Question 1

How much protein do I actually need per day to build muscle?

Accepted Answer

For maximizing muscle hypertrophy in resistance-trained individuals, the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) and the 2018 Morton et al. meta-analysis recommend an intake between 1.6 and 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (0.73 to 1.0 g/lb) per day.

Question 2

Is there a limit to how much protein the body can absorb in one meal?

Accepted Answer

While the gastrointestinal tract can absorb virtually all consumed protein over several hours, ribosomal Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS) maxes out around 0.25 to 0.40 grams of high-quality protein per kilogram of body weight per meal (about 25g to 40g for most individuals), which delivers ~2.5 to 3.5g of leucine to activate mTORC1.

Question 3

Does a high-protein diet cause kidney damage or bone calcium loss in healthy adults?

Accepted Answer

No. Long-term prospective trials led by Dr. Jose Antonio using high intakes of up to 3.3 g/kg/day demonstrated zero negative effects on glomerular filtration rate (GFR), creatinine, or liver biomarkers in healthy adults, and protein consumption actually enhances bone mineral density.

Question 4

Why do protein requirements increase when cutting calories for fat loss?

Accepted Answer

During caloric deficits, the body oxidizes more amino acids via gluconeogenesis. Elevating protein to 2.0 to 2.7 g/kg (0.9 to 1.2 g/lb) shields metabolically active lean muscle from catabolism, enhances satiety via PYY and GLP-1, and burns calories via the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF).

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