You Need More Protein If You’re Working Hard in the Gym—Here’s How Much

Jennifer Heimlich
·4 min read

Michael Houtz; Getty Images

Heading to the gym to lift a few weights can be a gateway drug to a whole wellness routine. Before you know it, you’re doing pre-workout mobility drills. You’re foam rolling, or using one of those fancy massage guns that make it look like you’re about to drill a hole into your thigh. And what about those $15 protein shakes they’re selling in the front lobby? If you don’t drink one after you work out, does all that energy you spent picking things up and putting them down become a waste of time?

That barista trying to upsell you on an extra scoop of protein powder may not have solid science backing him up, but it’s true that people who exercise regularly have higher protein needs than your average couch potato. Our bodies need the amino acids we get from protein—the building blocks of muscle—to repair the tissue that’s broken down during workouts.

Sports dietitian Sarah Gilbert, MS, RDN, LDN, CSSD, of the Sargent Choice Nutrition Center at Boston University points out that most Americans are already getting way more protein than they need. The US recommended dietary allowance for the average person is only .8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day, or around 70 grams—about two large chicken breasts—for a 195-pound guy.

On the other hand, while the exact guidelines vary, someone who’s, say, seriously into lifting weights or training for a marathon needs a good deal more than that. For instance, Ricky Ng, the director of performance nutrition at the Las Vegas Raiders, says the team keep players’ targets between 1.6 and 2.4 grams per kilogram—so, two to three times as much as the normal recommendations.

Timing Matters Too

Beyond eating enough, one common issue is timing protein intake incorrectly. Many of us will rely on mostly carbs at breakfast and as snacks, then eat a huge portion of meat at dinner. But in order to build muscle, you want to get protein three to five times a day, or basically at every meal and snack, says Ng. (Although it used to be recommended to eat protein within 15 to 60 minutes after a workout, that theory’s been debunked.)

Getting a steady drip of protein is important because our bodies can’t hold onto extra macronutrient the way it can with carbohydrates. Any excess that can’t be used immediately might be turned into sugar if we’re low on carbs, or stored as fat, says Gilbert. But if we’re low on protein stores when our muscles need them, our body might grab some from other muscle tissue, which is not great for growth. Ng says that without ample, steady protein intake, we might not see the progress we’d expect from workouts, or find that it takes an extra long time to recover from the gym, or get sick easily.

Not All Protein Is Created Equal

If you want to get granular about your protein, Ng says that sources rich in leucine are best for muscle growth, since that particular amino acid signals and drives protein synthesis. Also helpful, he adds, are proteins that come with omega-3s (which maximize anabolic potential, or the body’s ability to build and repair muscle tissues) and vitamin D (which signals muscle protein synthesis). “Key proteins for our players include salmon, pasture-raised eggs, kefir or Greek yogurt, chicken, and beef,” he says.

Fortunately, unless you’re predisposed to kidney problems, there aren’t major risks from overdoing your protein—though you could be getting more saturated fat than is good for your cholesterol if you’re pounding meat. And high-protein diets are sometimes missing out on other food groups, like dietary fats and fruits and vegetables that come with important vitamins and minerals.

Protein Only Matters If You’re Putting in the Work

Really, you just don’t want to eat more protein than you need, because there’s truly no additional benefit. So if you’re going straight from the gym to the office and won’t have time to eat anything else for hours, sure, a protein shake can be helpful. “But I don't think people need to feel like, Oh, I have to buy something specialized to meet my workout goals," Gilbert says. The real key to keep in mind is that you won’t build muscle just from downing protein—you still have to do the actual workout.

Originally Appeared on GQ

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