing building of proteins versus

the breakdown of proteins is one of the

ways that researchers and Labs have

figured out how much protein we actually

need and they do this by measuring

something called nitrogen balance

nitrogen balance is the difference

between nitrogen intake which would come

from protein intake and nitrogen loss

which would come from from the breakdown

of protein and as we'll learn a little

bit later the byproducts of protein

breakdown will get excreted in things

like the urine sweat and even the feces

but as you may have already gathered if

intake equals loss then we'd be in this

nitrogen balance and in theory we would

need at least that to maintain muscle

but what if we wanted to actually build

muscle well then we'd need nitrogen

intake to be greater than nitrogen loss

and be in a positive nitrogen balance

and the opposite would also be true if

we had nitrogen loss greater than

nitrogen intake we would be in a

negative nitrogen balance and could

potentially lose muscle so let's

actually talk numbers here how much

protein do you need in a day to be in

nitrogen balance or even positive

nitrogen balance to build muscle well

the recommended dietary allowance or RDA

for protein for adults is 0.8 grams per

kilogram of body weight per day or about

0.36 grams per pound of body weight per

day so with my example of when I was

younger at 175 pounds that I mentioned

in the intro according to the RDA I

would need about 63 or 64 grams of

protein per day two things here one I am

going to mostly just use grams per

kilogram for the rest of the video but

I'll do my best to put the pound

conversion on screen but if you want to

do the math for yourself you just take

your own body weight and pounds and

divide that by 2.2 to get your weight in

kilograms and the second thing we need

to understand is that the RDA is the

amount of the nutrient that you would

need to maintain your basic nutritional

needs in a sense the amount you'd need

to not get sick and maintain basic

physiological functions so 0.8 grams per

kilogram of body weight per day is not

going to be enough even for someone

who's just relatively active with basic

exercise definitely not enough for

people who do higher intensity exercise

let alone athletes that recommended

range is going to be higher and we're

going to see that ranges from 1.2 grams

to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of

body weight per day so let's apply some

of these numbers to me as an example

using my body weight of 175 pounds or

about 79.5 kilos if we went with the

lower end of 1.2 grams per kilogram then

I would need about 94 grams of protein

per day but if we went with the higher

end of about 2.0 I would need 159 grams

of protein which wasn't too far off

actually from the recommendation I was

getting from my friends in the early

college Years of doing a gram per pound

of body weight and having 175 grams per

day but as you can see there's quite a

big range if I went with the low end I

would only need 94 but if I went with a

higher end I'd need

159. so why do we have this big range

now you might have assumed that it

depends on the type of exercise the

intensity of exercise and even your

goals and you might have also assumed

that those who are more interested in

increasing size and muscle mass or

hypertrophy and muscle strength would

want to be at the higher end of that 2.0

recommendation and you'd be correct with

that assumption but what's very

surprising about that is that there are

other types of athletes that would stero

typically be seen as big huge muscular

people they're definitely fit in their

own right but they would actually need

to be at that higher 2.0 range so let's

go to the Whiteboard and plot this out

from 1.2 to 2.0 to see where different

types of athletes and different types of

exercise intensities and modalities

would fall and more importantly where

you would fall so here we have the

protein recommendations plotted on this

Black Arrow starting as low as the 0.8

grams per kilogram that we mentioned

with the RDA going all the way up to the

higher end of that 2.0 gram per kilogram

of body weight we also have different

types of exercises plotted in different

ranges here or different types of

exercise modalities and hopefully this

will help you figure out where you fall

along the spectrum of different protein

recommendations so let's start with the

recreational athlete this would be

somebody who exercises a few times a

week maybe they play basketball with

their friends twice a week or maybe they

go on a couple of hikes or walks but

that's the majority of their exercise

they definitely still want to increase

from that 0.8 gram per kilogram to above

that 1.0 gram per kilogram of body

weight now the green is actually where a

lot of people find themselves in this

would include things like the middle

distance endurance athlete maybe you

like running 5Ks or 10ks recreationally

or maybe you spend a lot of time on the

exercise bike or the treadmill and this

can vary a little bit and I'll touch on

this again when we get to the ultra

endurance athlete in just a second but

it also would include the consistent gym

guard that person who's going five to

six times a week they have like that

balance of cardio and resistance

training maybe they even go to some of

the classes offered by the gym now this

person may have some desire to increase

muscle size a little bit maybe increase

their strength and maybe even a little

bit of a focus on muscular endurance but

they're not totally really into like hey

I don't want to get huge but a little

bit of a size increase would be okay if

that's the case they may want to come

closer to that 1.6 gram per kilogram of

body weight but what's not going to

shock people is those who are very

active in building muscle bodybuilders

wanting to do a lot of hypertrophy

training a lot of my friends fell into

this category where they wanted to put

on a lot of muscle mass this would be

not a shocker going closer to that 2.0

gram per kilogram of body weight now

they'll often cycle their training from

an active muscle building phase to more

of a muscle maintenance phase and during

that muscle maintenance phase they could

technically decrease it a little bit and

not have to stay as high at that 2.0

gram per kilogram of body weight if they

stayed there is it going to hurt them no

and we are going to talk a little bit

about safety concerns if there are any

safety concerns going above that number

but we'll talk about that in just a

second because I want to go over this

Ultra endurance athlete and this is

often very surprising to a lot of

students when we first show them this

chart because one this range is so great

with the ultra endurance athlete going

all the way down to 1.2 all the way up

to 2.0 and another thing that's

surprising and they always think why in

the world would an ultra endurance

athlete ever need the same amount that

somebody who's trying to bodybuild or

hypertrophy training because if you look

at the body type of an ultra endurance

athlete compared to like a bodybuilder

or somebody who's concerned with

hypertrophy training they look a bit

different right the person who's trying

to build muscle looks like and they do

have more muscle mass doesn't mean the

ultra endurance athlete doesn't have

their own Fitness capabilities in their

own right but it kind of does pose or

make sense why people would have that

question based on their body type so

let's talk about why they may have to be

up to this 2.0 range at some times Ultra

endurance athletes will often cycle

their training even the middle distance

athlete will do some cycling and they'll

get to a point where they're increasing

their mileage and their volume

throughout a week let's say it's a

runner and that Runner is increasing

their mileage to the point where they

get up to 80 miles a week they're

running 80 miles a week and some of

their long runs they may be running for

three to four hours at a time during

that three to four hour period there is

going to be more protein breakdown than

there would be if somebody's only

running for an hour so that kind of

makes sense so if I have more protein

breakdown with the amount of volume that

I'm accumulating during the week

especially even during the those long

runs it makes sense that I'm going to

need to replenish that Protein that's

being broken down another reason why

they would fall into this 2.0 category

at times during those high volume weeks

or the high volume period of training is

because they'll end up using a greater

percentage of protein for energy than a

lot of these other athletes or

exercisers would because again if you're

running that long and for that much time

you are just going to have to tap into

protein for an energy source our main

energy source for our muscle cells is

going to be carbohydrates and fats and

all of us will sometimes use a small

amount of protein for an energy source

but again when you're accumulating that

much volume it's going to take more

protein as an energy source or at least

utilize more protein as an energy source

and again another reason why they would

have to replenish that with a higher

amount of protein intake so let's

discuss a few other things regarding the

protein recommendations that we just

talked about on that chart one Whatever

category you found yourself in you still

know notice that there was a little bit

of a range in protein recommendation for

example you could have two different

people doing the exact same exercise

routine and based on differences in

physiology and genetics you might see

that one person might need more or a

little bit less protein than the other

person and because of that you are going

to want to do some experimentation if

you're not meeting your muscle

maintenance or muscle strength or size

goals or needs then you would obviously

want to increase that protein intake to

the higher end of that Spectrum again

based on what category you find yourself

in the other thing that these

recommendations assume they are based on

the idea that you are getting enough

caloric intake to meet your energy

demands or needs meaning you're getting

enough carbohydrates enough fats and

then obviously we're adding the protein

component on here because if you are

trying to lose weight and when most

people talk about losing weight they're

talking about losing fat and often still

want to hold on to the muscle but when

you're trying to lose weight you're

going to be at a caloric deficit and if

you're at a caloric deficit kind of like

what we talked about with the ultra

endurance athlete more more of the

protein that you're ingesting is going

to get funneled in and utilized as an

energy source so that means it would be

pulled away from muscle maintenance and

even increasing muscle size and strength

and so if that's the case and you're at

a caloric deficit you're going to want

to increase your protein intake overall

and as a proportion of your

macronutrients to kind of offset that

extra protein being utilized for energy

and finally let's talk about that upper

end of the two point grams per kilogram

for people who would consider themselves

serious bodybuilders is that 2.0 really

enough because you'll often hear in the

bodybuilder realm that you need more

than that 2.5 grams up to 3.5 grams per

kilogram of body weight so the first

question that you may think of with that

amount of protein is is that actually

safe well let's talk about protein

breakdown in a little bit more detail

when we break down protein in our bodies

there's a byproduct called ammonia

ammonia is a nitrogen containing

compound that is actually toxic to the

body so then what happens is the liver

will convert that ammonia yeah into

something called urea and then urea can

be excreted in the urine now our body

has a maximum rate at which it can

convert ammonia to that urea so the idea

is if you have too much protein and too

much ammonia as a byproduct then you

could run into problems of toxicity and

so most data shows that that 2.5 grams

per kilogram is still relatively safe

but they tend to say that should likely

be the upper limit one because there

isn't much data to support that anything

above that can really improve muscle

protein synthesis even in the serious

bodybuilders and then two obviously

anything you go above that the more

protein you continue to ingest you

increase your risk of maxing out that

rate of ammonia conversion to urea and

then causing a safety issue with your

wonderful body so hopefully that gave

you some useful information about the

daily recommendations for protein intake

and I apologize about all that gram per

kilogram talk and the conversions and a

little bit of the math that we had to do

but that does give me a nice segue to

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