Eating 400g, 500g or even 600g of protein a day might sound hardcore but the reality is it’s unnecessary, inefficient and often a complete waste of money.

By Gary Chappell

IF the body synthesized just six grams of protein per day into new muscle tissue you could gain 24lbs of lean bodyweight a year.

Yes, the argument of how much protein per day is required for muscle growth is as old as the hills. But one thing appears to be certain – you do not need as much as you think.

One IFBB Pro bodybuilder detailed on social media this year how he eats 600g of protein per day. Justifying this, he wrote: “Carbs don’t build muscle, protein does.”

He is right, of course. But if were as easy as simply eating more protein, then why not increase it to 1000g per day or higher? Well, because the human body just does not work like that.

Let’s take his 600g per day as an example and see how much muscle someone consuming that much protein could expect to build over a year, if they were to synthesize all of that as muscle tissue.

Why 600g of protein per day makes no sense

If a bodybuilder consumed 600g of protein per day and all of that protein were used exclusively for muscle protein synthesis [MPS] which, as we will see, is not realistic, we could estimate the potential muscle gain. Here is a rough calculation based on how much protein is required to synthesize muscle tissue:

• It is generally estimated that for every one gram of muscle protein synthesized, the body gains approximately three to four grams of lean muscle mass (since muscle tissue is made of more than just protein; water, blood, minerals and other components contribute to total muscle mass). Let’s calculate the muscle gain based on 600 grams of protein per day:
  • Low estimate: 600g of protein × 3g of lean mass per gram of muscle protein = 1,800 grams of muscle (1.8 kg) per day.
  • High estimate: 600g of protein × 4g of lean mass per gram of muscle protein = 2,400 grams of muscle (2.4 kg) per day.

This would suggest gaining up to 2.4kg of muscle per day – an obviously impossible scenario.

If this extreme intake could indeed result in 1.8 – 2.4kg of muscle gained per day, over the course of a year, the total muscle gain would be:

• Low estimate: 1.8 kg/day × 365 = 657 kg (1,448 pounds) of muscle in a year.
• High estimate: 2.4 kg/day × 365 = 876 kg (1,928 pounds) of muscle in a year.

Clearly, this is entirely unrealistic. In reality, the maximum natural muscle gain for even the most genetically gifted and dedicated bodybuilders is much lower – typically between six to 12 pounds per year (approximately 2.5 – 5.5 kg per year) under optimal conditions.

Why Excess Protein Doesn’t Build More Muscle

1. Diminishing returns: Protein intake beyond ~2.2g/kg does not significantly increase muscle growth
   
2. Excess is not used for muscle: Surplus protein is converted to energy or excreted
   
3. Fat gain risk: Extra calories from protein can still be stored as fat
   
4. Cost and practicality: 600g per day is expensive, uncomfortable and unnecessary
   
   

How much protein intake to sustain one pound of muscle?

For competitive bodybuilders, the recommended protein intake falls within the range of 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight (approximately 0.7 to 1.0 grams per pound of body weight) per day. This range supports muscle growth, recovery and the maintenance of lean body mass during intense training and competition preparation.

Each pound of muscle requires 0.9 – 1.8 grams of protein per day to survive and maintain itself. However, dietary protein intake must be higher to meet overall bodily demands and ensure sufficient protein is available for muscle maintenance. This is why protein recommendations for active individuals are often set at 1.6 – 2.2g/kg/day (0.7–1 g/lb of body weight).

Just 6g of daily protein needed in order to build 24lbs a year?

There is, in reality, seriously little protein used for muscle protein synthesis per day. And as we are about to show, using a little as six grams for MPS per day can result in a gain of 24lbs of muscle per year.

Assumptions:

1. Composition of muscle: Skeletal muscle tissue is about 75% water, 20% protein and 5% other components (eg. glycogen, lipids, minerals).
2. Muscle protein content: Each kilogram of muscle contains approximately 200 grams of protein (20% of its mass).
3. Time Frame: 1 month = approximately 30 days.

Calculations:

1. Protein needed for muscle gain:

For each kilogram (or pound) of muscle gained:

• Protein in one pound of muscle: 1  pound = 0.454 kg
• 0.454 kg × 200 g/kg = 90.8 g of protein

So gaining 0.5 – two pounds of muscle requires synthesizing approximately:

• 0.5 pounds: 90.8 g × 0.5 = 45.4 g of protein
• Two pounds: 90.8 g × 2 = 181.6 g of protein

2. Daily protein synthesis:

To distribute the required protein synthesis over 30 days:

• For 0.5 pounds/month: 45.4 g divided by 30 days = 1.51 g/day
• For two pounds/month: 181.6 g divided by 30 days = 6.05 g

Summary:

To gain 0.5 – two pounds of muscle per month:

• Your body needs to synthesize 1.5g – six grams of protein per day into new muscle tissue.

Clarifying the Calculation:

1. Theoretical protein synthesis:
   • If six grams of protein are synthesized into muscle daily, that equals: 6 g/day × 365 days/year = 2,190 g of protein
   • Since muscle is 20% protein, this translates to: 2,190 g divided by 0.2 = 10,950g (10.95 kg) of muscle/year.
   • This is approximately 24 pounds of muscle a year.

Most of us are not gaining 24lbs of lean muscle per year. We might be gaining well above 24lbs in our off-season. But after a competition prep, very few are 24lbs heavier than the last time they stepped on stage. So in reality, all that protein you have paid for and scoffed down has been used for a lot of other things aside from actually building muscle. All of which makes it appear to be a waste of money to set your protein intake at the top end of the scale and beyond. In reality, excessive protein often ends up as nothing more than very expensive carbohydrates.

So how much protein do you actually need?

For most lifters:

• 1.6–2.2g per kg of bodyweight
• 0.7–1g per pound

This is enough to:

• maximise muscle growth
• support recovery
• maintain lean mass

Anything significantly beyond that is unlikely to build more muscle, but will increase cost and total calorie intake.

If you want a structured diet plan based on what actually works – not guesswork – get in touch via the contact page or enquire about online coaching.

References:

Phillips, S. M., et al. (2009). “Dietary protein and muscle mass: translating science to application and health benefit.” Nutrition Reviews, 67(6), 402–410.

Maughan, R. J., et al. (2004). “Muscle Protein Turnover and Exercise.” The Journal of Physiology, 554(Pt 3), 613–623.

*This article originally appeared on www.frontdouble.com