Lean body mass encompasses all parts of your body except fat. Your muscles, bones, internal organs and skin all comprise your lean body mass. To maintain your lean body mass requires a minimum daily protein intake. Consuming less than this minimum level of protein may result in a net loss of lean body mass as your body breaks down your muscle to meet its other protein needs.
Protein Basics
Protein plays many important roles in your body. In addition to synthesis of immune cells, hormones and enzymes, protein provides structure to your body in the form of muscles and organs. The proteins you eat break down into individual amino acids, and these amino acids then reform into new proteins as your body requires them. Because your body does not store individual amino acids, you must consume a minimum quantity of protein on a daily basis to consistently supply your body with these building blocks.
Protein Quality
The amount of protein you need to take in daily depends to some degree on the quality of the protein you eat. Nutritionists classify proteins as complete or incomplete. Complete, or high-quality, proteins supply all the essential amino acids; that is, the amino acids your body cannot synthesize and must receive through your diet. All animal sources of protein and a few plant-based proteins fall into the high-quality category. Incomplete proteins lack at least one essential amino acid. Although you may combine incomplete protein sources to create an amino acid profile that contains all the essential amino acids, you will generally need to eat more overall incomplete protein than if you select a complete protein source.
Protein Requirements
Your age, state of health and level of fitness all help determine your minimum protein intake. Registered dietitian Nancy Clark advises active individuals to consume 0.6 to 0.7 g of high-quality protein per pound of body weight. If you are highly active or sedentary, you may need more or less than this amount of protein as a minimum. Her recommendation does not take lean body mass into account, however. Bodybuilding.com suggests the 1980 U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance for protein set at 0.8 g per kg of lean body weight is a sufficient minimum for you to maintain your current muscle mass but not enough if you want to build muscle.
Other Considerations
Because protein is such a vital macronutrient, consuming enough protein every day helps you maintain optimal health. Consult with your health-care practitioner or a dietitian regarding concerns about protein intake specific to your personal situation.
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