Thread: Replacing Protein with Carbs

The usual "bodybuilder" suggestion is for a gram of protein per pound lean mass, at a minimum. In practice, many of us go higher but there is in fact no physiologic requirement for protein to be this high for most athletes - although there are some noteworthy exceptions, such as extreme levels of activity, and dieting for fat-loss.

Most of us do it out of habit, comfort, and mistaken belief we'll suddenly go catabolic unless we consume a half a cow daily but the flip side - eating too little protein - means muscle-loss and most of us don't want that. While eating at a surplus, this is generally of little concern to those of us in physical culture but while cutting, nitrogen status is an important consideration. Protein is also very satiating, so for appetite control, many of us load up on protein to avoid either excess hunger or excess adiposity.

Guidelines for protein consumption vary. Health Canada’s[i] Dietary Reference Intakes for adults lists 0.66g per kg bodyweight as the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) and 0.8g per kg bodyweight as the Adequate Intake (AI) for protein. Recommendations for athletes are higher, with some going as high as 2g/kg[ii] bodyweight (not lean mass), which for a lean male works out to about 0.9g protein per pound lean mass.

Clearly, we in physical culture have a large buffer zone around our protein intake. If your protein intake is low, you're probably better off eating it in small servings well spread out through the day, to keep amino acid levels constant - albeit on the low side - through the day. Those of us with higher protein intakes have more dietary flexibility with regard to nutrient timing, and there may even be advantages - at least while running a surplus - to pulsing protein intake rather than keeping it steady.

Does this help?

[i] Reference Values for Macronutrients - Dietary Reference Intakes Tables [Health Canada, 2005]
[ii] Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition | Full text | International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Protein and Exercise.