How much protein??

Adamo · February 24th, 2008, 03:32 PM

I've been recently getting into really watching what I'm eating and I was wondering if there should be a limit as to how much protein one should consume. And, if you exceed that limit, what happens to that excess protein? I ask because I've started taking whey powder before my workouts and having a Muscle Milk after them, along with a nonfat yogurt every morning, etc. I realize that protein is important but I also realize that too much of a good thing isn't necessarily beneficial either.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Adam

**tooncesthecat** · February 24th, 2008, 03:46 PM

Shoot for 1 - 1.5 grams per pound of body weight. This is only if you're doing hard core weight training and is meant to put on muscle. If you consume extra protein, your body will either use it for energy or convert it to fat (like all other food).

**falconfootball** · February 24th, 2008, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tooncesthecat

Shoot for 1 - 1.5 grams per pound of body weight. This is only if you're doing hard core weight training and is meant to put on muscle. If you consume extra protein, your body will either use it for energy or convert it to fat (like all other food).

What he said.

**wildstang** · February 24th, 2008, 04:04 PM

just for the record you can also consume in the neighborhood of .75 per lb. lean muscle mass and still get decent gains.

**tooncesthecat** · February 24th, 2008, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wildstang

just for the record you can also consume in the neighborhood of .75 per lb. lean muscle mass and still get decent gains.

Agreed. Some say to do 1 gram per LEAN pound of body weight. It's trial and error for most of us!

Adamo · February 24th, 2008, 05:33 PM

If I'm using 1 gram per pound of body weight and I weigh 210 lbs. Then I should ingest 210 grams of protein per day? And this is if I'm doing heavy lifting? I'm basically doing 45 min - 1 hour of cardio 4 days a week alternating with lifting the other 3 days and the lifting is moderate, not heavy.

**tooncesthecat** · February 24th, 2008, 05:38 PM

What are your goals? If you aren't trying to put on muscle, maybe do more like .5-.75 grams per pound. You're doing quite a bit of cardio. Are you trying to lose weight? If so, diet is key. Do a search and you'll find lots of diet information related to weight loss.

**wildstang** · February 24th, 2008, 05:50 PM

reason i say .75 is because that ratio works quite well for me in maintaning muscle and adding muscle since my metabolism has slowed down so much since im over 40 years old. now for instance if your a 20 year old and very active with a high metabolism then 1 to 1.5 would be adequate or possibly even needing more. i was such a hardgainer in my youth because cardio (running) is very important to me so i burned a lot of energy on a daily basis. so toons and i are both correct its gonna take some trial and error depending on your metabolism.

KMKfan · February 24th, 2008, 06:20 PM

I agree with the 1-1.5g of body weight of protein. As far as what happens when you consume too much protein, there is also a theory that you will tend to piss that out. Protein is not an efficient fuel for your body, and it takes a great deal of energy (that your body will not want to use) to convert protein into fat. Therefore, most excess protein gets ends up in the commode. If you are somewhat of a hard gainer, I would try starting out on the high side of the range and working down. Whether protein converts to fat or gets pissed out, either way it's wasted cash.

Also, I believe Muscle Milk is more of a blended protein source. I know the directions on muscle Milk include pre and post workout, but I'd go with more of a whey isolate immediately post workout (take a mixer and some powder to the gym with you). Aftershock from Myogenix is pretty good. Isopure is also good, but it and other Whey supps lack a lot of Carbs you'll need post workout, so you'll need either juice or a carb supp to go with it.

If I am incorrect, and Muscle Milk is more towards whey, I would ignore the pre-bedtime (when you'll need a more slowly digesting protein.) instructions on the MM container. (I may be wrong, but I don't see how a protein supp can be ideal for both post-workout & pre-bedtime. JMO.)

**tooncesthecat** · February 24th, 2008, 07:26 PM

Good post KMKfan. I just want to clarify one point...consuming extra protein will not directly raise the urine protein levels unless one has kidney damage. Most proteins are large enough to be filtered by normal kidneys, except for albumin. So, theoretically,if you consume most of your protein intake via egg sources, you might see a slight rise in protein in the urine, however, under normal circumstances the extra calories from the protein will just be converted into fat.

Ironically, inadequate consumption of essential amino acids can cause proteins to stop functioning as they normally would. In this case, higher urine protein can result as the unmetabolized proteins escape through the kidneys.