What Macro Breakdown Should I Eat to Build Muscle?

How Much Protein Do I Need to Build Muscle?

When trying to build muscle, Jessica said that protein intake should account for about 10 to 35 percent of your total calories, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Academy of Sports Medicine.

For general health and for maintaining muscle, you need less protein. The recommendation is about 0.36 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight) per day, so if you weigh 150 pounds, that's 54 grams of protein a day.

Athletes need more protein and if they're looking to build muscle, The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend 0.54 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight (1.2 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight) per day. So if you weigh 150 pounds, that's 81-150 grams of protein a day.

Some experts will recommend even more. Brittany Linn, RD, CDN, a clinical nutrition coordinator at The Mount Sinai Hospital told POPSUGAR in a previous interview to go for 1.0 to 1.7 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (2.2 to 3.7 grams per kilogram of body weight) per day in order to supply your muscles with amino acids, which build up your muscle tissue. (For a 150-pound person, that's 150-255 grams a day).

If that seems like a lot, you'll be able to reach your daily goal by making sure to eat protein every time you eat. Good sources include lean meat and fish, eggs, dairy products, tofu, beans, nuts and seeds.

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How Many Carbs Do I Need to Build Muscle?

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Carbohydrates are also an important energy source to help fuel strength training sessions. "Adults who are strength training at least twice a week should be getting at least half their daily calories from quality carbohydrate sources," Jessica said. If you're working out more often, go for 55 percent of your daily calories per day. Good sources include whole grains, legumes, whole-grain breads and cereals, dairy products, and fruits and vegetables.

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How Much Fat Do I Need to Build Muscle?

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Like carbohydrates, you may not know that fat also helps provide energy to muscles for longer exercise sessions. "To support muscle building, daily fat intake should comprise about 20 to 35 percent of total calories," Jessica said.

Good sources of fat include extra-virgin olive and canola oils; nuts such as walnuts, pistachios, and almonds; seeds such as hemp, flax, chia, and sunflower, avocados; and fatty fish including salmon, halibut, mackerel, and trout.

Note that fat contains more than twice the number of calories as carbohydrates and protein, so it's important to monitor serving sizes; one gram of carbs has four calories, one gram of protein has four calories, and one gram of fat contains nine calories. Using one tablespoon of olive oil adds 120 calories to your meal, and noshing on an ounce of walnuts (about 14 nuts) is about 185 calories. If you tend to grab handfuls of almonds and spoon straight out of the peanut butter jar, measuring your healthy fats will keep you on track and prevent weight gain.

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Macro Breakdown For Building Muscle

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To sum this up, Jessica said a good macro breakdown would be 50 to 55 percent carbs, 20 to 25 percent protein, and 20 to 25 percent fat to build muscle. Of course everyone is different, so experiment and see what works for you, adjusting each percentage based on your needs. If you can, meet with a registered dietitian who can help you assess your goals and find the proper macro breakdown for you.

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