How much protein should you consume?
We have already discussed what the best time was to eat protein, but it is still a common question how much protein you should consume daily and especially how much protein powder, if you use supplements too.
Not only athletes, but everyone needs protein every day. WHO recommends a minimum of 55 grams daily (for adults). Generally it is recommended between 0,8-2,2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
Even if you don’t do any sports, minimum 70 grams of pure protein is ideal to be consumed every day (for an adult, weighting 80 kg). It is important to mention that what counts is the pure protein, e.g.: one chicken breast (70g) contains 16 grams protein, while a 30-gram serving of protein powder (with 85% protein content) has 25,5 grams pure protein in it.
The daily amount should be divided into several servings during the day, since our body can only use a limited amount of protein at a time, that’s why it’s important to eat protein 4-5 times a day.
Protein intake and physical activity
It is a completely different situation if someone leads a physically active lifestyle, not to mention those kind of sports which require strength or where the main goal is to gain muscle (which requires both hard training and proper nutrition). In these cases, the recommended daily amount can be up to 2-2,2 grams per kg of bodyweight (or even more), which can mean as much as 200 grams of pure protein intake for an adult, who weighs 85 kg. That’s why protein supplements are so useful, because it would be difficult to cover our daily protein need from food alone. When you eat a proper meal you not just eat protein, but fats and carbs too, which sometimes can contain unnecessary amount of unhealthy calories.
Protein intake and special diet
If you’re on a special diet (e.g. you want to lose weight or you avoid eating animal products), make sure you pay attention to consume the right amount of protein. If you follow a vegan diet (without exercising) 1g/kg of bodyweight/day of protein might be enough. If the goal is to gain lean muscles, the required protein intake per day can go up to 1,3-1,5 g/kg of bodyweight.
Children, pregnancy and nursing
In general, children, expectant and nursing mothers need 15-20% more protein (proportionally) than an average adult. For example a 12 year old child, weighting 40 kg and doing sports regularly might need up to 65-70 grams of protein (40*1,4*1,2) daily. If the increased protein intake comes from protein supplements, it’s especially important that the powder is a completely natural, additive and allergen-free product.
How much protein powder should you consume?
The amounts mentioned above apply to the daily protein intake. At least half of the daily intake should come from eating normal, healthy foods (not supplements), which contain high quality protein, like lean meat, fish, beans, lentil, oily nuts (pumpkin seed, almond). If you can eat protein rich, normal food regularly (with every meal), you might not need protein supplements at all.
Most people however are too busy for that, not to mention that finding quality food quickly when we need away from home, might be difficult. Most places offer meals and drinks full of empty carbs, and sugar. That’s when supplements come in handy.
Protein powders are useful when you need increased amount of protein. If you feel hungry or just skipped a meal, you can have a shake any time of the day, which provides the protein you need quickly and conveniently. What’s best in a protein shake is that you only need a shaker and a bottle of water (you can even make your own natural, additive-free shake just by having a glass and spoon at hand).
When we are speaking of additive-free protein powder, there’s nothing to worry about, it’s like the regular food you consume, only with concentrated protein content, and with less (or no) carbs, fats or extra calories.
We recommend 30-35 g protein powder at once for adults (weighting 80 kg). There’s no risk in overdosing on protein, if you choose an all-natural, allergen-free, unflavoured, unsweetened type. It’s just unnecessary to consume excess amounts, because your body can only use limited amounts of protein at a time. It is suggested to eat protein 4-5 times a day, and protein powder maybe twice daily, e.g.: 2x15 or 2x30 g (one in the morning on an empty stomach, and one right after the workout).
For health reasons the natural, unflavoured protein powders are recommended. Another advantage of them is that you can add any flavour you want to your natural protein shake (rice or almond milk, fruits, cinnamon, or you can add it to any sweet or even salty dishes) without getting tired of the taste.