Pig, as I said to you before, the science is on the fence. Personally, I choose to err on the side of high than low.... high being roughly 1 gram per lb of my bodyweight. If you're carrying a lot of body fat, knock this intake down to 1 gram per lb of LBM.
That's based on empirical evidence over the years with my own training and nutrition as well as client's.
Not to mention, most of the top coaches in the world have concluded the same thing..... I hate to appeal to authority, but when science doesn't answer our questions, what else do we have to turn to besides empirical evidence?
Lyle McDonald is coming out with a book extremely soon that will answer this question using the available research.... I'm very excited to get my hands on this book. I know though that after delving through all the available research he sides with Tipton who he thought made the most compelling argument in his 2004 review paper which was "It's better for elite performers to err on the side of slightly too much protein than too little (1.2-1.5 g/lb for strength/power and 1 g/lb for enduros). Any benefits may be too small to detect in short term studies but are clearly relevant at that level. Unless other nutrient intake is shorted, there's no harm to consuming more and there may be small but relevant benefits."
Protein requirements are odd. There is research out there showing how exercise increases protein requirements, while there's also stuff out there that it has been shown to decrease protein requirements under certain circumstances, as consistent training improves protein utilization.
Quote:
Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2006 Oct;31(5):557-64. Links
Resistance training reduces whole-body protein turnover and improves net protein retention in untrained young males.
* Hartman JW,
* Moore DR,
* Phillips SM.
Exercise Metabolism Research Group, Department of Kinesiology, 1280 Main Street West, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada.
It is thought that resistance exercise results in an increased need for dietary protein; however, data also exists to support the opposite conclusion. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of resistance exercise training on protein metabolism in novices with the hypothesis that resistance training would reduce protein turnover and improve whole-body protein retention. Healthy males (n = 8, 22 +/- 1 y, BMI = 25.3 +/- 1.8 kg.m(-2)) participated in a progressive whole-body split routine resistance-training program 5d/week for 12 weeks. Before (PRE) and after (POST) the training, oral [15N]-glycine ingestion was used to assess nitrogen flux (Q), protein synthesis (PS), protein breakdown (PB), and net protein balance (NPB = PS-PB). Macronutrient intake was controlled over a 5d period PRE and POST, while estimates of protein turnover and urinary nitrogen balance (N(bal) = N(in) - urine N(out)) were conducted. Bench press and leg press increased 40% and 50%, respectively (p < 0.01). Fat- and bone-free mass (i.e., lean muscle mass) increased from PRE to POST (2.5 +/- 0.8 kg, p < 0.05). Significant PRE to POST decreases (p <0.05) occurred in Q (0.9 +/- 0.1 vs. 0.6 +/- 0.1 g N.kg(-1).d(-1)), PS (4.6 +/- 0.7 vs. 2.9 +/- 0.3 g.kg(-1).d(-1)), and PB (4.3 +/- 0.7 vs. 2.4 +/- 0.2 g.kg(-1).d(-1)). Significant training-induced increases in both NPB (PRE = 0.22 +/- 0.13 g.kg(-1).d(-1); POST = 0.54 +/- 0.08 g.kg(-1).d(-1)) and urinary nitrogen balance (PRE = 2.8 +/- 1.7 g N.d(-1); POST = 6.5 +/- 0.9 g N.d(-1)) were observed. A program of resistance training that induced significant muscle hypertrophy resulted in reductions of both whole-body PS and PB, but an improved NPB, which favoured the accretion of skeletal muscle protein. Urinary nitrogen balance increased after training. The reduction in PS and PB and a higher NPB in combination with an increased nitrogen balance after training suggest that dietary requirements for protein in novice resistance-trained athletes are not higher, but lower, after resistance training.
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My recommendation... toy around until you find the best results. But with all in mind, I believe the blanket recommendation of 1 gram per pound of LBM is best, which you can take for what it's worth.
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