How much do I play protein a day?

A well -balanced diet is not only care for the right supply of vitamins and minerals, but above all about the proper distribution of macronutrients. Protein plays a key role in the structure and repair of tissues, the synthesis of enzymes and hormones, and maintaining proper metabolism. His daily demand varies depending on age, sex, body weight and level of physical activity. In practice, it is often assumed that a healthy adult should consume from 0.8 g to even 2.2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight. The purpose of this article is to explain what criteria to be guided by determining your own daily demand, how to calculate them and what the consequences of excessive protein consumption can be.

Recommended daily protein intake

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends about 0.8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight for an average, healthy adult. This means that a person weighing 70 kg needs at least 56 g of protein per day. The Institute of Food and Nutrition gives similar values ​​in "Nutrition standards for the Polish population" - 0.8-1.0 g/kg for people with low physical activity and 1.2-1.5 g/kg for those who exercise regularly. In the case of strength athletes or people on a reduction diet, up to 1.6-2.2 g/kg is often recommended to protect muscle mass and support regeneration.

The demand for protein also increases during pregnancy, breastfeeding and seniors - in these groups about 1.0-1.2 g/kg per day are taken. Due to rapid growth, children and teenagers may need proportionally more protein (1.0-1.5 g/kg), and the elderly - due to the decrease in muscle mass (sarcopenia) - about 1.2 g/kg. It is important to treat these values ​​as a starting point and modify depending on individual needs.

How to calculate the demand for protein?

To calculate your own demand, it is enough to multiply body weight (in kilograms) by the appropriate factor. For people with low physical activity, the adopted value is 0.8–1.0 g/kg, for moderately active people - 1.2-1.5 g/kg, and for strength or strength athletes - 1.6-2.2 g/kg. For example, a recreational man who weighing 80 kg will need just over 96-120 g of protein per day.

In practice, it is worth considering the real non -fat mass of the body (LBM), because it determines the demand for building amino acids. People with a higher percentage of adipose tissue may multiply LBM instead of total mass, which avoids excessive protein consumption. To calculate the LBM, you can use the results of body composition measurement (bioelectric impedance analysis, kaliper) or bring: deduct the percentage of fat from the current mass, and multiply the result by 1.

If you do not have a body composition measurement, take a simpler formula: body weight (kg) × 1.0-1.8 g depending on activity. This compartment allows you to adapt protein intake during the day, for example 1.0-1.2 g/kg to maintain mass, 1.4-1.6 g/kg for fat reduction and 1.8-2.2 g/kg for muscle structure.

Excess protein in the diet - is it harmful?

In a healthy body, excess protein is most often processed and excreted without negative effects. Nevertheless, very high intake (above 3 g/kg body weight for a long time) can burden the kidneys, especially in people with existing urinary tract diseases. A larger catabolism of amino acids increases nitrogen excretion and can contribute to dehydration, so with a high -profile diet it is worth taking care of proper hydration.

Another potential problem is to shift the proportion of macronutrients - excessive protein intake at the expense of fats and carbohydrates can lead to energy and fiber deficiencies. In order for the diet to be complete, the protein should constitute a maximum of 30-35%of energy, and the remaining calories come from fats (25-35%) and carbohydrates (35-50%).

In most people, a moderate increase in protein supply to 2.0-2.2 g/kg does not carry risk, as long as the kidney condition is controlled and cares for varied sources (meat, fish, legumes, dairy products, dairy products). The even distribution of protein into several meals during the day is also crucial to avoid amino acid strokes and better use them in anabolic and regenerative processes.

Sources

• WHO/FAO/UNU. Protein and Amino Acid Requirents in Human Nutrition, 2007.
• Jarosz M. "Nutrition standards for the Polish population", Institute of Food and Nutrition, 2020.
• EFSA PANEL ON DIGHTIC PRODUCTS, NUTRITION AND ALLERGIES. Dietary reference values ​​for protein, 2012.
• Phillips S.M. Dietary Protein for Athlets: From Requirements to Metabolic Advantage. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab, 2014.
• Ritz P., et al. Role of high protein diets in healthy populations. Nutrients, 2019.

FAQ

How many proteins a day should a 90 kg man consume?

If it is moderately active, 1.2-1.5 g of protein per kilogram of body weight is taken. For a man weighing 90 kg, this means 108–135 g of protein per day, spread evenly over 4-5 meals. It is worth considering the quality of protein - reaching both animal and plant sources to provide the full amino acid profile.

Does a pregnant woman need more protein than 0.8 g/kg?

Yes. During pregnancy, the demand increases to about 1.1-1.2 g/kg of body weight to support fetal development and mother's metabolic changes. In addition, during breastfeeding it is worth maintaining the supply at least 1.2 g/kg to protect the quality of mother's milk.

How to calculate the demand for protein with overweight?

In this case, it is better to be guided by the non -fat mass of the body (LBM). If you do not know LBM, you can deduct about 20% from the total weight, and then multiply the result by the selected factor (1.2-1.8 g/kg), which will avoid excessive protein consumption.

How to provide enough protein on a vegan diet?

The vegan diet should combine various plant sources: legumes (lentils, chickpeas), nuts, seeds and cereal products (quinoa, brown rice). Mixtures of pea and rice proteins complement the amino acid profile, so you can reach 1.2-1.6 g/kg even without animal products.

Can excess protein burden the kidneys?

In healthy people, moderately increased protein intake (up to about 2.2 g/kg) does not cause kidney damage. Problems may occur in people with existing kidney failure - then it is worth consulting a diet with a doctor and a dietitian and controlling the parameters of the kidney function.

How many protein meals are worth eating during the day?

It is optimally spreading the protein into 4-5 meals every 3-4 hours, each containing 20-30 g of protein. Thanks to this, we maintain a constant synthesis of muscle proteins, catabolism is avoided and the supply of amino acids is better used.

Can you eat a whole daily protein dose in one meal?

Consuming a large amount of protein in one meal (e.g. 100 g) is difficult to digest and use, because the maximum effective dose at once is about 30-40 g. The rest can be used as energy or transformed into glucose, which is not optimal from the point of view of muscle structure and regeneration.