Everything You Need To Know About Protein

In this article, I’m going to tell you everything you need to know about protein.

By the end of the article, you’ll know what it is, how it’s going to help you in the gym and how much you need every day for your goals. 

Let’s jump in.

What is protein?

Proteins are strands of building blocks called amino acids strung together. 

Think of proteins like a chain. Each link on the chain is an amino acid. 

There are 20 total amino acids, 9 of which are considered essential. This is because our body can’t produce them and needs to get them from food (I’ll get into this later in the article when I talk about protein quality).

These amino acids can be arranged in different combinations to form different proteins. Depending on the combination of the amino acids and the order, your body will use them for different purposes. 

The main purpose we’re concerned with is building muscle! (or keeping muscle, if you’re trying to lose weight..)

How does protein build/maintain muscle?

Muscle is created through a process called muscle protein synthesis. Muscle protein synthesis is the creation of new muscle proteins. These proteins make up different parts of a muscle cell.

When you eat protein from your diet, your body breaks down the protein into amino acids, and uses them for whatever processes it needs. Strength training triggers muscle protein synthesis, telling your body to create new muscle proteins.

Your body can also break down muscle proteins for other processes in the body through a process called muscle protein breakdown. 

Throughout the day, your body fluctuates between muscle protein synthesis and muscle protein breakdown. If overall muscle protein synthesis is greater than muscle protein breakdown, you will build muscle. If the opposite happens, you will lose muscle.

Check out the chart below. The solid line represents muscle protein synthesis (building muscle) and the dotted line represents muscle protein breakdown (breaking down muscle proteins). After a meal, muscle protein synthesis is spiked. During a fasted state, muscle protein breakdown occurs. 

The overall balance of muscle protein synthesis and muscle protein breakdown is the most important factor in building muscle (or retaining muscle in a calorie deficit). 

How do you maximize muscle protein synthesis?

If you’re interested in building muscle or retaining muscle while losing weight, then having a positive balance of muscle protein synthesis to muscle protein breakdown should be important to you.

The most important factors when optimizing muscle protein synthesis are training consistently and the overall amount of protein you consume. What type of protein you consume, how those protein feedings are spread out and the timing of them are also important, they just matter less.

With those concepts in mind, let’s get into how much protein you need, what kind, and how often.

How much protein do I need?

The current recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams/kg (0.36 g/lb) of body weight (1). For a 180 lb male, that breaks down to about 65 grams of protein per day. 

So that’s it then, right? 0.8 g/kg of bodyweight should be enough protein to maximize muscle growth, preserve muscle while in a calorie deficit, and support the needs of athletes competing in various sports?

Not exactly..

There has been a ton of research done on protein requirements and why the RDA is outdated (it’s from 1980) and whether or not it’s adequate for all populations (spoiler alert: it’s not). 

For example, in 2009, researcher Donald Layman compiled a review called “Dietary Guidelines should reflect new understandings about adult protein needs”. 

In the review, he argues that most adults would benefit from higher protein intakes than the current RDA. He also explains that when you are in a caloric deficit, your protein requirements will be higher in order to preserve muscle mass (2). 

A review by Phillips et al compiled evidence from over 75 studies and papers, and arrived at a recommendation of 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg (0.55-0.73 g/lb) of body weight for the general adult population (3). 

For a 180lb male, that’s between about 98 and 130 grams of protein per day! Much more than the current RDA of 65 grams..

These recommendations are for the general population and focus on healthy adults. They do not take into account athletic or dieting populations, which require a higher protein intake.

What about athletes?

According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg of bodyweight (0.64-0.91 g/lb) per day is sufficient for athletes (4). 

That breaks down to between about 115 and 163 grams of protein per day for a lean 180 lb male athlete.

While these numbers tend to be a good starting point, it’s important to consider what sport you do. If your sport requires you to cut weight (like wrestling), you might need more protein, and you’d be better off following the requirements for being in a calorie deficit (which I outline below). Additionally, if you are in a sport that requires a lot of lean muscle mass (like a football lineman or shot putter), you might want to follow the requirements for building muscle (also outlined below).

It’s also important to note that carbohydrates play a very important role in providing fuel for athletes. Going much higher than what’s outlined for competitive athletes isn’t necessarily better, because it means you’ll have to consume less carbohydrates which can ultimately lead to lower performance.

What if I’m trying to lose weight?

When you’re trying to lose weight and in a calorie deficit (meaning you are burning more calories than you consume), getting enough protein will make sure that you burn mostly body fat, and not muscle. 

Protein is also more satiating than carbs or fats and your body requires more energy to break it down. This means that you’ll burn more calories eating a high protein diet than a low one (it’s not a huge number of calories, but they can add up..).

Therefore, your protein needs will be higher when your overall calories are reduced.

The steeper the calorie deficit you are in, and the leaner you are, the more protein you will need in order to preserve muscle (5).

A 2019 review found that 1.6 to 2.4 g/kg (0.73-1.1 g/lb) of body weight per day is needed when trying to preserve muscle while in a calorie deficit (6). 

Another review of 6 studies found that 1.9 to 2.5 g/kg of body weight (0.86-1.14 g/lb) per day is beneficial for maintaining muscle mass in a deficit (7). 

That’s about 130 to 204 grams of protein per day for a 180 lb male. 

I would recommend sticking to the higher end of the range when trying to maintain muscle in a calorie deficit. You’ll be fuller for longer (which will help you stay in a calorie deficit) and burn a bit more calories than when you’re eating less protein.

How much protein do I need to build muscle?

It’s important to note that first and foremost you most likely need to be in a calorie surplus to gain muscle. It is possible to gain muscle in a calorie maintenance and even calorie deficit in certain conditions, but to optimize muscle gain you’ll need to consume more calories than you burn.

The reason is that when you’re in a calorie deficit, you are depriving your body of energy and nutrients. This leads your body to signal less muscle protein synthesis, which can favor a balance of muscle protein breakdown (remember the chart above).

More calories also give your body energy for training sessions. The extra energy allows you to add volume and intensity to your training.

How big of a surplus do you need? 

As a general guideline, beginners need anywhere from 20-40% more calories than maintenance, and intermediate to advanced lifters need between 10-20% more calories than maintenance.

If you want to know how many calories you should be eating to build muscle, you can use my calorie calculator below.

Cal’s Calorie Calculator

To maximize muscle gain, studies tend to show that 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg of body weight (0.73-1 g/lb) per day is enough when maximizing muscle growth (8, 9).

That’s about 130 to 180 grams of protein per day for a lean 180 lb male. 

Normally, I reccomend 2.2 g/kg (1g/lb) of lean body weight when figuring out protein for a muscle building diet. It still leaves plenty of room in your diet for carbs and fats, and ensures that you’re getting enough protein to build muscle.

The problem with basing protein needs on weight

Most studies focused on protein use a total bodyweight number. The issue is that if you are overweight or underweight, you can end up overshooting or undershooting your protein needs.

If you know your body fat percentage, you can calculate your lean mass and simply use that number. 

If you don’t know your body fat percentage, a simple way to calculate your protein needs is to use your goal body weight.

If you’re 180 lbs and want to lose 20 lbs, you’d simply use 160 lbs as your goal body weight and base your protein needs off that number.

Similarly, if you’re a 150 lb skinny guy who wants to put on 15 lbs of muscle, you would base your protein needs off of 165 lbs.

And if you’re happy with your body weight and you’re looking to maintain your current physique, you can just use your current body weight.

Protein quality 

Animal protein sources like chicken, steak, eggs, whey protein powder and fish are considered to be higher quality than vegetable sources like grains, beans, and nuts.

The quality of the protein refers to the amino acid content of the protein source, as well as its digestibility. 

Remember that amino acids make up protein, and there are nine that our body cannot produce on its own that we need to get from our diet. These are called essential amino acids (EAA’s).

Animal proteins contain much higher levels of EAA’s than plant proteins, particularly an amino acid called leucine (10).

Leucine is important because it has been shown to stimulate muscle protein synthesis (11).

So if you eat 25 grams of protein from almonds, and 25 grams of protein from chicken breast, the protein from the chicken will contain higher levels of leucine and therefore stimulate muscle protein synthesis to greater extent than the almonds. 

Can you build/ maintain muscle on a vegetarian/ vegan diet?

Short answer- yes, and it’s been proven in a study that compared two groups of trainees where  the only difference was the type of diet they consumed (12). 

Long answer- yes, but you have to make sure you know what you are doing!

Because plant proteins contain less of the EAA’s than animal proteins, it’s probably a good idea to consume the higher end ranges of protein to make sure you’re getting enough.

It’s also important to get your protein from a variety of sources. Different plant sources have different levels of amino acids, and when eaten together, can complement each other to create more complete profiles (13).

An example of this is grains (rice and oats) and legumes (black beans or lentils). When consumed together, the amino acid profiles complement each other and create a higher quality protein than either alone. 

I would also recommend looking into a high quality plant based protein powder. It should come from a blend of protein sources, like pea and rice, or pea and seed protein. 

Does protein timing matter?

If you’ve been working out for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard that you need to immediately drink a protein shake after you workout. Otherwise you’ll lose all your gains, bro!

The origin of this idea came from short term studies that showed greater elevations in muscle protein synthesis when amino acids (from protein) were consumed post workout.

The issue with this is a temporary spike in muscle protein synthesis doesn’t necessarily mean a greater balance of overall muscle protein synthesis to muscle protein breakdown. 

Remember that in order to build muscle, you need a greater balance of muscle protein synthesis to muscle protein breakdown.

So even if muscle protein synthesis is spiked after a training session, your overall protein and food intake will determine whether you are in a positive balance of muscle protein synthesis.

Dr. Brad Schoenfeld, one of the leading researchers on muscle growth, conducted a study on protein timing in 2018. He found no significant difference in muscle growth during the 10 week study (14).

He notes in a separate review paper- “Based on current evidence, it appears clear that any effect of protein timing on muscle hypertrophy, if in fact there is one, is relatively small. Total daily protein intake is by far the most important factor in promoting exercise-induced muscle development.” (15).

So as long as you have a meal within a 3-5 hour window around your workout, you’re probably fine.

The exception here would be if you train fasted. If training fasted is your only option, and you’re looking to maximize muscle growth or muscle retention, it’s probably a good idea to consume protein pretty quickly after you finish your training session.

How much protein should I consume each meal?

You may have heard the myth that you can only absorb so much protein in one meal, and the rest will go to waste.

This is simply not true. 

Your body will utilize the amino acids in the protein for various functions in your body, but it might not put them all towards building new muscle proteins.

Research shows that if you want to maximize your potential for muscle growth or muscle retention, it’s probably a better idea to evenly spread your protein out over a minimum of four meals.

This is because it appears that muscle protein synthesis is maximized at around 0.4-0.55 g/kg (0.18-0.25 g/lb) of protein per body weight per meal (16).

If you’re aiming to get 1.6 g/kg (0.73 g/lb) of protein per day, that’s around 30 grams of protein over four meals for a 180 lb male.

On the higher end of the protein range, to get 2.2 g/kg (1g/lb) of protein per day you’d need to eat four meals with around 45 grams of protein per meal. 

Keep in mind that total protein intake is much more important for building and retaining muscle than how much you have in any given meal.

Is too much protein bad for your kidneys? 

A common myth surrounding high protein diets is that they put a lot of strain on your kidneys. 

Research shows that this isn’t the case.

A study looking at high protein intakes of 2.6-3.3 g/kg for 4 months showed no significant changes to any health markers, including kidney function (17).

What about long term effects of a high protein diet?

Another study looked at the effects of a high protein diet for one year (six months at around 2.5 g/kg and 6 months at around 3.3 g/kg), and again showed no adverse effects on kidney function (18).

Wrapping up

Getting enough protein is the key to helping you build muscle, keep muscle in a calorie deficit, and helping you stay fuller for longer.

Research shows that going higher than the RDA can be beneficial not just for body composition, but overall health as well.

Most people don’t eat nearly enough protein, which is going to make reaching your fitness goals difficult.

So start incorporating some high protein meals into your diet, bring some high protein snacks with you on-the-go, and start seeing the benefits of eating more protein.