Confusion over protein requirements when adding mass.

Hi Craig,

Reviews of all of the research by two of the world's foremost protein and exercise experts, Dr Peter Lemon and Dr Mark Tarnopolsky, have concluded that strength athletes / bodybuilders require about twice as much protein as is generally suggested for the normal population. The figure suggested is 1.7 grams per kilo of bodyweight. However, there are some studies that suggest strength athletes may benefit from more than this. Also, other studies show very high individual dosages of protein may have better effects than smaller servings.

Another major consideration regarding your protein intake is your calorie intake. For a variety of reasons (its ability to cause decreased hunger, increased metabolic rate, avoidance of muscle loss, etc), when you are on a reduced-calorie diet, you should probably go well beyond this protein intake recommendation.

When you are on a bulking / gaining diet of excess calories, ironically, you don't need as much protein because the excess calories ensure that a higher proportion of the protein intake is used to build and maintain muscle as opposed to some of it being oxidized (burned) for needed fuel.

So I generally go with the recommendation of 1 gram per pound (approx 2 grams per kilo) as a protein recommendation figure for bodybuilders and strength-training athletes. Excess protein doesn't have any negative effects for healthy people (as long as you consume enough calcium), so it is better to err on the side of recommending a bit extra, rather than not enough.

So would it be a typo in this article by Phil Learney?? Half way down the page he mentions that some of the best results when mass building have come from 1.6 - 1.8g per POUND of bodyweight rather than what you're saying (and what I thought was correct) of around 1.8 - 2.0g per kg bodyweight...
http://phillearneyblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/getting-jacked/