After a grueling workout of tearing down muscle fibres and pushing your body to the limits, your body uses protein (as well as calories and other nutrients) to rebuild that damaged muscle tissue. Suggested amounts of protein intakes varies anywhere from 0.5g/lb of bodyweight, all the way up to 2g/lb of bodyweight depending on who you ask. The question is: what is the true optimal protein intake in order to maximize muscle gains?
In this blog, we will cover protein intake, protein timing, and much more.
What is Protein?
Protein is a macronutrient, that is built up from amino acids and it’s an essential nutrient that our bodies require in order to function and grow. Protein can be ingested in many forms: meat, vegetables, whey, shakes, and more. It’s an essential macronutrient for building muscle mass, but it also helps grow & repair cells and body tissues such as skin, hair, muscle, and bone.
Daily Protein Intake
The daily recommended protein intake varies from source to source, and from person to person. Some say the dietary recommendation is 50g of protein per day (which we know is very low) and some suggest 4-6x that amount (which can be way too much for certain individuals). Proper protein intake varies between bodies & purposes, and everyone wants to get as much protein in as they can in order to support muscle gain, but science shows that there’s indeed an optimal amount. Scientists have found that the best range of protein intake for those who want to build muscle, is anywhere from 0.73g-1.1g/lb of bodyweight. That means that if you are an individual that’s 150lbs, you’ll want to take in approximately 110g-165g of protein per day. For the safest bet, you’ll want to stick to the higher end of that range but studies have found that going above this suggested range provides little to no extra benefits in terms of muscle gain. If you are eating in a caloric surplus, your body can repair muscle tissue with a lesser amount of protein daily. On the other hand, if you are in a caloric deficit, you’ll want to make sure you’re eating on the higher end of the spectrum for protein intake in order to ensure muscle gain & retention, due to the fact that the body will have less calories to recover with.
Protein Planning & Timing
Protein intake planning is important because if you’re eating large amounts of protein, you’ll want to split it up so that your body can properly digest & use each gram that you’re feeding it. Doug Paddon-Jones, Ph.D, a nutrition and metabolism professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch, states that “Skeletal muscle protein synthesis is maximized by 25 to 35 grams of high-quality protein during a meal“. This means that in order to ensure maximum protein synthesis, you’ll want to 25-35g of protein per meal, in order to add up to the optimal daily protein intake we talked about above. Going back again, if you’re that 150lbs individual that needs 110-165g of protein daily, you’ll want to consume around 4-6 meals per day with 25-35g of protein. Protein timing is important as well, since the body needs protein quickly after a workout to start protein synthesis as soon as possible. Generally speaking, you should be ingesting some form of protein within approximately 15-60 minutes after a workout. If you miss this protein window, there’s no need to worry – your gains won’t diminish and your workout wasn’t put to waste – daily protein intake is the main factor to look at. If you’re taking in the proper optimal protein amount for your body per day, you’re on the right track.
PurPharma’s Recommendations on Protein Intake for Muscle Gain
We generally recommend that you take in a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, and stay in a managed & slight caloric surplus to make the best gains possible. Taking some of our products, such as Testosterone Enanthate, Trenbolone Acetate, and much more from our product catalogue, can help you build even more muscle mass on top of an optimized diet.
Here at PurPharma, we strive to provide our guests with the most accurate information on anabolic steroids and products to rely on. If you have any questions on cycles to utilize, our Customer Support Team would be happy to answer any questions.
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