Posts Tagged ‘supplements’

How Much Protein Do You Need ?

Monday, July 5th, 2010

Proteins are the basic building blocks of the human body.They are made up of amino acids, and help build muscle, blood, skin, hair, nails and internal organs. Next to water, protein is the most plentiful substance in the body, and most of it around (60% to 70%) is located in the skeletal muscles.

The human body requires 20 amino acids to promote growth and all but eight can be produced in our bodies. These eight amino acids, called essential amino acids, must be supplied by food and/or supplements. The other twelve non – essential amino acids are made up within the body, but both essential and non – essential amino acids are needed to synthesize proteins. What does this all mean ? It means that if you don’t supply your body with the essential amino acids it needs, your body may be limited in the amount of protein it can use to build muscle.

Getting the Right Kind of Protein

Foods like beef, chicken, fish, eggs, milk and just about anything else derived from animal sources contain all the essential called complete proteins. Incomplete proteins don’t have all the essential amino acids and generaly include vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds and nut.

How to Calculate Your Protein Needs:

1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg
2. Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gm.

Use a lower number if you are in good health and are sedentary (i.e., 0.8). Use a higher number (between 1 and 1.8) if you are under stress, are pregnant, are recovering from an illness, or if you are involved in consistent and intense weight or endurance training.

Example: 154 lb male who is a regular exerciser and lifts weights
154 lbs/2.2 = 70kg
70kg x 1.5 = 105 gm protein/day

Calculating Protein as a Percentage of Total Calories

Another way to calculate how much protein you need is by using daily calorie intake and the percentage of calories that will come from protein. To do this, you’ll need to know how many calories your body needs each day.

First, find out what your Basal Metabolic Rate is by using a BMR calculator.

Next, figure out how many calories you burn through daily activity and add that number to your BMR. This gives you an estimate of how many calories you need to maintain your current weight.

After you’ve figured out your maintenance calories, next figure out what percentage of your diet will come from protein. The percentage you choose will be based on your goals, supplements level, age, body type and metabolic rate. Most experts recommend that your protein intake be somewhere between 15 and 30%. When you’ve determined your desired percentage of protein, multiply that percentage by the total number of calories for the day.

Example

:
For a 140lb female, calorie intake=1800 calories, protein=20%:
1800 x .20 = 360 calories from protein. Since 1 gram of protein = 4 calories, divide protein calories by four:
360/4 = 90 grams of protein per day.

No matter what your calculations are, remember that there are no magic foods or supplements that can replace the right training or the right diet. the foundation of any program, whether your goal is to lose weight or gain muscle, is a combination of strenght training and a healthy diet that includes carbs, with a balance of protein and fat.

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