Protein Redux -- Crunching the Numbers

Hope you all are doing well...you've made it to Hump Day at least! :) I wanted to revisit a post from a few weeks back about the importance or protein. In it, it was noted that we should shoot for about 0.5 - 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Some people have inquired if we really meant THAT much...should a 150 pound person shoot for 75-150 grams of protein...that's a LOT!

Yes, that does come out to be a pretty lofty target and I'd like to take a minute and just explain the reasoning behind that and also that in the post, I converted to grams per pounds for convenience but the stats are usually in grams per kilogram of body weight. Here are the numbers when the recommended values are in grams per kilogram (1kg = 2.2lbs):

• The recommended amount for sedentary people is 0.8 grams for 1 kg: for a 150 pound person that does work out to be 55g's
• For endurance athletes then, it's recommended to up that to 1.2 -1.4 grams per 1kg: again for 150lbs that works out to be 81-95 grams
• For strength athletes the recommended amounts are 1.6-1.8 grams per 1kg: with our 150lb person that works out to 109-123 grams

So I would like to say that, yes, in the previous post I erred on the higher end of the spectrum and apologize if I shocked or confused some people. I had written the post with athletes in training in mind, and while not everyone here reading this has a game or specific event in their sights, I still do think that active individuals should make a conscious effort to ensure they get more protein in their diets. It will not only improve their fitness and results but you'll look leaner too. BUT by no means do I want to impress upon anyone that we should be eating protein in lieu of carbs or fats...all three are important nutrients and I absolutely can't stand that whole Atkins schpiel!

From experts I've talked to and recent studies indicate, even endurance athletes should definitely shoot for the higher amounts. Even sedentary people should be eating more (That they really need at least 10 percent more than the RDA currently recommends).

But I didn't want to 'scare' anyone off or leave you questioning the validity or reputation of this site and blog. So, again I apologize, and hope to have cleared up any confusion! And as always do feel free to ask questions or further explanations of anything and everything you see!

So keep sweating, and...is it Friday yet?!? :)