The Superfoods Guide

Contrary to what the fitness experts would have you believe a body building diet does not need to contain crazy amounts of protein. The most common suggestion is to have one gram of protein per pound of body weight. That works out to roughly 200 grams per day if you are a 200 pound man. The body building magazines recommend an even higher number compared to this.

The RDA for Protein for Adults is .8 grams per Kilogram of Body Weight

That would translate to about 64 grams if you’re weighing 175 pounds. So why do these numbers vary so widely? The RDA’s suggestions are based on research studies using college aged men. The studies found that this was the proper amount of protein to keep a correct nitrogen balance in these young men. However, nitrogen balance has not proven 100% effective in predicting muscle loss or gain. This would indicate that the RDA’s protein intake estimate wouldn’t be appropriate for the body building diet.

The AMDR recommends that 10%-35% of daily calories should be protein.

This would mean the amount of protein eaten is dependent on the number of calories you are consuming in a day. The AMDR stands for Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range and it was established by the Institute of Medicine in 2005. The issue with this recommendation is that it is a rather large range. This is something not taken into account by this recommendation or by the RDA. Someone who is training hard would have to consider their activity levels when putting together a body building diet for themselves.

So when it comes to creating a good body building diet, neither the RDA nor the AMDR seem very helpful.

Many of the body building magazines use numbers as high as 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight as a suggestion. That means a 175 pound man would have to consume 350 grams of protein per day! Let’s face it, body building magazines aren’t the most neutral parties. The number one way they make money is by selling ads to advertisers. And the number one product advertised in body building magazines is protein supplements. No doubt that 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight is way more than necessary.

The More Protein You Eat, The More Protein You Can Digest

Here’s a weird body fact; if you eat large amounts of protein at every meal, your body becomes used to it and has an easier time absorbing it. If your body is accustomed to eating smaller amounts of protein, then a high protein meal will make your stomach upset because your gastro-intestinal system won’t be able to digest it all. Most people assume that the more protein you digest the more muscle you will build, but it’s not that easy.

Ten Times More Protein Digested Does Not Equal Ten Times More Muscle

Research has shown that the more protein you eat, the more your body switches to using amino acids as fuel. The human body is fueled by carbs, fat, and protein. Depending on what goes into your system, your body adjusts its fuel burning needs to output energy. So there is a certain level beyond which more protein just won’t make a difference – so how do you determine how much is right for your body building diet?

A Study Which Shows 70-120 Grams of Protein Per Day for Exceptional Muscle Gains

Brad Pilon is the author of “How Much Protein”, a book on this very topic. He compared several studies and found that between 0.55 to 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight would be enough for exceptional muscle gains. He also references several studies that have shown that going over 120 grams of protein each day will not help add to your muscle gain. So who’s advice would you rather follow; solid scientific research or the supplement companies? It’s up to you. My own suggestion would be to just average about 100 grams of protein over your day, which will be easy without having to add the protein shakes to whatever body building diet you’re on.

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