To maximize protein’s muscle-building benefits, there’s a lot more that goes into it than just slamming a protein shake after every workout. Today we’ll discuss the latest science on the best protein sources, how much protein you really need and how your protein intake should change with age, and then how exactly to eat it (e.g., should you care about post-workout protein?) to maximize growth.

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Typically, protein sources with the highest digestibility and the highest essential amino acid content are most effective at building muscle. E.g., protein powder, meat, fish, and dairy products. Plant based protein doesn’t score very well, but more on that later. That said, there is some new research suggesting that digestibility and amino acid content may not be all we should consider. A study found that whole eggs led to better muscle growth than egg whites. Although it’s unclear what made whole eggs superior, it may be linked to their cholesterol content and possibly some additional nutrients. Now I’m not saying to eat a diet exclusively of eggs based on this preliminary evidence, but it just goes to show that there may be some unique muscle building properties within protein sources that we are not yet aware of, and I’ll keep you guys updated with any new research. 

And what about plant-based protein sources? Surprisingly, a 2021 study found that a vegan diet and a primarily animal-based diet led to similar increases in both muscle size and strength. And this same result was shown in a similar study published just this year. However, researchers highlighted the outcome was likely heavily dependent on two things: eating enough daily protein as well as properly spreading out that protein throughout the day. 

How much protein should you eat? A meta-analysis found that protein intakes above 0.73 g/lb of bodyweight per day failed to help build any additional muscle. For the average 180lb individual person this would come up to around 130 grams of protein per day. And remember, this is to maximize growth. Even if you’re below this, you’ll definitely still be able to build muscle so don’t get discouraged if you’re unable to hit that target. That said, in all of the studies analyzed, subjects were eating at either maintenance calories or in a surplus. 

But what about when you’re in a calorie deficit? There is some speculative evidence suggesting that the leaner you get, and/or the more aggressive your diet is, the higher your protein intake should be to prevent muscle loss. But again, it’s relatively unclear. So I’d recommend if you’re maintaining or eating in a surplus, to maximize growth aim for a minimum of 0.73g/lb of bodyweight per day. I generally wouldn’t go above 1.2 g/lb of bodyweight since at that point, those additional calories may be better used towards carbs to help fuel your performance and energy in the gym. Whereas when you’re in a deficit, there’s no harm in bumping up your minimum protein intake to 1g/lb a day especially if you’re relatively lean. However, these protein recommendations are based on your total body weight. 

To truly maximize the growth you get from that protein, then how exactly you eat that protein throughout the day also matters. Theoretically, if you space out your protein evenly throughout the day (e.g., via post-workout protein), you’ll be able to keep your muscle protein synthesis levels elevated and provide a consistent signal for your muscles to grow. A 2020 study provides support for this. But what about increasing this further to 4, 5 ,or even 6 protein meals per day? Would that provide an even greater benefit? Well, a study compared the effects of spreading daily protein intake evenly across either 3 or 6 meals per day. After 8 weeks, there were no significant differences in muscle growth or any other measurement recorded. So use 3 meals as a minimum, but feel free to eat more than this if it helps make hitting your daily protein target more manageable. 

Now, pretty much all the research I’ve covered so far was done with young adults. But as you age, it seems like your body becomes less and less sensitive to protein. So, although yet to be directly studied, it seems that above around 60 years old is when making sure every meal has at least 30-40 grams from a high quality source may be beneficial for growth. Just always keep in mind that above all, your daily protein intake is what’s most important.

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The BEST Way to Use Protein to Build Muscle (Based on Science)