If you are asking yourself the question “how much protein do I need to build muscle?”, you asked a very important question indeed. Muscle is made up of around 20% protein, and although it is perfectly possible to build muscle mass without taking in huge amounts of protein, you can certainly build muscle mass much quicker by taking in more protein.
But, how much protein?
I’ve seen many bodybuilders taking in as much as 3 g of protein per pound of body weight a day. Personally, I feel this is very excessive and overkill, but if it works for them and they are happy to do so, who am I to question them?
Personally I never exceeded 2 g of protein per pound of body weight, ever. Normally I eat around the 1.5 range and only up this to 2 g for a very short period of time if I am in particular need — for instance adding extra volume to my training for a short time for a change.
What type of protein?
Because they contain all eight essential amino acids the following sources of protein are the best for building muscle: eggs, beef, fish, milk, whey, chicken and cheese.
Whey supplementation is an excellent idea, but I would never rely on it to contribute more than half of my daily protein intake. You simply cannot beat food. Also, protein supplements sometimes don’t agree with people and make them feel a little off – but I highly recommend trying them, all the same, as they are more convenient than preparing meals.