Gain Muscle Mass -How Much Protein Do You Need

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This is an easy read. It will get you on the road to gaining the muscle mass you are wanting.

Muscle tissue really only needs a relatively small amount of added protein to promote the process of remodeling. An intake of 1.6 grams per 2lbs of body weight easily supports this goal without crossing the tolerable upper limit (UL).

The type of protein consumed does matter. You can get it from a variety of sources, with the difference being the rate at which the body absorbs and uses it.

The average person has the ability to process and use:
Egg protein 1.3 grams/hour
Casein isolate - 6.1 grams/hour
Whey isolate - 8-10 grams/hour

At best if all your protein comes from Whey the most you can process in 24 hours is 240 grams. Bear in mind for even that to be the case, you have to ingest it through out the day fairly evenly. So clearly any recommendation that puts the average person over this amount is false.

Not all of your body weight needs protein. Fat doesn’t. So don’t feed it. Calculating the body weight used without removing your fat stores results in too much protein, which in and of itself isn’t unhealthy. But it does mean that you are likely taking in too many CALORIES in total, which results in additional FAT GAIN, which is unhealthy.

Use the BMR to calculate your total daily calorie needs in conjunction with this formula for protein and you will have a very good number for what your nutritional intake should be for maximum lean muscle gain.

Calculate Your Calorie Needs Using Basil Matabolic Rate (BMR)

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BMR represents your most basic calorie needs or the amount you would require to sustain life if you simply laid in bed all day with no physical activity.
* For men: BMR = 66 + (6.2w) + (12.7h) - (6.8a) x Activity Factor


* For women: BMR = 655 + (4.4w) + (4.7h) - (4.7a) x Activity Factor
w = weight in pounds
h = height in inches
a = age in years
Activity Factors
1.200 = sedentary (little or no exercise)
1.375 = lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week)
1.550 = moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week)
If you want to know how many calories you need in order to maintain your current weight, then use your current weight as w in the equation. Once you have your daily BMR, every 500 calories a day you add equals a 1 pound/week weight gain, or subtract 500 for weight loss.

To add mass you need calories, to lose mass you need to remove calories. Deconditioned people and those who are anabolically enhanced are really the only ones who lose fat while they add muscle and the prior will add a relatively small amount before leveling off quickly.


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