Macro partitioning
For healthy, exercising individuals, an overall daily protein intake of 1.4–2.0 g/kg body weight per day is sufficient to build and maintain muscle mass, with higher intakes (2.3–3.1 g/kg/d) only necessary during hypocaloric periods to maximize lean body mass retention.
Aim for 1.4 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day if you are training. If you are cutting calories to lose fat, bump this up to 2.3–3.1 grams per kilogram to protect your muscle. You do not need to exceed these amounts for muscle growth in a caloric surplus.
For building muscle mass and for maintaining muscle mass through a positive muscle protein balance, an overall daily protein intake in the range of 1.4–2.0 g protein/kg body weight/day (g/kg/d) is sufficient for most exercising individuals... Higher protein intakes (2.3–3.1 g/kg/d) may be needed to maximize the retention of lean body mass in resistance-trained subjects during hypocaloric periods.
Why this rating
This is a Position Stand from the International Society of Sports Nutrition, representing a consensus of extensive literature review.
Source
International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise
Ralf Jäger et al. · Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2017
DOI 10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8
More from this paper
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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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