F on Protein Intake

I like meat ohkay. I prefer white to red meat, usually, and though I've never been a vegetarian, I've definitely gotten the 'ick' feeling when sinking my teeth into a hunk of flesh before (typically when I'm high). The shakes - I keep ON Gold Standard Whey in the office and Lean Muscle Milk at home - have been a happy substitute, but I have a hard time keeping up with the daily recommended intake. 3-4 shakes daily? Are these people mental? I put the question to F, my trusty nutrition almanac. He's tried and digested enough information to serve as a sort of metafilter on topics related to fitness and nutrition. The brief transcript, below:

me:  i've read a lot of conflicting recommendations on protein intake - some say about 30% of diet, others .5-.75gs x body weight in pounds. what's actually the right amount, and why?

F:  ok, so there's a big difference between protein "requirements" and optimal intake

The former is basically a count of the minimum protein that should be consumed before negative physiological reactions and muscle-wasting take place

most RDs (registered dietitians) use these silly metrics to make their claims

there's a big difference when it comes to goal-oriented protein optimization research

the ranges there are between .8gm/lb and 1.8g/lb

  

F:  here's one read that analyzes some of the relevant research

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/protein-requirements-for-strength-and-power-athletes.html

Essentially what we have are two things that make it different than recs for "protein to get by" 

1. We have body comp goals (i.e. preservation of lean body mass, and loss of fat) and 

2. We are lifting heavy weights

 F:  also, this is a nice wrap-up of a full series examining various aspects of protein sources (you can read all if you're interested, or just this one for the takeaways)

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/what-are-good-sources-of-protein-wrapping-it-up.html