So you failed to get in your protein at your parents-in-law… Does it matter much?⁣
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While I’m not here to tell you how much you should care, there are actual numbers that show that if you lower your protein intake by about 25%, you can expect ~40% less muscle gains [Morton (& Henselmans) 2018]. ⁣
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Meanwhile, eating 1.6 g/kg (0.7 g/lb) bodyweight protein per day maximizes muscle growth.⁣
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This was concluded by a meta-analysis that took together 49 studies on protein intake with weight training programs lasting at least 6 weeks, with participants eating surplus calories (“bulking”).⁣
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Even when you’re cutting and trying to preserve muscle, the overall literature shows that eating more than ~1.8 g/kg bodyweight will *not* protect your muscles more [Helms 2015, Antonio 2014].⁣
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Some may say more protein means better satiety, but this too has been debunked: eating more than ~1.8 g/kg bodyweight of protein is not going make you more satisfied and less hungry [Roberts 2019].⁣
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All in all, you don’t need to consume 4 chickens per day for maximal muscle gains, but eating less protein than your little niece is probably not the best idea.⁣
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So I think you should not ballpark-estimate your protein intake: eating way too little hurts your gains, eating way too much unnecessarily hurts your wallet, the environment, and living beings.⁣
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– Stijn⁣