A lot of guides online suggest some hard to get or not widely available foods (idk where to find tempeh and quinoa is a bit expensive, for example). But I'm kinda doing the math in my head and having a hard time meeting protein intake goals (probably about 150g per day at least). I did get a protein supplement and it will help I guess, but im not great at meal planning. For anyone who lifts and is vegan, what do you do?

  • erik [he/him]
    ·
    4 months ago

    The bro-science thing you'll often see is 1g per 1 lb of target body weight, but that's an over simplification. Most studies I've read put it more at .7g or .8g at most for 1 lb of target body weight, and this is only if you plan on getting incredibly beefy. I think most people simply lifting for their healthy can do .5g per 1lbs of target body weight. So bear that in mind when you're talking about your protein intake.

    To add to the general discussion, vegan protein shakes will probably be a staple of your input. I'm not vegan, but it would be incredibly difficult for me to get to about the 120-140 grams of protein I do a day without my shake.

    • gueybana [any]
      ·
      4 months ago

      Most studies I've read put it more at .7g or .8g at most for 1 lb of target body weight, and this is only if you plan on getting incredibly beefy.

      There’s been a lot of research done about this and it’s been more in favor of the ‘bro science’ stuff than what you’re proposing. You can generally get away with less protein/bodyweight if you’re bulking than if you’re cutting. .7g is fine if you want to build muscle ie with caloric surplus, 1.0 is what you want to stick to if you’re trying to burn off fat and keep muscle.

      • erik [he/him]
        ·
        4 months ago

        I would disagree. See Stronger by Science here, which recommends .8 at the top end based on a meta-analysis of multiple studies: https://www.strongerbyscience.com/athlete-protein-intake/

        Also this Jäger et al study is referenced often, which puts the top end at .9, which is approaching the "bro science" number, but still isn't quite there. https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8

        And this is specifically for folks looking to get particularly strong and not just lift for their health. Without OP's goals, cannot say for sure what would be best, but regardless, 1:1 is probably overkill.

        • Assian_Candor [comrade/them]
          ·
          4 months ago

          Might be some confusion here as the target is typically 1g per pound of lean body mass which if you're 15-20 pct body fat like most fit people works out to .8 per pound

          • erik [he/him]
            ·
            4 months ago

            For sure. I think that 1:1 ratio accidentally got attached to total body weight just because it's easier to remember. If OP has access to reliable body fat detection, they can get an even better idea of good daily protein. And of course, all of this is just guidelines, different bodies react differently. There are plenty of people that react well to a ratio even higher that 1:1. I was just seeing OP struggling with 150g and so wanted to make sure they actually need 150g.

    • I_CAST_BEAM_OF_BATS_I_CAST_BOLT_OF_BATS [none/use name]
      ·
      4 months ago

      It's more about protein as a % of calories with energy adjustment based on activity levels thru carbohydrates. 150g protein is only going to be 450 calories after thermogenesis. Keep in mind we're not slaughtering shit en masse for our gains and we can truly consume as much soy isolate as we wish (unless it has sucralose but I won't elaborate on what happens then).

      • erik [he/him]
        ·
        4 months ago

        You are welcome to consume more protein for sure. I just see a lot of novice lifters hear the 1:1 ratio and think they've got to get an incredible amount of protein in them because they weigh something like 220 lbs. And they often think it's per current body weight, not target body weight. Goals are important in lifting in general too.

        Since OP sounds like they are struggling with reaching a fairly average goal of 150g, just wanted to make sure they actually need 150g. Stronger by Science has a great collection of data on protein to really dig into what multiple studies have to say, half of which are meat protein versus plant protein, so should be helpful to any lifter: https://www.strongerbyscience.com/athlete-protein-intake/

        No doubt personalized levels of thermogenesis will help OP realize overall caloric intake required to bulk or cut depending on their weight goals, so that's important too. But wasn't really at front of mind for me to be honest. Good point to bring up.