Many people in this world completely overestimate their protein needs. You don’t need as much protein as you think to build muscle. I’m not one to even say that I have my diet down to a perfect science either, but I’ve learned to limit my protein intake from what it was a year ago and noticed no change in my muscular development (development meaning muscular gains and not maintenance). I look leaner than ever, bringing more vegetables into my diet and less protein, and I still get stronger each week. I used to throw down 80 grams of protein in a sitting not thinking twice about my organs, but I’ve since realized how dangerous it can be to your health. Your kidneys, liver, and intestines can only take so much. Your organs can only handle so much protein in one sitting. Whether or not the 30 grams of protein per sitting is a myth or not (which is the maximum amount of protein your body can digest in one sitting being 30 grams), there is a maximum at which your body can utilize those nutrients. Whether it caps off at 30 grams is something I am skeptical about. This is because a 120 pound female and a 250 pound athlete clearly have different needs and different internal capabilities. However, there still is a maximum amount of digestibility. You just need to listen to your body and get frequent check ups and blood tests with your doctor to make sure your enzymes and blood counts are in check.

However, even if your body can digest all of the 100 grams of protein in one sitting (a protein shake along with a steak, which I would never recommend) like some people claim is good for you, your body turns very acidic, which is not a conducive environment to stay lean. There are a list of guys who live on vegetarian diets who are ten times more jacked and lean than you and I. How can they build muscle without an incredible amount of protein in their diets? Is it just from beans and rice? And no, they don’t eat 10 pounds of it to get the same amount of protein as bodybuilders. Arnold Schwarzenegger even said how people just overdo it with the protein. He said back in his day that no more than 20% of his diet came from protein. People who think that 90% protein, 9% carbs, and 1% fat is healthy are just kidding themselves. It’s really about clean, healthy calories (not about a minimal protein intake) and the total nutrients you consume, meaning vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients. People overestimate the amount of total calories they need as well. Most vegetarian’s 600 calories are more nutrient dense than the average person’s 2,500 calories of junk that they recommend to be the daily total requirement for a 180 lb. male. There’s a lot more micronutrients in 100 calories of spinach than 1,000 calories of pasta or steak.

Check the Jon Hinds video. It will change your perspective.

Also, check out these very interesting videos.

If you can build muscle without animal protein, how does that play towards the argument that a minimum of 1 gram per pound of bodyweight is necessary to maintain muscle? I’m curious to see some logical thought out arguments about this. And people, please be skeptical of any “scientific study” you see or read about. You need to question it and ask yourself who is funding the scientific experiments (**cough cough** the supplement industry), either legally or under the table. Stimulation, vitamins, minerals, hydration, and sleep conducive to an anabolic hormonal environment are more important than eating 600 grams of protein a day.

You have to understand that most people have been slowly and gradually brainwashed that more and more protein at every meal is beneficial for them. The “If some is good, more is better” mentality doesn’t work that way. In fact, it usually works out to be more harmful than good. Things in moderation are the way to go and most bodybuilders back in the day used to never count their protein because they said that “you get enough protein in your diet already.” Things have certainly changed from then to now, where people carry protein tubs in their car and protein bars wherever they go. When we preach to eat every 2 hours, we mainly mean natural foods, fruits, and vegetables. We are not suggesting that a vegetarian diet is the way to go. I, by no means, am a vegetarian. When vegetarians look at a steak, they see a cow. When I see a cow, I see a steak. Catch my drift? What I am here to tell you though is not to overdo it with the protein intake at one sitting because keeping it under control is important for overall health and fitness levels.