Is 100g protein enough to gain muscle compared to a higher amount?

[saultopaul]

For context, I am 20, F, around 125lbs and weight train 4 days a week for roughly an hour each session. I am wanting to create a protein goal that I can stick to and landed on 100-120g each day, which I have already been practicing. (My plan is to consume 120g on the days I train and 100ish on the days I don't).

#1.) Is 100-120g a good amount for muscle gain?

#2.) Would the 120g make much more of a difference than 100ish? Does more protein result in more/faster muscle gain? Is there a certain number where the effects plateau?

Edit: I have heard the general "eat 1g of protein per lb of body weight" or "1g per 1lb of body fat". I don't have a scale to calculate my muscle mass or fat percentage, and I want to see if my preferred range would be good. Thank you!

 

[anonymousguy]

@saultopaul That's probably more than enough. You could do 0.8g per pound of lean body mass (muscle mass) which would end up lower than 100g. Don't worry about it too much honestly. Make sure every meal has a protein in it and that you eat enough in a day especially if you have a fast metabolism and want to gain muscle mass. I like to take a morning and afternoon snack and have some protein in there like almonds, yogurt, etc...

 

[saultopaul]

@anonymousguy Thank you! You guys are all giving so much great information. It feels good knowing I don't have to force feed myself a protein shake at night just to get that extra 20g's in hahah.

 

[anonymousguy]

@saultopaul You can always adjust later if you feel you don't get enough. Either way what's just as important, I would say possibly more important is the quality and consistency of your workouts. If that's your thing (I personally can't train on an empty stomach), find a good pre-work out meal and drink. I like to drink some beet juice about 2h before (sounds weird but it's an amazing pre-work out and has a lot of anti-oxidants, look it up lol) and some oatmeal with various toppings about 1h before. I get plenty of energy for about 1.5h of climbing + 1h of strength training. Find what works for you though.

Also if you train a lot, foods like blueberries and also the turmeric + black pepper combo (say in a smoothie or a curry or something) are great to reduce inflamation and soreness. It's just generally a good idea to complement an active lifestyle with a good diet because why not you know?

 

[missalovely]

@saultopaul not sure if anyone has posted this. But this is probably one of the better explanations of how to use protein

 

[baiheihai]

@anonymousguy This. So many people think it’s 0.8-1.2 grams per pound of body weight and it’s not! It’s either 0.8-1.2 (more based on amount of cardio being done) per pound of LEAN body mass (just muscle mass) or per kg of body weight. By this simple change in calculation you should land somewhere between 50-75. More is okay but not very necessary unless of course you start doing much more cardio specifically running which tends to burn up your muscles and fat after your glucose runs out.

You said you don’t have a way to measure your lean muscle mass but a quick google search should show you how to do a rough estimation with just a soft measuring tape. I believe the US Navy has a calculator you can enter your stats in that would be worth looking into.

The types of proteins are somewhat important as the BCAAs (branch chain amino acids) seem to have a much greater impact on muscle growth. However, there is also some downsides to continued use of high amounts of leucine. I’d say with a lower protein goal than you are using now you should be able to get all your protein from food quite easily and not have to supplement unless you enjoy it as a meal. Hope this was helpful and feel free to ask more questions or for citations

 

[nicojo]

@anonymousguy you could get away with as little as .6g/lb

 

[fuoco]

@anonymousguy Simply and fantastic answer..

 

[rukaria]

@saultopaul According to this source 0.82 g per lbs BW is enough for optimal muscle growth.

At 125 lbs that would be 102.5 g of protein daily.

 

[skiesofaetherius]

@rukaria Not just "enough" it says 0.82g is the upper limit, beyond which you don't get measurable benefits.

Conclusion

There is normally no advantage to consuming more protein than 0.82g/lb (1.8g/kg) of total bodyweight per day to preserve or build muscle for natural trainees. This already includes a mark-up, since most research finds no more benefits after 0.64g/lb.

 

[wantforum]

@skiesofaetherius So happy to see good sense in this sub. So often when it comes to diet I see claims here that you need to gorge yourself to make gains.

 

[miira]

@wantforum Ya, but to be fair op is small. The difference between the100g for her vs the 180g for a male is, a lot…

 

[fanofreason]

@miira .82 g per pound is .82 g per pound for everyone

 

[kristaroman]

@fanofreason Not the point, but as a European that usually has to calculate back from imperial here on Reddit it baffles me that you combine grams and pounds in one sentence

Edit: Btw it is 1,82g per kg for us living the metric life

 

[col1]

@kristaroman The article below says 20+ studies have found no benefits above 1.6g/kg/d.

 

[kristaroman]

@col1 I believe you. I've only converted the .82g per pound to metrics from the comment I replied to, I have not checked the studies.

 

[randileanne]

@fanofreason Top comment right now says .8g per pound of lean mass.
The comment above us here say per pound of total weight. Which is it?

 

[fanofreason]

@randileanne I’ve always gone with total body weight. Less complicated.

 

[versaowner]

@fanofreason But it changes a lot depending on the person’s body fat percentage.

 

[christianbabel]

@randileanne It is lean mass.