Jakesonyou,
Hey man! I read your column and also have read most of your training posts on the websites. I really appreciate your feedback on subjects and the opportunity for us to get our questions answered.
My question for you is how much protein should I be consuming per day? I have read a lot of the internet, but everyone seems to have a different opinion? I eat around 170-220g's of protein a day.
I am 5 foot 9 inches, 162lbs. I am currently just cycling carbs after finishing a cut. I have been training nearly two years.
If I eat more, will I grow more?
My second question is about "wasted" protein. I eat 6 eggs a day - 3 with toast in the morning and 3 raw in my shake. A lot of the time the egg white sticks in the shell after I crack it. I try to scoop it with my finger or shake it, but it just sticks lol. Also when I make my protein shake, although of the shake sticks to the side of the blender.
How much protein is wasted from these 2 things? I am on a budget and it would suck if I am losing like 20 grams of protein because the shake doesn't mix perfectly.
lookin forward to your response
Karl
Hi and thanks for your question.
The most accurate way to figure out your daily protein intake is to calculate your macronutrient needs. This is also important in figuring out your daily fat and how much carbs you can eat. If you want the best results, calculate your macros! If you just want a general guideline then I would recommend a minimum of 200 grams / day for a natural bodybuilder. Another way is 1.5-2g per LBM.
Bodybuilders who use performance enhancing drugs - steroids, growth hormone, etc can have use for more protein. There is no need however to go overboard. You will hear about some "professional" bodybuilders, who eat 1000 grams of protein per day. This is absurd and even when on anabolic steroids, this is overkill. The body and muscles will not have use for this and it will just go to waste.
Protein is the building block for muscles. Make sure you are getting it from quality sources like eggs, fish, chicken, milk, etc. No mumbo jumbo stuff.
For your second question, there is no need to OCD on this issue.
The majority of protein from the egg is in the yolk. You might lose 0.2 gram of a protein from the egg white sticking to the shell.
For shakes, just use a spatula and scrape the rest of the good stuff out. You could also fill the blender with water after, but that doesn't taste very good.
You are not losing 20 grams of protein from this.
Good luck with your bodybuilding goals in 2012!
hope this helps
