Are You Getting Enough Protein?
When I ask a client how they think they can improve their nutrition, a common answer is, “Eat more protein.” But how much protein is enough? To start, let’s look at the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI). The DRI is a set of reference values set up by the Food and Nutrition Board to help people achieve adequate nutrition to sustain a healthy life. For protein, the recommendation is 0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight. Here’s what it looks like for the following body weights:
120 pounds – 43 grams of protein
150 pounds – 54 grams of protein
180 pounds – 64 grams of protein
These numbers may not mean much on their own, but consider that the recommendation is based on the needs of a sedentary person. If you are active, your protein needs will be greater.
Protein Needs to Support Exercise
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend an increase of 1.2-1.4 grams of protein per kilogram body weight for endurance athletes and 1.2-1.7 g/kg for strength/speed athletes. So a 120-pound person would aim for 60-90 grams of protein depending on how they trained. You may not consider yourself an athlete, but the point is that increased activity increases protein needs. The benefit of exercise can only be fully realized if you provide your body with enough resources to build itself back up. That means protein. However, it’s not just exercise that increases protein needs
Protein Needs and Aging
As we age we experience a diminished ability to respond to protein. This is a serious issue because it can contribute to significant muscle loss later in life. It’s far easier to maintain muscle than to build it up and this is especially true when we’re 50 years or older. This isn’t to say that protein only contributes to building muscle, but muscle is critical for independence and quality of life.
Studies show that people over 50 respond best to 1-1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight of protein, and it could even be more. If we look at calorie recommendations for protein it’s 10-35%. That’s a pretty wide range and 35% may seem like a lot, but it’s where you’ll want to be as you age.
Better Protein Formula
The current formulas for estimating protein needs are based on total body weight, but a more appropriate method would be to base needs off of lean body mass. Dietary protein primarily supports lean body mass like bone, muscle, connective tissues and organ tissues so it makes sense to base estimates off of that weight. However, this means subtracting your body fat weight, which many may not know off the top of their head. However, a proposed recommendation would be 2.3-3.1 grams of protein per kilogram of fat free mass.
Based on that formula, a 120-pound person with roughly 25% body fat would aim for 95-127 grams of protein, which, at the low end, is already more than the recommended intake for athletes.
How to Apply this Information
So, what do we do with all these numbers and formulas? Don’t worry about number crunching for now, instead focus on what you’re eating in your meals. Below is a serving size guide and a simple list of protein-rich foods. As you go throughout your week, see how many of your meals have these kinds of foods in them. A goal would be for every meal to have a strong presence of protein because, unlike other nutrients, protein isn’t stored in our body long-term to be used later; so we need a consistent, regular supply from our diet.
Protein Serving Size: Women – size of 1 palm, including thickness, Men – size of 2 palms, including thickness.
One final thought, do you know that Front Door Fitness does nutrition coaching? Please, contact us if you are interested in learning more and receiving your free nutrition consultation. A nutrition coach, like myself, will provide you with a personalized nutrition assessment and provide the guidance and accountability for real and lasting change.
