Protein is a primary nutrient for your body. Protein is used to build and maintain lean body mass and plays a role in maintaining good health. Without adequate intake of this nutrient, you may struggle with maintaining sufficient muscle stores and living out a normal life.
As many people know, the recommended intake for protein is 0.8 grams of protein for each kilogram of your body weight. However, many people will consume more than this when trying to build muscle. There is a question whether you can consume too much protein. You should have an idea of how much protein is too much to safely include in your diet.
Calculate based on Total Calories
Many people want to increase their protein intake to lose weight or gain muscle. Some may want to do both. As a general guideline, you can use the number of calories you’re consuming to guide your protein intake. Protein for the average person should make up about 10-15% of your calorie intake. This means that if you follow a 2000 calorie diet, you should aim for about 200-300 calories a day from protein or 50-55 grams a day. For people who want to boost their metabolism, they usually aim for about 25-30% of their total calories.
Adequate Protein
Although excessive amounts aren’t ideal, you should also aim to get good quality protein in your diet. According to Medium, you can use their site to learn more about high quality protein supplements. As not all protein sources are created equal, it is important to have a good resource available. You can get many protein sources from your diet including meat, eggs, and dairy. However, including supplemental protein in your diet may help you reach your goals. It may also be easier to get protein in your diet if you are a vegetarian or simply don’t eat much meat.
Calculate Based on Body Weight
Another way to determine your optimal protein intake is to use your body weight in kilograms. While 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram is a reasonable estimate, you may want to aim for a higher intake if you want to build muscle mass. Usually, 1-1.2 grams of protein for every kilogram of your body weight is a good goal to aim for although always use caution. If you are carrying a lot of body fat, you may want to use your goal weight to calculate protein since you can get too much in your diet.
Getting Too Much Protein
Although most people don’t consume excessive amounts of protein in their diet, you should be careful to avoid an excessive amount. For example, it’s usually not a good idea to have protein make up more than 30% of your calories or more than 1.5 grams of protein for every kilogram of your body weight. Excessive amounts of protein can actually be harmful to your kidneys over time. Protein can also replace key nutrients such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
These guidelines can help you to determine if you’re getting good protein in your diet. If not you can then decide how much you need to consume. Avoid excessive amounts, but make sure that you choose a high-quality protein to get in your daily intake.
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