Protein Calculator for Weight Loss & Muscle Gain

Enter your age, weight, and exercise degree, and the Legion Protein Calculator will inform you precisely how a lot protein you must eat per day to shed weight, construct muscle, or preserve your physique.

What Is Protein? 

Protein additionally plays a key function in numerous bodily features, corresponding to producing hormones, supporting immune operate, and offering vitality when wanted.

There are 20 amino acids that comprise the protein in your physique. Your physique can produce 11 amino acids by itself, but it surely should get the remaining 9 out of your weight loss plan, which is why consuming protein is important for all times.

How A lot Protein Do I Want? Calculator Outcomes Defined

The present Advisable Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein within the US is 0.8 grams per kilogram of physique weight per day, or about 0.36 grams per pound of physique weight per day. 

That stated, a big body of evidence shows that that is insufficient for sustaining or constructing muscle mass, optimizing fat loss, and maximizing your well being and efficiency, particularly if you happen to’re energetic. 

What’s extra, current evidence means that even the present RDA could also be inadequate for supporting well being, and that it must be adjusted upward to 1.0 g/kg/day, or about 0.45 g/lb/day.

For instance, in a examine printed within the British Journal of Vitamin, wholesome, sedentary adults ate 40% extra energy than they wanted to keep up their weight and three completely different quantities of protein: 0.7 g/kg (a tad lower than the RDA), 1.8 g/kg, and three.0 g/kg. 

The individuals who consumed the RDA of protein misplaced muscle mass regardless of being in a calorie surplus, whereas the individuals who ate extra protein gained muscle. 

That stated, consuming as a lot protein as potential isn’t higher. Whereas research present it’s fit for human consumption 1.5-to-2+ grams of protein per pound of physique weight per day, this isn’t necessary to optimize muscle development, fats loss, or well being.

RELATED: Is High-Protein Dieting Bad for Your Kidneys?

In different phrases, consuming a really high-protein weight loss plan (greater than 1 g/lb/day) isn’t “unhealthy,” however analysis exhibits it in all probability isn’t any higher than consuming a reasonable quantity of protein (0.8-to-1 g/lb/day). 

Many health people intentionally eat a little bit extra protein than analysis exhibits is critical as a means to make sure they aren’t lacking out on any of its advantages. For instance, as an alternative of consuming 0.8 g/lb/day, which for a 200-pound man can be 160 grams of protein, they select to eat 1 g/lb/day, which is 200 grams. 

This solely provides 160 calories to their day by day meals consumption, so it doesn’t meaningfully scale back how a lot carbohydrate and fats they’ll eat per day.

What you don’t wish to do is eat a lot further protein that it’s important to considerably scale back your carbohydrate and fats consumption, as this may negatively impression your exercise efficiency, restoration, and hormonal well being. 

Our protein calculator makes use of this up-to-date science to place you within the Goldilocks zone for protein consumption—sufficient to maximise fats loss, muscle acquire, and satiety, whereas nonetheless leaving ample room for carbs and fats in your weight loss plan. 

The Advantages of Utilizing the Legion Protein Calculator for Weight Loss

In the event you’re making an attempt to lose fats whereas minimizing muscle loss, research shows you must eat between 0.5-to-1 grams of protein per pound of physique weight per day.

In the event you’re lifting weights or doing a number of arduous or extended exercises per week, corresponding to working, martial arts, or staff sports activities, you then’ll want to purpose for the higher finish of this vary—round 0.8-to-1 grams of protein per pound of physique weight per day.

In the event you’re bodily energetic, however aren’t lifting weights or doing vigorous or extended exercises, and aren’t making an attempt to shed weight, then you may get by with much less protein—round 0.5-to-0.7 grams of protein per pound of physique weight per day. 

And if you happen to’re sedentary (which isn’t perfect if you wish to care for your well being), research exhibits you may eat as little as 0.4 grams of protein per pound of physique weight per day with out shedding muscle. 

Other than preserving muscle mass, another excuse to eat extra protein than the RDA is that it improves satiety, which makes it simpler to keep up a calorie deficit. 

Protein additionally “prices” extra energy to digest than carbohydrate and fats, and so consuming extra protein barely boosts metabolic rate (although the impact isn’t enough to have a significant impression on weight reduction).

Some protein calculators advocate a lot increased intakes than this—all the best way as much as 1.5 g/lb per day or extra. These options are based mostly on outdated research (or simply good ol’ common broscience), which overestimated the quantity of protein you must forestall muscle loss whereas weight-reduction plan. 

Newer studies have proven that these suggestions are extreme and might make weight-reduction plan tougher by decreasing the energy obtainable for carbs and fat.

Whereas it’s fantastic to eat barely extra protein than essential “simply in case,” consuming an excessive amount of could make weight-reduction plan harder and unsightly by limiting your meals choices. 

In the event you eat so much protein that it’s important to severely limit your carbohydrate and fats consumption, this may additionally damage exercise efficiency, restoration, and hormonal well being.

Thus, when making an attempt to shed weight, you wish to eat sufficient protein to protect muscle and keep happy between meals, however not rather more than this. 

Protein is only one piece of the fats loss puzzle, although. You additionally have to eat the precise variety of energy and the precise steadiness of carbs and fats. For customized recommendation on energy and macros, try our macronutrient calculator:

The Legion Macronutrient Calculator

The Advantages of Utilizing the Legion Protein Calculator for Muscle Achieve

Research exhibits that rising protein consumption past the RDA considerably will increase muscle growth, particularly when mixed with strength training.

For instance, a meta-analysis of 49 research discovered that consuming 0.7-to-0.8 grams of protein per pound of physique weight per day optimizes muscle acquire for weightlifters. 

Your physique’s capacity to make use of protein for muscle constructing hits a ceiling round this level, although, so consuming extra doesn’t result in a lot if any further muscle acquire. 

That stated, your protein wants may be barely increased relying on elements like your genetics, exercise degree, coaching quantity, and weightlifting expertise, which is why many individuals making an attempt to achieve muscle select to eat barely extra—sometimes round 1 gram of protein per pound of physique weight per day. 

In the event you’re not sure concerning the precise quantity of protein to construct muscle, our calculator may give you customized suggestions based mostly on the most recent analysis.

After all, protein alone gained’t get you the outcomes you’re after. It’s worthwhile to comply with a well-rounded weight loss plan with the precise steadiness of carbs, fats, and energy mixed with an efficient energy coaching plan to optimize muscle development.

Take the Legion Diet Quiz and Training Quiz to get a custom-made weight loss plan and coaching plan in lower than 60 seconds. 

Use the Legion Protein Calculator for Seniors

Research exhibits that folks over 60 years previous ought to eat a minimal of 0.5-to-0.8 grams of protein per pound of physique weight per day, relying on their exercise degree. 

The decrease finish is often enough for stopping muscle loss in sedentary folks, whereas the upper finish is useful for maximizing muscle acquire and upkeep for older people who carry weights.

As we age, sustaining muscle mass and energy turns into more and more essential—it helps us keep cellular, lowers the chance of falls and fractures, and reduces the chance of sickness and frailty.

Research constantly exhibits that protein performs an important function on this course of.

As an example, a meta-analysis of seven research discovered that older adults who consumed greater than 0.5 grams of protein per pound of physique weight per day maintained higher mobility, whereas these consuming much less skilled better muscle loss and frailty.

One other systematic review printed within the Journal of the American Faculty of Vitamin confirmed that seniors who ate extra protein than the RDA (0.4 g/lb/day) considerably diminished their threat of hip fractures, which highlights the function of protein in bone well being.

Larger protein intakes additionally scale back the chance of power ailments.

A study printed in The American Journal of Medical Vitamin tracked 50,000 folks over 30 years and located that older people who consumed as much as 23% of their day by day energy from protein have been much less more likely to develop power ailments like coronary heart illness, diabetes, or most cancers. In addition they maintained higher cognitive and bodily operate.

For each 3% enhance in complete protein consumption, the examine confirmed a 5% relative enchancment within the chance of growing old with out power sickness.

Use our protein per day calculator to simply discover your optimum day by day protein consumption that will help you keep robust and very important as you age.

Meet Your Day by day Protein Purpose

• Eat 30-to-40 grams of protein per meal. The easiest way to satisfy your day by day protein wants is to be sure you eat 3-to-4 meals with 30-to-40 grams of protein in every. In the event you do that, it’s arduous not to get near your day by day protein goal each day. 
• Complement with protein powder, bars, and cookies. Whenever you’re on-the-go or simply don’t really feel like getting ready or consuming regular meals, protein powder, bars, and cookies are a handy and attractive option to increase your protein consumption.
• Snack on high-protein meals: Maintain high-protein snacks available for in-between meals. Skyr, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, jerky, meat sticks, hard-boiled eggs, and edamame are all good choices that require minimal prep.

What Are the Greatest Excessive-Protein Meals?

Under are a number of the greatest meals for getting ready high-protein meals.

• Poultry: Hen breast, turkey breast, floor turkey, hen thighs.
• Purple Meat: Floor beef (90% lean or increased), prime sirloin steak, pork tenderloin, pork chops, bison, lamb.
• Fish: Tuna, salmon, cod, mackerel, halibut, sardines.
• Shellfish: Shrimp, crab, lobster, scallops, clams, mussels.
• Eggs: Complete eggs and egg whites.
• Low-Fats Dairy: Low-fat milk, Greek yogurt, Skyr, cottage cheese, low-fat cheese (mozzarella, Swiss), kefir.
• Legumes: Black beans, lentils (crimson, inexperienced, or brown), chickpeas, kidney beans, pinto beans, edamame, peas.
• Complete Grains: Brown rice, quinoa, millet, farro, barley, buckwheat, bulgur.
• Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds.
• Greens: Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, spinach, kale, inexperienced peas, edamame.

How A lot Protein Can Your Physique Soak up In a Single Meal? 

Your physique can absorb and successfully use 100 or extra grams of protein in a single meal.

That stated, most research shows that you’ll maximize the muscle-building advantages of protein if you happen to divide your day by day protein consumption throughout 3-to-4 meals per day, no less than 3 hours aside, with no less than 20-to-30 grams of protein in every meal. 

It’s because eating protein will increase muscle protein synthesis (the creation of latest muscle proteins), and reduces muscle protein breakdown (the breakdown of muscle proteins). 

This impact solely lasts for a number of hours, although, which is why it’s perfect to eat a number of protein-rich meals all through the day, which boosts protein synthesis and suppresses protein breakdown for so long as potential.