How much protein do I need?

I’m often asked how much protein we should eat, and whether or not protein shakes and supplements are necessary. Whilst I have personal experience of this in relation to endurance sports, I thought I’d do a little more research into it. So here’s what I have dug up;

The UK government states that per day adults need 0.75g per kg we weigh.  So if you weigh 60kg (which is about 132 pounds, or 9 stone 6 pound), you would require 45g protein per day. The chart below summarises total grams per day for different categories of people.

Age	g/kg/d	For average weight g/d:
0-3 months	2.12	12.5 (baby weighing 5.9kg/13lb)
4-6 months	1.6	12.7 (baby weighing 7.7kg/17lb)
4 – 6 years	1.11	19.7 (child weighing 17.8kg/2st11lb)
15 -18 years (boys)	0.86	55.2 (boy weighing 64.5kg/10st2lb)
15-18 years (girls)	0.82	45.4 (girl weighing 55.5kg/8st10lb)
19+ years (men and women)	0.75	45.0 (woman weighing 60kg/9st6lb)
In pregnancy		an extra 6 g per day
Breastfeeding		an extra 8 to 11 g per day

(Reference: Report on Health and Social Subjects 41 Dietary Reference Values for Food Energy and Nutrients for the UK)

Most people in the UK easily consume adequate quantities of protein in their diet to fulfill these health requirements.

But here’s the question: for a healthy individual already achieving relatively high protein intakes from diet alone, is there any merit in advocating additional supplementation? 

Is more better?

Eating more than the recommended protein intake offers no benefits. Apart from being costly, a protein-based diet commonly displaces important carbohydrates from the diet. That is, if you have an omelet and a protein shake for breakfast instead of cereal with banana, you'll consume fewer carbs to fuel your muscles properly.

If you consume too much protein from supplements, you may also fail to invest in optimal health. Displacing natural foods with engineered foods (such as protein supplements) limits your intake of the vegetables, fruits, grains, fiber, phytochemicals, natural vitamins and other health-protective nutrients that nature puts in whole foods.

I've heard I should eat a protein bar for a pre-exercise snack?

It’s well established that a sufficient protein intake is necessary to see the full extent of benefits from a resistance training program. Dietary protein increases post-exercise muscle protein synthesis rates and inhibits muscle protein breakdown, allowing enhanced muscle protein growth during the post-exercise recovery period. Hence body builders routinely take protein supplements with good results.

Pre-exercise protein digests into amino acids that are then ready and waiting to be taken up by the muscles after a strength workout.

This does not mean you'll evolve into Charles Atlas; you'll simply optimize your body's ability to build and repair muscle at that moment. To build muscle you need to engage in a progressive resistance training program.

Why do you need to eat protein or drink protein shakes after exercising?

Protein shakes and powders carry a certain allure, but your muscles don’t care if the protein comes from a hard-boiled egg, glass of chocolate milk or whey protein shake. 10 to 20 grams of protein is all you need to provide amino acids (the building blocks of protein) to muscles.

Carbohydrate Plus Protein Speeds Recovery


Research also shows that combining protein with carbohydrate within thirty minutes of exercise nearly doubles the insulin response, which results in more stored glycogen. The optimal carbohydrate to protein ratio for this effect is 4:1 (four grams of carbohydrate for every one gram of protein). Eating more protein than that, however, has a negative impact because it slows rehydration and glycogen replenishment.

One study found that athletes who refueled with carbohydrate and protein had 100 percent greater muscle glycogen stores than those who only ate carbohydrate. Insulin was also highest in those who consumed a carbohydrate and protein drink.

With so many sports drinks, bars, and more to choose from, how do you make the best choices?

A good sports drink contains 14-15 grams of carbohydrate in 8 ounces. It should also contain about 110 milligrams of sodium and 30 milligrams of potassium in the same volume.

Look for energy bars that contain about 5 grams of protein, with some carbohydrate (preferably with more naturally occurring sugars) and very little fat. Many energy bars are just glorified, expensive candy bars, so remember that "energy" means calories and watch out for high-calorie bars. They are helpful for athletes on the go, so if you can't eat before a long tennis match, an energy bar can help.

Choose protein powders made from whey protein or milk proteins (milk protein contains two types of proteins, both whey and casein). Use them within 30 minutes after exercising to provide needed amino acids to muscles.

The long and short of it is that unless you are engaging in endurance training or heavy resistance training, there is no benefit in consuming additional protein in your diet.