Protein is found in every cell and tissue in the body. While it has many vital roles in the body, protein is crucial for muscle growth because it helps repair and maintain muscle tissue.
The current recommended dietary allowance Trusted Source (RDA) to prevent deficiency in minimally active adults is 0.8 grams (g) of protein per kilogram (kg) of body weight. However, newer research suggests individuals trying to build muscle need more than this.
Consuming less protein than the body needs has been linked to decreased muscle mass. In contrast, increased protein intakes above the RDA may help increase strength and lean body mass when paired with resistance exercise.
Protein is made up of amino acids that act as building blocks for cells and tissues in the body. There are 20 amino acids that combine to form proteins.
While some can be synthesized by the human body, others cannot. The nine amino acids that the body cannot make are called essential amino acids. These must be obtained through diet.
When a person eats protein, it is digested and broken down into amino acids, which are involved in many processes in the body, including tissue growth and repair, immune function, and energy production.
Like other body tissues, muscle proteinsTrusted Source are continuously broken down and rebuilt. In order to build muscle, a person must consume more protein than what is broken down. This is often referred to as a net positive nitrogen balance, as protein is high in nitrogen.
If a person is not consuming adequate amounts of protein, their body tends to break down muscle Trusted Source to provide the body with the amino acids needed to support body functions and preserve more important tissues. Over time, this can lead to decreased muscle mass and strength.
Lastly, the body uses amino acids for muscle protein synthesis (MPS), the primary driver of muscle repair, recovery, and growth after strenuous exercises.
This means that a person eating 2,000 calories a day should eat between 50 and 175 grams of protein a day.
When it comes to building muscle mass, the optimal amount of daily protein a person should eat varies based on several factors, including age, gender, activity level, health, and other variables.
However, some studies have given us a good idea to calculate the amount of protein that adults need for muscle growth based on their body weight.
While most studies agree that high protein intake is associated with improvements in muscle mass and strength when combined with resistance training, the exact amount of protein needed to build muscle remains controversial.
A 2020 meta-analysis published in the Journal of Nutrition Reviews found that protein intake between 0.5 and 3.5 grams per kilogram of body weight can support weight gain. Specifically, researchers note that a gradual increase in protein, even as little as 0.1 grams per body weight per day, can help maintain or increase muscle mass.
The increase in lean body mass from the higher protein intake decreased rapidly after 1.3 g per kg of body weight. Strength training is the downfall. This suggests that increasing protein paired with strength training is best for achieving bulking.
Another 2022 meta-analysis published in the Journal of Sports Medicine concluded that a protein intake of about 1.5 g per body weight per day paired with resistance training is necessary for optimal effects on muscle strength.
Finally, a 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis published in the journal Cachexia, Sarcopenia, and MuscleTrusted Source concluded that protein intake of 1.6 g/day body weight or less resulted in less lean body mass gain in adults. individual trained resistance. The results for the elderly are poor.
In particular, 80% of the studies reviewed in this review reported that the participants consumed at least 1.2 g of protein per body weight per day, which is higher than the current RDA. This may have implications for reducing protein intake in older adults, along with resistance exercise.
Although exact numbers are difficult to give due to varying research findings, the optimal protein intake for building muscle seems to be between 1.2 and 1.6 g per kg of body weight.
This means, for example, that a 180-pound (81.8 kg) man should consume 98-1131 grams of protein per day in conjunction with resistance training to support muscle growth.
