Thread: Too much protein?

Can someone confirm the formula for determining daily protein intake to ensure muscle growth? I have seen 1.5 - 2.0 grams per pound pound of body weight and 1.5 - 2.0 grams per kilogram of bodyweight.


Using 1.5 - 2.0 grams\lb of B.W.
For a 180 pound person:
1.5 - 2.0 gams\lb = 270 - 360 grams of protein\day

or

Using 1.5 - 2.0 grams\kg of B.W.
For a 180 pound person: 180 lb.\ (2.2 lb\kg) = 82kg
1.5 - 2.0 grams\kg = 123 - 164 grams of protein\day

This is quite a difference and I want to make sure I'm not under what I need. On the other hand, I don't want to be consuming uneeded calories\fat\protein or spending additioal $$ on shakes\supplements. I've read that around 40-50 grams\meal is the max your body can use so to hit the high end of 360 would be 7 meals, and that's only for a 180 pounder. I'll be doing 8 meals a day. What's the real deal?

TheWolf,

That is the debate in my thread. Whether people are harming themselves by taking 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. The conclusion so far is basically that if you have no kidney disorders, problems with bone densitiy, are supplementing correctly, then using high protein diets (i.e.) 1 -1.5 grams of protein to 1 pound of body weight should produce maximum gains with no or minimal negative affects for athletes. But tests have not been done to confirm this apparantly following healthy adults using high protein diets into their old ages. So who knows? But as Bandaid pointed out there has been no influx of kidney disorder cases thus far reported from bodybuilders using high protein diets... But again you never know. Sometimes you're better safe than sorry.

My point is that many new to body building and nutrician do not properly calculate all of their protein intake and can easily take way to much protein. For body builders diets it is most important I feel to calculate each and every food item carefully so that you are staying within a reasonable protein level. Especially when you are purposely eating high protein foods. You are mixing them with other food items that contain protein that you may not be aware of as well as adding protein supplementation.
I was taking like 50 grams every couple hours, but I think I will cut back just a bit to maybe 20-30 grams of protein every 2-3 hours. I don't want to take more than I need so that my body is rejecting the excess.