Protein – How Much Do We Actually Need?

If you’ve been in a grocery store or browsing food blogs lately, I’m sure you’ve noticed how many food items and recipes are boasting about being high in protein. Not only are pre-packaged foods, like cereals and pancake mixes, upping their protein, but protein powders and bars are getting more and more popular as well. And while protein is an important nutrient for a healthy diet, how much do we actually need?

The Role of Protein in our Bodies 

Before we jump into the research on how much protein to consume, let’s quickly review why protein deserves all this attention. While there are many functions of protein in the body, here are the major ones:

• Build and repair muscles and tissues
• Regulate digestion and your metabolism
• Regulate hormone levels and actions necessary for growth and development
• Make up antibodies, which are major components of the immune system
• Provide cell structure, which is key for strong and healthy skin, nails, and hair.

Recommended Daily Allowance

To sum it up, protein is pretty darn important. The current RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for protein is 0.8 grams per kg of body weight per day. For example, an adult weighing 150 lb (68 kg) needs about 55 grams of protein per day (equivalent to just 6 ounces of meat or chicken!). However, there’s a common misconception that the RDA is the exact amount that we should consume.

In fact, the definition of the RDA is, “the average daily dietary nutrient intake level sufficient to meet the nutrient requirement of nearly all (97 to 98 percent) healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group.” This means that the current recommendation of 0.8 grams of protein/kg body weight/day is more of a minimum amount of protein that the body needs to perform its basic functions. Whereas the exact amount of protein an individual needs varies greatly depending on his/her activity level, any illnesses or injuries, and age.

Recent research studies have shown higher amounts of protein to be possibly beneficial for muscle mass and achieving/maintaining a healthy weight. A review by Layman et al. suggests that daily protein of 1-1.2g/kg is beneficial for muscle strength and growth in the short term. Other studies have even shown an intake of closer to 1.6g/kg/day to maximize muscle growth in active young adults. In addition to total daily protein needs, studies are also looking at protein intake throughout the day, with many finding favorable results when protein intake is evenly distributed between meals.

How Much We Actually Need?

So, what do we do with all this data? The USDA currently recommends 10-35% of calories coming from protein, with highly active individuals on the higher end of protein intake. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics gets a little more specific with general guidelines of 1.1 to 1.4 g/kg of body weight per day for individuals who are active regularly.

For endurance athletes, such as marathon runners, the current recommendation is a large range of 1.2 to 2 g/kg of body weight per day depending on the training schedule and length of runs.

Finally, for serious weight lifters, protein recommendations fall between 1.4 to 2 g/kg of body weight/day. The key here is it’s all about personal needs and goals – there’s unfortunately no one-size-fits-all when it comes to protein needs!

 

Where Do I Get Protein?

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics also stresses the importance of choosing healthy sources of protein, especially plant-based foods like beans, legumes, nuts, whole soy (such as edamame, tofu, and soy milk), and quinoa, as these foods are rich in important vitamins and minerals, while also being lower in saturated fat and cholesterol than many animal protein sources.

For a longer list of healthy protein options, check out our past article on The Power of Protein.

Am I Consuming too Much?

But can we consume too much protein? The answer is yes. On a physiological level, our bodies can only absorb so much protein at any one time. Our bodies also can’t store protein, so any extra protein that we consume gets turned into either glucose (sugar) or triglycerides (fat) to be used immediately for energy or stored for later energy needs.

While previous research suggests that the average human body can only process 20-25 grams of protein at any one time, more recent studies are finding that healthy, active adults may be able to absorb closer to 27 grams per meal.

The Bottom Line 

While the research into exactly how much protein we all need is still mixed and ongoing, the takeaway message is balance. Incorporating protein throughout the day is a key part of a healthy diet, but it’s also important to stay mindful of portion sizes and the type of protein sources that we’re eating.

Last Reviewed: 08/2022