That being said, I do have a recommended formula for how much protein you need to build muscle as efficiently and as quickly as possible. The Rule of Thumb on How Much Protein You Need to Build Muscle
A good rule of thumb is that you need 1g to 1.5g of protein for every pound of body weight to build muscle. So if you weigh 180 pounds, you’ll need a minimum of 180g of protein per day. You’re going to have a very hard time adding muscle with anything less than that, because your body needs protein for all of its other functions and cell-building, too. It’ll use what protein it gets for proper organ function and so forth first, so you have to supply protein above and beyond that in order for your body to use that to build muscle tissue.
The Variables Involved in Necessary Protein Intake
Now there are a few variables involved in this equation. When you ask, “How much protein do I need to build muscle?” what you really need to ask is “How much protein do I need based on my body type, my workouts, and my goals?”
The intensity of your workouts as well as the frequency with which you work out comes into play here. The harder and more often you work out, the more protein your body will need for recovery. I often suggest that people bump up their protein from 1g to 1.5g per pound of body weight to get them through a really tough phase of training or to help them get past a plateau.
Your body type also has a lot to do with how much protein you need to build muscle. For instance, a mesomorph might need more protein while an ectomorph does better with more carbs. It’s important to talk with a knowledgeable trainer, someone with a lot of nutritional training, about what kind of balance will work best for your body type.
Balance is always going to be the essential factor in your nutrition, so instead of asking “How much protein do I need to build muscle?” what you really need to be asking is “How do I eat in order to build muscle?”
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