How Much Protein to Build Muscle?

A common question for any person serious weight-lifter is.. how much protein to build muscle is necessary? The truth is that this is actually a good question and the answer depends on a lot of factors.
When it comes to how much protein is needed to build muscle, there are three major factors: lean body mass, the amount of carbohydrates you eat, and how advanced a lifter you are.
Here is a chart detailing how much protein is needed to build muscle at an optimal rate. Below the chart, you will find an explanation of each category.
Note: LBM = Lean Body Mass

	Low-Carb (.5 grams of carbs per lb of BW or less a day)	Moderate-Carb (.5-2 grams per lb of BW a day)	High-Carb (2 grams per lbs of BW a day or more)
Beginner	1.5 grams per lb of LBM	1.25 grams per lb of LBM	1 grams per lb LBM
Intermediate	1.75 grams per lb of LBM	1.5 grams per lb of LBM	1.25 grams per lb of LBM
Advanced	2 grams per lbs of LBM	1.75 grams per lb of LBM	1.5 grams per lb of LBM

This chart is for men. Beginning women can take off .25 grams per lb off of the "Beginner" chart and .5 grams per lbs off of the "Intermediate" and "Advanced" charts.*

How Much Protein is needed to Build Muscle Depends on Your LBM

Note that all calculations in the chart above are based off of lean body mass. The formula for lean body mass is:

 Lean Body Mass = Bodyweight - (Body Fat Percentage * Bodyweight)

For example, if you weigh 200 pounds and are at 20% bodyfat, plus those numbers in the formula:

200 pounds - (.20 * 200 pounds) = 160 pounds of lean body mass

This does not have to be 100% exact, this is just an estimate. You can easily estimate your body fat, you do not have to get a caliper reading or anything like that. Here is an easy way to estimate bodyfat:
LBM Estimation for Men:

~ 10% or less = well-defined, visible 6-pack abs

~ 15% = outline of abs visible
~ 20% = outline of abs no longer visible

~ 30% or more = obese (if this is you, focus on losing weight first, not building muscle)
LBM Estimation for Women:

~12-15% = well-defined, visible 6-pack

~15-18% = outline of abs still visible

~20% or more = outline of abs no longer visible
This does not need to be rocket science. Whether you eat 180 or 190 grams of protein per day makes little difference in the grand scheme of things, so just use a rough estimate and run from there. If you still are not gaining weight at that point, increase your calories by a few hundred per day.
The whole point of including LBM in this calculation is so that you do not have a 400 pound obese man eating 600 grams of protein. If you are carrying a lot of excess body fat, you do not need to eat more protein to support your extra fat.

Protein Requirements are Based on Carb Intake

This one is usually one that surprises people who want to know how much protein is needed to build muscle. Here is a basic explanation of why this is the case:
When you consume carbohydrates or protein, your body releases some insulin to help shuttle these nutrients to your body's cells for use. When you have carbohydrates, your body releases a lot of insulin which in turn then increases cellular uptake rates of protein.
The end result is that if you are eating a lot of carbohydrates, you actually end up needing less protein to build muscle mass. By grossly overeating protein on days where you are already eating a lot of carbohydrates, you actually might end up consuming too many calories and gain unwanted fat.
Again, this should just be a rough estimation. If you are eating almost no breads, starches, or sweets, that is a low carb day. If you are eating these foods with 1 or 2 meals, it is a moderate carb day. If you are eating carbohydrates with every meal or eating a large portion after working out (recommended for building muscle) that is a high-carb day.

Protein for Muscle Growth Based on Level of Advancement

The relationship here is simple: the more experienced you are in weight-training, the more protein you will need to grow.
Bigger and more neurally-efficient muscles undergo more damage and need more protein to be repaired. Additionally, in response to weight training the muscle's ability to absorb and utilize protein increases as different cellular factors are upregulated.
As a general rule of thumb, I recommend the following categories:
Beginner: Anyone who does not yet qualify for intermediate or advanced status.
Intermediate: Someone who has gained 20-70 pounds of LBM since they started weight training.
Advanced: Someone who has gained at least 50 pounds (50 for guys 5' 8" and under), 60 pounds (5'8" - 6') or 70 pounds (6' or taller) of LBM since they started weight training.
Most people are beginners, some are intermediate, and very truly few are advanced. If you have not built at least 50 pounds of muscle, you are not an advanced lifter and do not need to eat 2 grams of protein per day.

*Why Women Need Less Protein

A common question is why I recommend that women eat less protein. Truthfully this is irrelevant as very few women even eat the reduced recommended amounts listed here.
If you must know, testosterone increases the muscle's ability to synthesize protein. Women have a lot less testosterone than men, and as a result do not need as much protein (and also do not need as much calories even at a similar bodyweight).

How Much Protein to Build Muscle Conclusion

The amount of protein needed to build muscle may seem a bit confusing, but it does not have to be. Here are the take-away points:

• Beginners need 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight in order to build muscle at an optimal rate.

• Intermediate lifters need 1.25-1.75 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight in order to build muscle at an optimal rate.

• Advanced lifters need 1.5-2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight in order to build muscle at an optimal rate.

• The less carbs you eat, the more protein you need.

• Women tend to need less protein then men of the same weight due to lower blood levels of testosterone.

Now go out there and eat some food!