Less Protein, Same Gainz?!? Yes.

Do you really need to consume 1.0 g/LB of protein every day to make gains or maintain your health? Perhaps you've been double scooping your protein powder, believing it's the sole reason you were able to pack on 0.0025 pound of muscle in the last 2 years. New recommendations indicate that pushing protein intake to that extent may not be necessary.

Yes, even you, hybrid athletes. Finally, some scientific research that applies to the forgotten minority.

As it turns out, recommending excessive consumption of high-quality (and often expensive) protein is not beneficial for the single mother of three struggling to pay rent. Who would have thought that Instagram influencers might be out of touch with reality?

Finally, to the Carnivore/Joe Rogan religion, this means that eating more elk backstrap is, in fact, not making you more jacked. Shocker.

Updated Recommendations:

We used to recommend consuming 1.0 g/LB of protein per day to almost everyone, but we now know that it is not entirely necessary after the research has become more conclusive over the past year.

A more recent metanalysis (a study of studies) concluded that consuming 0.8 g/LB of protein per day is sufficient in maximizing muscle growth even in advanced lifters/athletes.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5867436/

Note: The recommendation of 0.8 g/LB is still DOUBLE that of the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for protein. This is a significant amount of protein no matter who you are.

Why Should You Care?

Who cares? It’s a 0.2 g/LB decrease from what we previously recommended, right?

It may seem insignificant but it is very reassuring because many people struggle to come close to the previous dose of 1.0 g/LB. Eating less protein each week could free up some $$$ for you to spend on other important things like Starbucks. The girl math adds up.

For those of you who hit 1.0 g/LB with ease, this new recommendation opens up some “caloric real estate” for you to fit in extra carbs (or fats) in order to fuel workout performance.

If you’re one of the societal elites who eat far more than 1.0 g/LB of protein, consider pulling it back just a little bit for the same reason. Infusing yourself with extra protein is not getting you any more jacked and is likely causing some digestive issues and inhibiting your ability to fit those carbs in.

Wait, I’m Special And I Work Way Harder Than People In These Studies. Do I Need More Protein?

Firstly, you likely don’t work harder than people in these studies unless you are a professional bodybuilder or an athlete. Therefore, no, you don’t need more because even those athletes did not see an increased benefit from eating more than 0.8 g/LB.

Secondly, the only population that gets more benefit from eating over 0.8 g/LB are those who are using anabolic steroids. If you are in that category, eating 1.0-1.5 g/LB of protein would be a good idea since your muscle protein synthesis is in overdrive when using anabolics. Consult a doctor if you are in this population.

Will I Still Make Gainz From Eating A Little Less Protein?

Yes, absolutely. Eating 0.8 g/LB of protein is simply the upper limit that gives you the maximum “return on your investments”.

Eating 0.7 or 0.5 g/LB will still allow you to make plenty of gainz if you are following a proper lifting program. Muscle growth is not a light switch. Hypertrophy occurs on a large spectrum that includes A LOT of individual differences. People eating 0.4 g/LB have still been seen able to build muscle, just not as fast as someone eating 0.8 g/LB.

Regardless, it would not be wise to intentionally eat less than 0.8 g/LB due to this large individual variance that is impossible to calculate unless you are in these studies.

Will I Die If I Eat More?

No. In fact, we still recommend 1.0 g/LB to clients who are trying to lose fat due to protein’s ability to subdue hunger signals and fend off inevitable cravings. Increasing protein by ~5-10% during a fat loss phase is actually a tactic that we use quite frequently to offset the catabolic nature of being in a calorie deficit.

However, protein is by far the most expensive macronutrient when you break down the cost per gram. Eating more protein simply because you have convinced yourself that extra protein is the only reason you can make progress is not a valid reason.

Conclusion:

We will still recommend ~1.0 g/LB of protein per day for most people unless they are proficient and experienced in tracking their calories/macros.

The majority of people tend to undereat protein so shooting for 1.0 g/LB will not put anyone under any amount of risk. There is really no downside to eating more than 0.8 g/LB each day other than the fact that it can be inconvenient for a lot of people.

As always… know thyself.

Keep making gainz. We hope you enjoyed this. Forward it to anyone who you think would benefit from this good (probably useless) news.