How Much Protein to Build Muscle?
When you’re trying to build muscles, you will need to figure out the intake of how much protein to build muscle, as it will help your body develop them. This protein-way of gaining muscle is almost a public
knowledge now. Everyone seems to be already aware of the good benefits of protein to one’s body when trying to gain muscle. However, most, if not all, of these people who take a lot of protein to gain
muscles, are not aware of how much protein to build muscle is really needed. All they know is that, eating a lot of protein will help them. Here are some guidelines to help you figure out how much protein to
build muscle.
Bear in mind that Protein Requirement is Relative
Before you look into how much protein you need in order to build muscle, you should know that protein requirement for this aspect is relative.
That is, the amount of protein that your body needs to build muscle is very different from the protein level that others need. This is because required protein depends on your body’s composition, including
the amount of fat that your body carries as well as the current muscles that you have. The kind of muscles you want to build also have to be considered. When you are aiming for an average muscle, the amount
of protein you need to take to get this body could be around 50% more than what your body normally needs. However, if you are aiming to get that bouncer-buff and gladiator-like type of muscles, you might
have to increase your intake up to 100% or double than what your body needs on average.
What are Good Sources of Protein?
If you are aiming to build muscles, it is essential, aside from working out, to increase your protein intake. But where would you get all these protein?
- Eggs, milks and soy products are just some of the best sources of protein.
- Fish, yogurts and cheese are good sources of proteins as well.
- Chicken breast, turkey and tuna are also high in protein.
Determining the Right Protein
To stay healthy, the average protein that a person needs corresponds to whatever his current weight is. Ideally, you must consume a gram of protein for every 2 pounds of your weight. For instance, if you weigh 120 pounds, then you should consume at least 60 grams of protein.
Now if you are trying to build muscles, you can increase this rate from 50% to 100%, depending on the kind of body you want. If you are aiming for an average muscle, you can increase your protein intake from 60 grams to 90 grams. But if you are aiming to go bigger than this, taking the same example, you can increase your protein intake from
60 grams to at least 120 grams. This means eating 1 gram of protein for every 1 pound of weight.
To serve as your guide, here are some of the most common protein sources and the intake of how much protein to build muscle:
- 6 pieces of egg whites can give you up to 24 grams protein,
- 3 oz piece of a chicken or turkey breast has 17 to 19 grams of protein,
- 4 oz of tuna can give you up to 25 grams of proteins.
It is not enough that you know that eating protein will help you build muscles. It is equally important that you know the proportions and intake of how much protein to build muscle. Bear in mind that everything in excess is dangerous for your health.