While your protein recommendation may seem high compared to what you’re used to eating or what you may have seen promoted on certain websites, know that Avatar Nutrition is based in science and takes several factors into account when setting your protein target.
The most accurate protein recommendation is set based on lean body mass (LBM) rather than total body weight, and also takes many other factors into account such as goal and whether you’re in a calorie surplus or a deficit, age, level of activity, and whether you’re a vegan or a person who eats animal products.
There is no appropriate one-size-fits-all recommendation that will cover individual needs. If your protein is a little bit higher than initially anticipated, consider the following factors to figure out why:
- Lean Body Mass
- The more muscle and lean body mass you have, the higher your protein requirements will be. Those with a lower body fat percentage will tend to have more lean mass compared to total body weight, driving protein needs up.
- Goal
- If your goal is to build muscle or reverse diet, you’ll be in calorie surplus and will need less protein. Since your body will have ample calories to draw from, you’ll be at a lower risk of losing muscle and will need less protein to prevent muscle loss and promote building and remodeling.
- If your goal is to lose body fat, you’ll be in a calorie deficit and will need more protein to preserve muscle. In an energy shortage, your body may attempt to harvest extra calories from protein-rich muscle, so you’ll need more protein to offset this.
- Age
- At about the age of 40, your body will start to become resistant to the anabolic stimulus normally triggered by eating protein. To create this same muscle building stimulus, you’ll need to eat more protein as you age.
- Activity Level
- The more active you are, the greater your need for protein to help build, remodel, and repair muscle. You’ll also need more protein to promote recovery from strenuous workouts.
- Vegan Status:
- If you’re restricted to only eating plant-based protein, you’ll need more total protein to make up for its lower bioavailability and quality. Animal-based protein is more bioavailable and higher in the amino acid leucine than plant sources, increasing the total protein need for vegans.
We recommend that you attempt to meal plan, alter food choices, and work toward hitting optimal protein for your body and goal. If this isn’t realistic for you, or if you have a medical condition requiring you to eat less protein, you are able to reduce protein in the Protein Boost option in Diet Settings.