Eat more Protein!

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JTMWTD – Just Tell Me What To Do

Total protein intake per day should be much higher for most people than you’d get just by eating healthy food alone.  Thus a  definite role for protein powder supplements.

Target is to consume between 1.5 and 2.2 grams of protein per kg of body weight, per day. 

Whey protein is best for muscle growth (due to its leucine content, bioavailability, rapid digestion).  Plant proteins require more effort to get the right amino acid balance.  Higher end of range when actively exercising.  Lower end for maintenance.

Safety & Precautions

Renal function test before starting (high protein intake is OK unless you have renal impairment).  Max per serving size of 50g (just excreted otherwise and overloads kidneys), ideally multiple 25g servings, or consume over an hour.

High protein intake is safe with good kidney function, so get a renal function test first

Potential concerns eg around bone loss are not supported by latest research.

Check reviews on content analysis.  Recent reports ([LINK]) have shown that vegetable derived protein powders are higher in heavy metals, and that Chocolate flavored powders have higher levels also.  See our list of recommended brands [LINK].

Why Protein is Essential for EVERYONE

For muscle growth.  To optimize growth when exercising.

To slow sarcopenia (inevitable muscle loss with age)

Hard to get optimal amount from diet alone

How to Calculate & Manage Your Protein Intake

Use your body weight as a guide, targeting approx 2g per kg of body weight. Aim at the higher end of this when actively exercising esp weight training.  Adjust down slightly if your lean muscle mass is low (BMI > 30; calculate based on what your ideal weight should be).

Combining with Creatine is synergistic (see separate article on Creatine).

Detail

Official RDA (0.8g per kg) is way below what is optimal for building and maintaining muscle mass.  Most people consume less than half of what is optimal.

Low protein can drive increased hunger and consumption, as your body tries to meet its protein requirements and ignores the cost of all the excess calories that then come in as a side effect.

WDID – What Do I Do

fyi I weigh around 85kg.  My total target is 180g per day

50g protein shake WITH 5g Creatine mid morning

50g protein shake without Creatine mid afternoon

Time these generally around an exercise session.  Exact timing pre/post/during exercise is apparently not critical, the total amount is.

The remainder of my intake is from a healthy diet (eg fatty fish like Salmon is high in protein).  In general animal proteins are more complete with less effort required to get input right.

For the shake, to avoid getting too bored, mix it up with some milk, low fat Greek Yoghurt, frozen berries, peanut butter, fresh fruit (but don’t spike your sugar levels) etc.  I also alternate between flavors (I keep three base flavors at a time, eg Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry).

Recommended Brands

 

Avoid powders that are full of additives and artificial sweeteners.  From reputable source, with regular lab testing.

Affiliate link 1, 2, 3 etc

Research

Articles and podcasts to go here…

Expert Longevity Leader Opinions

The amount of protein you need depends on several factors, including your sex, body weight and lean body mass, activity level, and age. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8g/kg of body weight, but this is not enough for most people. You likely want at least 1.6g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. As you get older, this number should increase due to anabolic resistance, meaning your muscles are less sensitive to the effects of amino acids as you age.  For active people with normal kidney function, a good place to start is one gram of protein per pound of body weight per day, or 2.2g/kg/day. This is nearly triple the minimum recommendation. Spread this amount throughout the day, aiming for four servings of about 0.25g/lb of body weight each.

For example, a 180-pound person should consume a minimum of 130 grams of protein per day and ideally closer to 180 grams, especially if they are trying to add muscle mass. A six-ounce serving of chicken, fish, or meat provides about 40 to 45 grams of protein, so this person should aim to eat four such servings per day.

Most people don’t need to worry about eating too much protein. The safe upper limit is 3.7g/kg/day of body weight. You can adjust your protein intake upwards if you find yourself losing lean mass. If you choose to get your protein from plant sources, be aware that plant protein is less bioavailable than animal protein and the distribution of amino acids is not the same. Therefore, you may need to eat more plant protein to meet your needs.

Johnnson’s point of view

He appears to consume most protein from plants, with an additional 29g of protein in the for of pea protein.  He sells a protein powder that is plant based.

Xxx affiliate link on amazon

More reading for healthy sources of protein

 

High protein animal foods

Salmon, Tuna

Chicken

High protein plant and nut foods

High protein supermarket foods

High protein Yoghurt

Greek Yoghurt

Notes for Adrian:

 

JTMWTD: insert a CTA to join the app waitlist.

 

Talk about why everyone needs protein, men, women, elderly people.

 

Discuss how different sexes and ages can calculate and manage their protein intake.

 

Need more example protocols.

 

I don’t like the “detail” subheading, it needs another name or the content should go under a different heading.