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Research Outline
Prepared for Justin W. | Delivered June 17, 2020
Protein Consumption
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Goals
To understand what scientific studies say about how much and what types of protein a male in his 30s should consume in order to gain muscle and, ultimately, improve bone strength
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Early Findings
According to a research report published by Cardiff Metropolitan University, the protein requirements for the general population are
0.8-0.9g/kg/day
, while the IOC sets the level of protein consumption for athletes at
1.8g/kg/day
. The study which was published in 2018 claims there is no current guideline for the average gym goer.
The above study of 65 non-athlete male gym goers found that the average protein intake for the group was
2.48g/kg/day
.
Another study published in 2016 found that a new method of determining protein requirements, called indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO), showed that minimum protein requirements had been underestimated by 30-50%. This study recommends protein intake of
1.5 to 2.2 g/kg/day
.
This study
appears likely to have useful information related to protein consumption and building muscle, but it was paywalled.
T
h
i
s
study indicates that athletes are generally consuming much higher levels of protein than what is recommended, but the details were
behind a paywall
.
Another consideration for consuming protein to build muscle, is how the consumption should be distributed throughout the day. The study concludes that consumption should be between
0.4g/kg/day
per meal and
0.55g/kg/day
per meal for a total of four meals. This would result in a total between
1.6g/kg/day and 2.2g/kg/day
.
According to
H
e
a
l
t
h
l
i
n
e
, the right amount of protein depends on factors including "
activity level
, age, muscle mass, physique goals and current state of health."
H
e
a
l
t
h
l
i
n
e
also attempted to determine an estimate of the proper protein range based on reviewing several studies on the topic. Their recommended range based on the review was
1.6-2.2g/kg/day
(about 0.7-1 g/pound/day).
According to Men's Health, the best way to calculate protein needs is based on lean body mass. Most research indicates that is "
little benefit
to consuming more than 2.2g of protein per kg of lean body mass."
Lean body mass is calculated by multiplying weight times 100% minus percent body fat. "
If you
weigh 90kg with 20 per cent body fat, you have 72kg of lean body mass."
Summary of Findings
In our initial research we were able to find a general recommendation on how much protein to consume for building muscle. While it was not found specific to a male in his 30s, our research indicates that this data may not be publicly available, as seen by the paywalled studies that were found.
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