How much protein do you need?
Take a quick test to see how much protein you need to maintain your body throughout your life.
It only takes a minute - Seriously!
Are you ready?
Your body changes throughout your life. By eating healthy and exercising while you’re young, you can prevent a number of complications later in life. Plus a healthy lifestyle will also help you maintain your body as you get older.
Getting enough protein through a healthy and balanced diet is essential for giving your body the best conditions for staying fit and healthy. But how much do you need and are all proteins equally good?
Answer three easy questions and find out.
1. How old are you?
Please enter your age
Age and muscle
When you’re young, life is constantly changing, and those changes can influence the amount of protein your body needs. For instance, pregnancy or strenuous exercise, places extra demand on your body, which can mean you need more protein.
As you get older, your body starts breaking down more muscle than it builds, and your total amount of muscle mass decreases (sarcopenia). But physical exercise combined with sufficient protein can counteract this loss.
2. How much do you weigh?
Please enter your weight
Weight and protein
Around 17% of your body consists of protein. Therefore, your body mass influences your daily protein requirements. In other words, the greater your body mass, the greater your protein need.
3. How much daily exercise do you get?
Honestly, not a lot
Less than 30 minutes a day.
Average, I guess
I stay active and work out several times a week.
I’m serious
I do high-intensity training almost every day.
Please choose your exercise level
The importance of exercise
Physical activity is one of the most important factors in a healthy lifestyle. It’s recommended that an average healthy adult gets around 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass. But if you increase the amount of exercise, you might need more.
To enjoy the results of the exercise you do, your body needs increased amounts of protein to recover, build muscle and strengthen your bones. It’s recommended that serious athletes get 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass.
The result
Your estimated daily protein need is grams a day
Based on your age, body mass and level of activity, you need to consume approximately grams of protein every day to maintain your muscle and bones. That amount of protein corresponds to:
Whey
Chicken
Egg
Soy
Peas
Wheat
Rice
The daily estimated consumption of the food item in grams reflects the amount needed to ensure the daily recommended protein intake when it is eaten as a single protein source. The recommended protein intake is based on the protein concentration of the food and the nutritional quality of its protein (DIAAS).
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Not all proteins are alike
You can get protein from many sources – both plant- and animal-based. But not all proteins are the same as they differ in their nutritional quality. The building blocks of proteins are the amino acids. There are twenty of them in total and you need to get nine of them through your diet. These are called essential amino acids. Whey protein, like all dairy-based proteins, contains all 20 of the amino acids needed by the human body.
The easy whey to more protein
Whey protein powder is an easy way to increase your daily protein-intake. It’s a natural and highly nutritional product stemming from cheese production. Many people use whey for protein shakes, but you can also add it to a wide variety of food types for nutritional benefits.
[1] Latest scientific research indicates that a protein intake of 1.0 – 1.2 g/kg helps prevent age-related muscle loss.
[2] Current EU recommendation is 0.83 g per kg of body weight per day for both adults and seniors (2012).
[3] On www.wheyforliving.com we refer to proteins with the DIAAS score 1 or above as complete proteins.