How much protein should you consume and when?
As much as you can!! All jokes aside, the general advice from anyone you meet in a gym will be 1g per lbs of bodyweight or if they’re flogging a tub of whey protein for affiliate commission it will be “more is better bro”. In this article we will look at what the scientific literature says and come to a conclusion.
Adequate protein consumption is required to maintain a positive nitrogen balance in the body and prevent muscle loss. It’s the building blocks of muscle.
Before we get started I do want to state that this topic is controversial, it’s continually being researched and updated with the latest findings.
Whats below? ⬇️
How much protein is required Daily.
How much protein should be consumed per meal.
When you should consume protein?
Considerations for Vegans when it comes to how much protein.
Potential health concerns?
Summary of findings with Practical Applications & Key Takeaways.
How much? ⚖️
For reference all of these studies have been carried out on natural athletes, meaning those who are not using anabolics. These can increase how much protein your body can consume and get a use out of, due to their effects on Muscle Protein Synthesis. The below studies also do not take into consideration extreme levels of body fat on both sides of the scale, meaning very lean or very overweight.
A meta analysis by (Morton et al., 2017) [1], compared data from 49 different studies which included a total of 1863 people and found that protein intakes greater than 1.6g Per KG of Bodyweight did not add any benefit on fat free mass gains.
A study by (Hoffman et al., 2006) [2], looked at the effects of different protein intake levels on 23 collegiate strength / power athletes over a 12 week period. They were split into 3 groups consuming either 1-1.4g, 1.6-1.8g or 2g per kg of bodyweight per day. The results showed no difference between the groups in gains in body mass, lean body mass or fat mass. 1RM squat and 1RM bench also saw no difference between groups. The conclusion of the study was that there is no evidence to support greater protein intakes over the recommended level of 1.6-1.8g per KG of bodyweight.
*Note: 1.8g Per KG of Body weight is equal to 0.82g per lbs of Bodyweight.*
Restricting your Calories / On a cut? A review by (Phillips & Van Loon, 2011) [3] came to the conclusion that 1.3g-1.8g per KG of bodyweight consumed through 3-4 meals was sufficient enough to maximise Muscle Protein Synthesis. Interestingly they state protein ranges of 1.8-2.0g per KG of bodyweight may be beneficial against lean mass loss during calorie restriction diets for fat loss.
A 2022 meta-analysis published in the journal of sports medicine (Tagawa et al., 2022) [4], looked at data from 69 articles, using a dose response analysis with a spline model on muscle strength. They came to the conclusion that per 0.1g per KG of body weight increased total protein intake until 1.5g per KG of Bodyweight. After 1.5g no further gains were observed.
How much Protein per meal? 🍽
A study by, (Witard et al., 2013) [5], came to the conclusion that muscle protein synthesis was maximally stimulated with 20g of Protein ingestion per meal in resistance trained, young men weighing about 80kg.
On contrast, a study by (Macnaughton et al., 2016) [6], found that 40g of protein did increase muscle protein synthesis more than 20g, by a small margin.
Older Adults need more protein to gain the same muscle protein synthesis response as younger adults and seem to respond well to intakes of roughly 40g per meal as shown by this study ➡️ (Churchward-Venne et al., 2016) [7].
A Review in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (Schoenfeld & Aragon, 2018) [8], stated that to optimise muscle protein synthesis, you should consume 0.4g to 0.55g per KG of bodyweight per meal, until you reach your desired daily protein intake. For someone at 80kg, 0.4g would equate to 32g of protein per meal and 0.55g would equal 44g per meal.
When? ⏱
A review by (Stokes et al., 2018) [9], comes to the conclusion that consuming protein every 3-5 hours is sufficient to maximise muscle protein synthesis (MPS) over a 12 hour waking period.
Pre Sleep Recommendations? (Trommelen & van Loon, 2016) [10] suggests that 40g of protein is required to provide sustained MPS throughout the night.
Other factors to consider. 🥦
Daily requirements of protein consumption may need to increase on a vegetarian or vegan diet due to the low DIAAS scores associated with most of the protein sources from the food that fit in this category. We have a full in depth write up of this which you can find here ➡️ Which Protein Source is Best?
Essentially, a lot of vegan food sources do not have a complete amino acid profile and have low digestibility. So where you may consume 40g of protein from a vegan source, due to it’s poor digestibility your body may only be able to use 20g of that protein.
A Study by (Gorissen et al., 2016) [11], found you can offset the lower DIAAS score when comparing wheat protein to casein protein, by just consuming more of it. This suggests Vegans may require higher protein diets than people who mostly consume animal protein sources.
High Protein Diet Health CONCERNS? 🩻
This is a controversial topic and new studies are being published regularly researching potential health concerns, with some stating there is no basis to claim high protein diets can cause health issues and some stating they can. Below are the findings of several studies . So please, always consult a health professional before changing your diet or training routine.
Diets high in protein have often been labeled as bad for your kidneys. A Study by (Carbone & Pasiakos, 2019), [12] states that although high protein diets do increase renal workload, there is no evidence to support that it impacts kidney health.
(Delimaris, 2013) [13], looked at a total of 32 studies and came to the conclusion that you should stick within the recommended guidelines for protein intake, citing that high protein diets can lead to consuming more saturated fats. This can be navigated by eating lean sources of protein.
A review published in the Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, (Bilsborough & Mann, 2006) [14], suggest a maximum limit protein intake of no more than 2.5g per KG per day to avoid any adverse health effects.
Practical Applications & Key TakeAways? 🗝
The majority of scientific evidence leans towards a daily protein intake of 1.5g-1.8g per KG of Bodyweight to be a sufficient protein intake [1,2,4]
There is evidence that high protein intakes of 1.8g - 2.0g per KG of Bodyweight per day may be beneficial during a fat loss phase [3].
20g of protein per meal should be sufficient, with up to 40g of protein should marginally increased MPS [5,6] You can try following the guidelines of 0.4-0.55g per KG of Bodyweight Per Meal. [8]
Older Adults may need more than the suggested amount per meal with 40g of protein being sufficient [7].
Meal frequency of protein, every 3-5 hours to maximise MPS [9]
Bedtime protein consumption, aim for roughly 40g to sustain MPS throughout the night [10]
Vegans may need more protein to make up for lower DIAAS score food choices [11]
