How much protein should I get (and advice for protein shakes)?

[grampster]

I heard that I should have either

• 0.8-1g of protein per kg of lean body mass
  
  OR
• 1.3-1.7 g protein per kg bodyweight

According to those numbers, and as a man 178cm tall and weighing 69kg, I found out that I should get either

• 44-55g of protein per day
  
  OR
• 89,7 - 117,3g protein per day

Does that sound realistic? Did I calculate correctly? There's a big difference between those numbers, so I'm not sure what to go by.

Also, it doesn't seem like I'm getting anything near that per day. I guess I should add some kind of protein powder to my diet. If I use it to make a protein shake, should I drink it everyday or just on the days I work out?

Can someone recommend something like that from a European website?

 

[pamcaid]

@grampster For optimizing muscle gain, the recommendation is 1.6-2.2g/kg of lean mass (which might be close to total Bodyweight for lean people). That equates to ~0.7-1g/lb.

 

[janieve]

@grampster Your larger numbers are closer to the most common recommendation.

 

[melodyfischer65]

@grampster Huel Complete Protein is my go-to, highly recommended. Ships in EU as well.

 

[grampster]

@melodyfischer65 Thanks, I got the vanilla shake powder after your recommendation. It tastes alright.

 

[melodyfischer65]

@grampster The salted caramel and chocolate brownie taste way better!

 

[lucia398]

@grampster It all depends on your goals. If your goals are to maximise muscle growth, then sure, aim for the higher ones. More protein does not hurt, but it can be difficult. Also, I think you mean 0.8-1g per lb of lean body mass btw. That would lead you to the similar ball park figure of around 90g of protein for your body weight. This is absolutely sufficient for muscle growth.

All that said, protein is not as much a factor as it's made out to be. Of course it is important, but if your goals are health, fitness, and maintaining your muscle, then 1g of protein per 1k of bodyweight is fine. Good training, progressive overload, good sleep and recovery, and weekly volume will make much more of a difference.

As for the protein shake question, generally protein quantity matters most. Doesn't matter what day it's on, as long as per 24 hours roughly you're hitting your targets. Then protein quality. Then protein frequency. Again, the further you go down the pyramid of importance, the less important these factors are. Again, progressive overload and the training and sleep and recovery and so on matter more. They will stunt your growth far more than missing 10-20g of protein on your target.

So as always it depends on your goals. If you post in the future, I suggest posting your goals and the type of fitness/athletics you're doing. Protein goals for long distance runners, shot putters, footballers, bodybuilders, and so on will differ greatly.

Good luck!