It’s great to see that people are seeing the benefits of protein, irrespective of their goal but yet so many exercisers are still confused as to the optimal amount of protein for them. At Maximuscle, protein science is the shining light behind everything we do, it’s our heartland and we want to share that science with you to help you achieve your goal.
Confusion still seems to be the hurdle for people using protein and that confusion often leads to the lack of relevance and fully understanding the benefits. Protein is a useful macronutrient for all of us but the amount and reward might be very different. Since we are all individuals with different goals from building muscle to wanting to lose weight, the answer to the question ‘How much protein do I need’ will depend on your weight and activity type.
Protein serving amount
Protein science has revealed that the optimal protein intake per meal is 20g, equivalent to a small chicken breast, tin of tuna or 4oz steak; however benefits are still seen with amounts up to 40g, especially for those with greater muscle mass.
To make it easier to select the correct protein amount for you, we have divided our products into three levels based how often you exercise per week, as the more active you are the more protein your body requires. For those exercising up to 3 times per week, products contain 20g of protein, 30g for those exercising 3-5 times per week and for anyone exercising over 5 times per week, products containing 40g of protein.
Daily protein requirement
The recommended protein intake for a healthy individual is 0.8 g per kg of body mass per day (g/kgBM/d), however, as your activity level and intensity increases so too does the level of protein you require, going up to between 1-2 g/kgBM/d. Science studies prove that there is no extra benefit to consuming above 2 g/kgBM/d, consuming more will only come at the expense of other nutrients.