Had a talk today with a guy who was sort of offended for some reason about me not eating animal products and lifting weight. He said I’d never get enough protein (never heard that one before!!!). Because lentils aren’t a thing in a world of steaks.
Anyway he said that you need at least 200 grams of protein each day when you lift but that’s of course nonsense. Not saying you shouldn’t do it, but you don’t need to either.
I’m averaging around 110-140 grams a day and I’m doing fine at ±80kg body weight.
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It’s an interesting one. On the one hand I’m sceptical because these ratios are often shared by those who ultimately also sell protein powder and supplements. On the other hand, if they’re the figures, they’re the figures.
It could be a problem as there are surely effects from eating too much protein. Especially in individual sittings.
If I went by bodyweight but it’s supposed to be muscle mass, I’d be massively over consuming protein, though. I like to play it safe, but I’m no longer interested in bodybuilding as opposed to staying healthy.
I remember being shocked when I heard how little protein soldiers are supposed to eat when training. It’s mostly carbs, iirc. Which makes me think the military wants to cut costs in its food budget and most soldiers won’t be doing much hand to hand fighting or the military dieticians know something the rest of us don’t. It could also be that they go by percentages. 80+% carbs could still involve a lot of protein if they’re consuming enough in total. This data may now be outdated.
Just wrote a comment explaining “optimal” protein intake! You can also read my more exhaustive guide here: https://en.prolewiki.org/wiki/Essay:A_nutrition_and_fitness_guide 😉
It makes sense for soldiers because protein can make them sleepy or sluggish, and they don’t need to be building muscle as such. Carbs help for endurance and cardio, which is what they do most of the day – carrying heavy equipment, walking for miles, setting up positions… If the military wanted to add protein, they could add whey powder to the MREs on the cheap I think. I mean, it’s a military contract, it’s probably gonna be twice as expensive as your own protein powder lol.
Thanks. Useful info! Good points about the military.