Many different articles on muscle building make a big deal about pre and post workout nutrition, specifically about the amount of protein needed to build and repair the body. Calculating your protein needs has traditionally followed the following formula:

1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg
2. Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gm.

Use a lower number if you are in good health and are sedentary. Use a higher number (between 1 and 1.8) if you are under stress, are pregnant, are recovering from an illness, or if you are involved in consistent and intense weight or endurance training.

Example: 154 lb male who is a regular exerciser and lifts weights
154 lbs/2.2 = 70kg
70kg x 1.5 = 105 gm protein/day

But does protein consumption during pre and post workout really matter to the high degrees that we’ve been told by virtually everyone? Brad Pilon doesn’t think so. In his new book “How Much Protein?” he points out the little direct evidence for post workout nutrition that was not funded by either a supplement company or some form of a protein-food group (Have you seen the large increase in commercials for eggs and milk lately?). From Pilon’s experience, research showing ‘remarkable’ muscle building effects of protein have never been reproduced in a study NOT funded by industry. Secondly, he states that many of the surrogate endpoints that are studied (such as nitrogen balance and protein synthesis) have never been causally linked to muscle growth, so our actual true evidence that peri-workout nutrition effects muscle growth is very limited. However lots of us work out fasted and seem to perform well. What is your take on this debate?

Check out a quick video from Brad Pilon author of the widely sucessful ebook Eat-Stop-Eat for more information about fat loss, muscle building and how much protein do we really need?

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