How Much Protein Should You Eat?
Learn how much protein you need to lose weight and maintain muscle mass.
Proteins are essential nutrients that serve as the building blocks for the muscles, tendons, organs, skin, enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, and other molecules that keep your body working. So of course everyone understands that protein is an important part of a balanced diet.
But what you may not understand is just how much protein you need to eat on a daily basis. It turns out, this can be a complicated question to answer, since the amount of protein your body needs can change based on your age, activity level, and muscle mass. Since men tend to lose muscle mass as they grow older and testosterone declines, it is especially important to be taking in enough protein and getting enough exercise if you want to stay fit and healthy.
How Much Protein to Eat…
…For a Sedentary Lifestyle: The official nutritional recommendation for protein intake is 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight, or about 56 grams per day for the average man. However, while this amount of protein should keep you from becoming deficient in any essential amino acids, it is most likely not enough to ensure optimal health and body composition. Many nutritionists recommend closer to 90 grams of protein per day for the average man.
…For Losing Weight: If you want to lose weight, 25 to 30 percent of your calories should come from protein. For someone on a 2,000 calorie diet, this would be about 150 grams of protein per day. Research has shown eating this amount of protein can boost metabolism by up to 80 to 100 calories per day. Plus, when protein is eaten at every meal and snack, it can help you feel full so that you are less tempted to overeat.
…For Building Muscle: Most studies suggest that you need 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass in order to build and maintain muscle. Muscle tissue is dynamic and is constantly being rebuilt. If you aren’t taking in enough protein, your muscles will have nothing to rebuild themselves with and they cannot grow or even maintain their mass. You need to be especially careful to take in plenty of protein if you are dieting, because muscle loss and body fat loss often go hand in hand.
What to Eat for Quality Protein
Animal products are typically the best sources of protein, because they contain the most essential amino acids. Meats, fish, eggs, and dairy products are all excellent sources of protein. You can also get protein from plant sources like quinoa, beans, and nuts.
When trying to get enough grams of protein in your diet, remember that you are looking for grams of the macronutrient, not the food containing it. For example, an egg is about 46 grams of food, but contains just 6 grams of protein.
Want to Learn More?
If you would like more information about ways to help maintain muscle mass as you age, please contact Renew Man™ at 800-859-7511. Our proven safe and effective testosterone therapy is an excellent option to help you see better results from your workouts and diet.
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