Many people are propagating different kinds of diets, and there is so much conflicting information out there, that a lot of people end up really confused about their daily protein requirements. It is time to clear the confusion!

Since the primary function of protein is to help with building muscle tissue, and eventually developing muscle mass, people who are doing any form of muscle building need a lot more protein intake daily than individuals with a generally sedentary lifestyle.

For an average person 0.8 grams of protein, per kg of body weight, per day is more than enough. This would mean that a 70 kg adult man would need a daily protein intake of about 56 grams. However, for athletes, bodybuilders and fitness buffs, this is not enough to support muscle repair and growth, and to counter the stress and strain of increased training. At an average, they would need twice the amount of protein intake daily. This would mean about 1.5-2.0 grams of protein per day, per kg of body weight. So, for that same 70 kg person, if he was doing intense physical training, his daily protein requirement would go up to about 115-120 grams.

A lot of bodybuilders realize that they need excess protein, but the problem is that they don’t know where to stop. They take it to an extreme, by packing their food with protein. This is a very bad practice, because if your daily protein intake is too high, it means that your body is probably not getting enough carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are critical for the muscles, because they provide fuel (glycogen) for the muscles to burn. If there is a shortage of carbohydrates in the body, the muscles may begin to burn the protein for energy. This is detrimental for a bodybuilder, because they need to preserve the protein for muscle repair and growth. Also, excessive daily protein intake could be hazardous for people who have kidney or liver problems, and those who are obese or diabetic.

Refer to this chart to find out how much protein different food items contain: