The common refrain in sports nutrition is to aim for about one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day to meet your muscle-building needs, while the research indicates that you only need 20g of protein post-exercise to stimulate lean muscle protein synthesis. However, there is more to the story. Expert researcher Dr. Bob Wolfe, PhD, has recently shown that when you consume protein in greater amounts, you dramatically reduce the rate at which your body breaks down protein. (1)
Consider for a moment a 154lb male who might break down anywhere from 300-400g of protein in a day. A metabolically gifted ectomorph will likely be more toward the top end of this range. Eating more than 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, or more than 20-30g post-exercise, doesn’t help you build more muscle directly, but dramatically slowing down the rate at which you break down muscle will help you build and maintain a more athletic and muscular body type.
A recent study of individuals consuming 3g per kilogram of body weight (1g per 1.36 pounds) over the course of a year showed no adverse effects on kidney function (a common concern for those adopting a high-protein diet) and superior body composition results to others in the study at lower protein intakes. (2) Be sure to achieve at least 1.0-1.35 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight if you struggle to add lean muscle.
