High Protein Diet

A high protein diet is ideal for those wanting to build muscle

A diet high in protein within reasonable limits is beneficial to most people. If you exercise frequently, especially through resistance training (freeweights or machine resistance), then a sufficient amount of protein is a must. If you don't exercise, then having a high protein diet isn't exactly a necessity. The sole function of protein in the body is to help muscle repair itself. If you're sitting around living a sedentary lifestyle all the time, then you really won't have much need for high amounts of protein as their use will be limited.

If you exercise at an average intensity level without much resistance training, then you can determine approximately how many grams of protein you should consume per day by running the following equation:

Your bodyweight in KiloGrams (your weight in lbs x .455).
Example: 180 lbs x .455 = 81.9 kg (You would want to consume approximately 82 grams of protein per day)

If you exercise with the idea of building muscle mass in mind and train primarily with freeweights or machine resistance, you would want to use the same formula except with an additional multiplication:

Your bodyweight in KiloGrams x 1.5
Example: (from previous result) 81.9 x 1.5 = 163.8 Grams of protein per day.

This will ensure that your body has enough protein to build muscle mass. Be aware, it is unhealthy to take any nutrient in excess. A high protein diet should not neglect the other 2 macronutrients (fat and carbohydrates). No matter what your goal is, you should consume at least 50% carbohydrates per day. The average amount of protein to consume per day is roughly 35% and fat at around 15%.

If you need help constructing a diet condusive towards your goals of building more strength and muscle mass, or just losing fat, we can help! We prepare custom diet plans and workout routines for our members. Learn more by browsing our features section, and take our free physical analysis test.