How much protein do I need to gain muscle (and what are the best foods to find it)

How Much Protein Do I need to Gain Muscle

 (and what are the best foods to find it)

Bodybuilding is, in a sense, a whole art. Muscle hypertrophy is cultivated, pampered and worked. But, although we don't want to reach a bodybuilder level, knowing a little better the metabolic processes that make the muscle appear and the substances we need for it is positive.

Muscle depends, above all, on the amount of protein we eat. Also and much, of its quality. And no, it is not necessary to supplement our diet with shakes and products intended to increase the amount of protein we eat. Just know the right foods and design an appropriate diet.

How much protein do we need

Before starting, it is good to understand why muscle and protein are so related. The muscle is formed by bundles of muscle fibers consisting of myofibrils, which, in turn, are made up of billions of myosin molecules structured in sarcomeres. We do not need to enter this composition, but it is important to know it to understand that the vast majority of muscle is made up of protein, roughly.

When we take protein, many of the amino acids we digest go to the muscle, either for repair and maintenance, or for the need to generate new muscle. If we have a greater amount of these substances (that is, protein to digest), it is easier for new muscle to be generated. Therefore, taking more protein does not mean building more muscle, but you will need certain amounts if you want to generate it through exercise.

 The RDA is 0.8 grams per kilo and day. To gain muscle, between 1.2 and 1.8 grams are recommended, and the maximum safe, as far as is known, is 2.5 grams per kilo and day.

And what amounts are we talking about? Reviews indicate that 1.2 to 1.8 grams per kilo are needed to allow muscle hypertrophy (overgrowth). The normal amount recommended is 1.6, which means about 112 grams of daily protein for an adult of 70 kilos, twice the daily amount recommended by the WHO. As we say, this can vary according to metabolism.

In general,

 the scientific literature places the maximum safe limit of consumption around 2 or 2.5 grams of protein per day (about 140 grams for women, 170 for men), although there is no strong evidence to indicate that it is too dangerous exceed these limits, at least in the short term. Of course, faced with metabolic or renal problems, excess protein can have much more serious consequences. What is also true is that there is no evidence that more or more muscle is generated above this amount, so it does not make sense to exceed those amounts.

A lot of protein and little exercise will only make us go to the bathroom more

As we said, muscle does not grow by taking more protein. Proteins are the substrate that our body needs to generate more muscle. Here is an analogy, no matter how many bricks we take to a work, if the masons do not try harder, it will be impossible for the work to move faster. Therefore, taking more protein without proper exercise will only serve to go to the bathroom more times, to urinate.

Proteins are converted into amino acids that will form new proteins (such as muscle myosin). But if there is an excess of them, these are converted by the catabolic pathway of the amino acids into ammonia and, hence, to urea; It will end in the urine. This is also important because if we have a uric acid problem, taking too much protein could have negative consequences.

Foods high in quality protein

Keep in mind that we should not only look for the amount of protein, but also its quality. The highest quality proteins are those that are best retained and used in our body. Not all are equal because they depend on the composition, its origin and, above all, its bioavailability. Bioavailability is a somewhat diffuse term that refers to the ability to assimilate a nutrient in the body.

Not all proteins are of the same quality because not all are assimilated in the same way. On the other hand, the amount of amino acids available in the food must also be taken into account. The "highest quality protein" is one that contains a greater amount of assimilable amino acids.

Foods with lots of Good Protein

• We can obtain quality proteins from both animal and vegetable sources. It is not true that the vegetable protein is of worse quality than the animal, but it is necessary to take into account that before a vegetarian or vegan diet you have to complement the food more, since not all the necessary amino acids are available in all of them.
• Egg whites, for example, contain a large amount of protein, with 11 grams per 100.
• Textured soybeans reach 28 grams of protein per 100, a negligible amount, and can be used for all types of dishes.
• Legumes can contain up to 20 grams of protein per 100, and there are thousands of ways to take them.
• Meats are among the foods with more protein, varying between 20 and 29 grams per 100. Especially interesting is chicken breast, natural turkey and veal.
• White fish, such as cod are also a great option, with up to 30 grams per 100 proteins.
• Seafood, in addition to healthy, contains a large amount of protein: up to 28 grams per 100.
• Cheeses, especially fresh, are a good source of protein, although you have to be careful with the fats that some of them contain.
• Similarly, other dairy products are especially high in protein.
• Seitan, derived from wheat, contains up to 24 grams of protein per 100.
• Of course, we can also find protein in fruits and vegetables, although in smaller quantities. Due to its satiating effects, it is convenient to organize a diet efficiently, thinking of including some of the foods above that significantly increase the amount of protein we eat.