Macro partitioning
Consuming dietary protein at approximately 1.6 g/kg/day, particularly when coupled with resistance exercise, promotes favorable muscle adaptations, hypertrophy, and strength gains in healthy adults, exceeding the minimum requirements of the current RDA (0.8 g/kg/day).
If you are lifting weights to build or maintain muscle, aim for about 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. This is roughly double the old government minimum recommendation. You don't need to overcomplicate it; just spread your protein out across meals and ensure you get some protein after your workouts. This amount is safe for healthy kidneys and has been shown to maximize muscle growth and strength.
holistic evaluation of varied experimental designs suggests that coupling post-resistance exercise protein ingestion (~20–30 g or 0.25–0.30 g/kg) with habitual protein intakes at ~1.6 g/kg/d promotes favorable muscle adaptations to exercise training [18].
Why this rating
Based on meta-analyses and systematic reviews cited (e.g., Morton et al. [18]), though the paper itself is a review.
Source
Dietary Protein and Muscle Mass: Translating Science to Application and Health Benefit
John W. Carbone et al. · Nutrients · 2019
DOI 10.3390/nu11051136
More from this paper
- Higher protein intakes (above RDA) do not negatively impact bone mineral density and may actually protect against osteoporosis and hip fractures by increasing calcium bioavailability and IGF-1 release.Good
- During moderate energy deficit (weight loss), higher protein intakes (approx. 1.6 g/kg/day) preserve muscle mass better than lower protein intakes, although this benefit diminishes in severe energy deficit.Good
Related findings · Macro partitioning
- Total daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg/day is sufficient for maximizing resistance training-induced muscle gains, with an upper confidence interval of 2.2 g/kg/day.Strong
- Resistance exercise training combined with sufficient dietary protein intake acts synergistically to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy, with protein intake saturating around 1.6 g/kg/day for general populations and potentially requiring 2.0-2.2 g/kg/day for resistance-trained individuals.Strong
- Trans fats should be completely eliminated from the diet, as they increase LDL cholesterol, decrease HDL cholesterol, and are directly associated with increased coronary risk.Strong
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