Protein intake
How much protein should we eat? Is it ok to eat as much protein as possible for gaining muscle?
Quantity
RDA
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight (or 0.36g per pound).
The RDA is the amount of a nutrient you need to meet your basic nutritional requirements. In a sense, it’s the minimum amount you need to keep from getting sick — not the specific amount you are supposed to eat every day.
Common recommendation
This is not a lot. Fitness influencers often recommend more than ~1g per pound, or even up to ~2g per pound. The idea is that unless you have an underlying Kidney disease or other health problems, you can, and should, consume a lot of protein to maximize the grain, and that there aren’t many drawbacks doing so.
Potential drawbacks
However, I think consuming too much protein, or focusing too much on protein, may not good for your health (and your wallet). Because of the recent ‘boom’ of strength training, the emphasis on protein intake may be skewed too much towards high intake.
First, you may not know whether you have underlying health conditions or not. If you have an undiagnosed kidney disease, high protein intake can destroy your kidney.
Second, the amount of protein that can be utilized for muscle synthesis may not be so high, after which the gain may be marginal. For instance, a vegan, natural body builder Alex Leonidas argues that the amount that maximizes muscle building is not as high as people may say (see Alex Leonidas Reveals His IDEAL Diet Plan). After that point, trying to eat more protein (e.g., via protein powder) may prevent you from eating healthier whole foods with lots of micronutrients and may be just waste of money.
Related to this, we may not overlooking the amount of protein we are consuming through ‘protein-light’ food. We only call several food items “protein”, but most other foods still contain some protein. Vegetables that we don’t normally associate with protein still contain some protein and they add up.
Third, high protein intake (particularly Leucine and several other amino acids more abundant in meat) is known to activate the mTOR pathway, which is known for its positive impact on muscle syntehsis as well as its negative impact on longevity.
- Is Too Much Protein Harming Your Health? by Kurisko & Company
- Eric Topol: Our Preoccupation With Protein Intake
In contrast, The Daily podcast stated: “Well, it’s unlikely that eating too much protein is actually going to harm you. Unless you have a specific kidney issue, we can eat a lot of protein. And it’s not going to be bad for you.” It turns out there’s no shortage of data to refute that assertion made by the _New York Times (which produces The Daily).
Protein powder
And there are potential issues with protein powder, which is a convenient shortcut to satisfy protein “requirements” for many. First, they are not well regulated and can contain toxic substances. Consumer Reports reported that Protein Powders and Shakes Contain High Levels of Lead. Although Consumer Reports is known for creating their own safety criteria and raise (sometimes overblown) alarms, it is indeed a risk. Second, protein powder provides protein and calories, but not much micronutrients. It may be replacing other healthier foods while not necessarily helping your health.
Protein quality
How about the “quality” of protein? Another common talking point is that plant-based protein sources are inferior to animal-based protein because plant proteins tend to lack certain essential amino acids, particularly those that boost muscle growth. However, plant proteins still have all types amino acids; if you eat enough (which may not be too hard to satisfy), then the amino acids content is not really an issue.
Alex Leonidas, a vegan body builder, argues that there’s little difference in how animal and plant protein help body building. He further argues that, given the massive health benefits of fruits and vegetables, it is superior to have a plant-based diet for body building. Viva Longevity YouTube channel also compiled arguments for plant-based protein in a video: Protein Quality: Animal Versus Plant