Question regarding diet FAQ

[kbaum]

In the diet and nutrition FAQ, Bryan writes:

Quote[/b] ]The ability of the body to grow is effected by the ratio of protein to carbs. It is an inverted U shaped curve - or bell curve - where the top or highest point of the curve is a ratio of 12-15% protein to carbs (diet consisting of ~15% protein). At one peak you have all carbs, at the other you have all protein. It has to do with thermogenesis and hormones.

So, if a skinny guy wants to gain weight, he needs to plan a diet where he gets 15% of his calories from protein.
...
For a guy who isn't all that skinny, or even a little fat, he should increase his protien intake to 20-25%.

When Bryan refers to the ability of the body to "grow", does he mean grow muscle, fat, or simply weight?

 

[thedrivethruguy]

Well I would hope muscle ...HST, the hypertrophy of muscles in most cases. so i think muscle is a safe assumption

 

[Determined]

While I'm waiting for an expert commentary, I'll chime in...

Bryan has written that this is the most efficient ratio, meaning (my interpretation) that if your growth is limited by your intake, this may well be a direction you want to go (higher carbs). I think his & others' remarks about starting BF & goals suggest that fat growth will likely also increase as the % of carbs does. If you're a "hard-gainer" or can lose fat easily, then this approach would still seem a good one.

On a personal note, I've not reached 15% PRO yet, but have averaged about 23%, getting down to 18% for the 24 hrs. post-workout. This (& HST in general) has actually worked quite well for me, in that BF gains have been nill and LBM gains on the order of 1 #/mo. I've recently upped the carbs a bit more, seen LBM gains ~ 2 #/mo., but with some BF gain.