How much protein should I eat daily?

Question

Do I really need to hike up my protein to 40%+ of daily calories or will a normal healthy diet provide enough protein? I train 3 with weights 3 times a week

Answer 1

For optimal muscle growth 1 gram of protein per lb of body weight is a good base number and some people require even more to build muscle reliably. It will take personal experimentation to find what works best for you.

Answer 2

For sedentary individuals - protein should be 10% of their diet - and that's for about 40 grams/day for females and 55-70 grams/day or 0.8 grams/kg body weight for males. But if you're an athlete or physically active individual, 12% to 15% of the total calories should be protein. Lastly, an endurance athlete might need (this defined as training for at least 12 hours per week over at least 3- 5 years), 1.2 to 1.7g/kg/day of protein.