How much protein do I need?

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How much protein do you need? It’s a fairly common question and in this video I’ll explain my take on this subject. There are many opinions on this one and the answer depends on who you ask. A useful starting point for most people is metabolic typing diet idea, which claims that metabolism in each person is different and that’s why a certain ratio of carbs/proteins/fat may be great for you, but detrimental for someone else.

According to metabolic typing, there are three different types of people: Carb, Mixed and Protein people. This doesn’t mean that someone is only taking carbs or proteins, but that majority of their food intake comes from these different areas. What this means is that a carb person needs more carbohydrates (as much as 60-80 percent per day) since that kind of fuel performers better in his body. If carb person decides to take like 70% of proteins instead, he will feel much worse because his body wouldn’t use those proteins as efficient as carbs. The 3rd group is mixed, with similar intake of proteins and carbs. I belong in this group, but I tend to lean a little more toward protein (and fat). That is what works for me, as I feel a bit out of it if I increase carbs intake. You need to figure out yourself in which group you belong and that’s exactly what it takes to find out how much protein do you need. For more information that will help you find this out for yourself check out this resource.

But how much protein do you need on a daily basis, just to survive? There are many numbers floating around, but generally 30g is considered to be the minimal amount. This might not seem like much, and it isn’t, but body doesn’t really need much proteins to survive. The healthy amount of proteins per pound on daily basis is considered to be around 0.7. Bodybuilders go much higher than that – up to 2 or more grams per pound, which is quite a lot.

Protein by itself is not so efficient as fuel source. It can provide the fuel in some sense, but it’s not as efficient as carbs of fat for that purpose. Here we come to a really important point – your proteins intake depends on your own goals. For fat loss, most people need to up the amount of protein which will automatically cut down the amount of carbs in their diet. The same thing goes for gaining muscle mass, but you don’t really need to over do it. Don’t get me wrong, I use protein powders myself but if your training is solid, you don’t really need to take like 400g of proteins on 200 pounds of bodyweight.

To sum it up, for most people it’s a good idea to increase protein and (good) fat intake, for any goal. You probably heard a lot of stories which are hard to believe, like taking 80% carbs, 10% proteins and 10% fat. This might sound strange, but the reason behind this is most likely in the metabolic type of that particular person and if that works for him or her – great! It certainly wouldn’t work for me. Try to find your metabolic type and adjust your diet accordingly.

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