How many grams of protein per day should I consume to gain muscle mass?

People who want to gain weight need to eat enough protein. This is important not only for gaining muscle mass, but also for losing weight, because muscles are responsible for the quality of the human body. In addition, a lot of energy is spent on their "maintenance".

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Muscles need a sufficient amount of building material - protein. Otherwise, they will not grow and even begin to collapse. But if you greatly exceed the required daily allowance, you may encounter violations in the functioning of the kidneys and liver. Therefore, it is important to correctly calculate how many grams of protein a particular person needs to consume.

Why is protein needed?

Proteins are essential for building muscles and other tissues (nails, hair, etc.). In addition, they provide the process of metabolism, and are also used as a signal that is transmitted between cells.

Proteins perform the following functions:

• catalytic - accelerate the processes occurring in the body;
• protective - ensure the functioning of the immune system and participate in the creation of antibodies;
• structural - are integral components of the cells of a living organism;
• hormonal - proteins-hormones allow you to maintain the stability of the hormonal system;
• transport - help deliver various substances and components to organs (for example, hemoglobin is responsible for transporting oxygen);
• nutritional - used as a reserve in case of starvation;
• contractile - thanks to protein structures, muscles are able to tighten and relax.

Protein in the human body is presented in the form of molecules that make up muscle fibers. These molecules are made up of even smaller "building blocks" - amino acids. They are interchangeable and irreplaceable. The former (glutamine, alanine, arginine, glycine and others) are produced in the body, but are quickly consumed under increased stress. Essential amino acids (lysine, leucine, valine, isoleucine, etc.) can only be obtained from the outside with food or a sports supplement.

Most protein is found in foods such as meat, fish, eggs, cottage cheese. In addition, you can use sports nutrition. In particular, a protein or gainer, which includes up to 30 g of protein. Individual essential amino acids (leucine, valine and isoleucine) can be obtained by taking a supplement such as BCAA.

If you do not consume enough amino acids, muscle growth will be limited, since the fibers will literally have nothing to build from. Therefore, so that training for gaining muscle mass is not in vain, it is imperative to monitor whether the body has enough protein.

Both men and women need to consume enough protein. Girls are sometimes afraid to do this and try to minimize the consumption of protein foods. But protein alone cannot build muscle. They break down in training. If there is not enough protein, then the muscle fibers will not recover, and the quality of the body will be poor.

Daily rate

The daily amount of protein will be individual for each person. It depends on weight, level of physical activity and metabolic rate.

It is worth considering the purpose of training. Many people think that the amount of protein in the diet should be monitored only when building muscle mass. But with weight loss, the body experiences an even greater need for protein foods. Indeed, in conditions of a calorie deficit, muscles begin to break down. You can save them only if you eat enough protein.

Especially important is the increase in the proportion of protein foods on drying. Many people confuse it with regular weight loss. But you can’t compare drying with a diet. During the first, you need to consume as few carbohydrates as possible, and this is a lot of stress for the body. Therefore, only professional athletes should resort to such measures.

In addition, drying is carried out only after sufficient muscle mass has been gained. As a result, the body should become embossed by reducing the percentage of body fat. In order not to lose gained muscle, athletes have to consume a lot of protein. But it should be understood that the drying period should be short. Usually it is from 2 to 6 weeks in preparation for the competition.

The ratio of nutrients during classes to achieve a particular goal is shown in the picture.

The required protein intake per day is calculated in grams per 1 kg of body weight. The generally accepted approximate norms are:

• 1 - 1.6 g for an ordinary person who does not go in for sports;
• 1.6 - 2.2 g for a set of muscle mass;
• 2.2 - 2.6 g for weight loss;
• 2.6 - 3.3 g for drying.

Based on this, it is easy to calculate the daily allowance for yourself. You just need to multiply the body weight in kilograms by the required amount of protein. For example, a girl weighing 50 kilograms who wants to lose weight should consume 110-130 grams per day.

To make it easier to navigate, you can refer to such a table. It provides information on the daily protein intake for gaining muscle mass in different weight categories.

Doctors do not recommend eating more than 3 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. After all, its excess leads to problems with the liver and kidneys. Therefore, the norm of 3.3 g per kilogram of weight is justified only in conditions of hard drying for professional athletes.

How often to consume protein?

Another important question is how often to consume protein. It depends on how well it will be absorbed, and how quickly the muscles will receive the necessary nutrition.

The optimal time of reception are the periods:

• before and after training;
• since morning;
• for the night;
• between meals, when it is not possible to eat normally for a long time.

Before and after training, as well as in the morning, you can use individual amino acids, which are absorbed much faster. At this time, the body needs fast muscle recovery. To do this, you can take BCAA capsules or whey protein.

For lean people who have difficulty gaining mass, you can close the anabolic window after training by drinking a portion of the gainer. This supplement contains not only a large amount of protein, but also carbohydrates, which are necessary to replenish energy reserves.

It is necessary to eat a full meal one hour after class. Meals must necessarily contain protein (meat or fish) and complex carbohydrates (rice, buckwheat, durum pasta). You can also add vegetable salad, as vegetables contain a large amount of fiber, which improves digestion and cleanses the intestines.

Protein should also be taken between meals to keep muscles from breaking down and provide them with the nutrients they need to grow continuously. In this case, sports nutrition (protein, gainer, creatine, etc.) is suitable. It is impossible to completely replace ordinary food with additives. This can be done up to 1 time per day.

During sleep, the body does not receive nutrients, so the muscles begin to experience "hunger". You can avoid this by taking protein at night. It can be protein or regular fat-free cottage cheese.

You need to plan protein intake 5-6 times a day so that the body is constantly provided with amino acids. Otherwise, the muscles will begin to break down, as they require a lot of energy and burn out first.

And some secrets...

The story of one of our readers Alina R.:

My weight especially bothered me. I gained a lot, after pregnancy I weighed like 3 sumo wrestlers together, namely 92 kg with a height of 165. I thought my stomach would come down after childbirth, but no, on the contrary, I began to gain weight. How to deal with hormonal changes and obesity? But nothing disfigures or rejuvenates a person as much as his figure. In my 20s, I first learned that fat girls are called "WOMAN", and that "they don't sew such sizes." Then at the age of 29, a divorce from her husband and depression ...

But what can you do to lose weight? Laser liposuction surgery? Learned - not less than 5 thousand dollars. Hardware procedures - LPG massage, cavitation, RF lifting, myostimulation? A little more affordable - the course costs from 80 thousand rubles with a consultant nutritionist. You can of course try to run on a treadmill, to the point of insanity.

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