Should I eat 60g of protein or 259g?

[nowhereman]

In a recent advice thread here on building muscle, I got a wide variety of recommendations on how much protein I should be eating. Looking for more clarification, I went off to the wider web and found even more variation (even when sticking to reputable health and fitness sites).

I’ve seen multipliers from 0.8 to 3.5. I’ve seen “experts” incorrectly interchanging kilograms and pounds. I’ve seen the same equations applied to body weight, to goal/ideal body weight, and to lean body mass.

Taking in all the advice, I learned that I (48M, 5’8”, 185lb, looking to build muscle) should be eating anywhere from 60-259g of protein per day.

Ok. Got it.

Really, though. What’s the most-accepted science-based calculation among the fitness community?

UPDATE: Great news! The responses so far have narrowed the scientifically recommended range to 80-222 grams.

 

[jamesalbright]

@nowhereman I think this video from Jeff Nippard is pretty great and has some good info. It's science based and goes over all the conflicting information regarding it.

To sum it up though 1g/lb is a pretty good catch all for most muscle building. If you are really over weight though, you can aim for the lesser .8g/lb or calculate based off your height

 

[ecs867]

@jamesalbright Nippard is great. Since OP is using imperial measurements, the easiest calculation is 1g per lb of body weight. The ideal range is .8g-1.2g, so most fitness experts lean right into the middle with 1g per lb. After that, for building muscle you’re better off scientifically providing a lot of carbs to help induce MPS, while getting at least your daily minimum fat for hormones to function properly (15-20% fat, 55-60% carbs).

Realistically you’ll have days that you go over protein here and there, but try to hit the minimum daily. Timing doesn’t really matter unless you like getting into the nuance of things. If you end up cutting/in a deficit, MORE protein can be beneficial because it’s satiating, keeps you more full for longer, and there have been studies showing that you burn more calories to process it than it takes for carbs or fat, ergo putting you in a slightly larger deficit.

 

[leslieaux]

@ecs867 The energy required to process protein is factored into the equation

Protein = 4 calories a gram, I think it's actually 5 or 6 calories a gram if you don't factor in the expenditure for processing.

Likewise carb = 4 calories a gram

Fat=9 calories a gram.