How much protein do you actually need to build muscle?

Protein is talked about constantly in fitness, but most people are either significantly under-eating it or over-complicating it. Here's the practical answer — how much, when, from what, and why it matters more than most people realise.

Why protein is non-negotiable for body recomposition

You cannot build muscle without adequate protein. You also cannot maintain muscle through a fat loss phase without it. Protein provides the amino acids your muscles need to repair and grow from training — without a consistent supply, the stimulus from your training sessions produces no adaptation.

Think of food as information. When you eat sufficient protein consistently, you are signalling to your body that muscle is important and worth maintaining. When you are chronically under-eating protein, your body has no building material — and no reason to hold onto muscle it cannot afford to run.

This is why body composition and protein intake are directly linked. The women who get the best results aren't just training hard. They're eating enough protein (and carbs of course, but this is about protein) consistently, to actually support what the training is asking their body to do.

How much protein do you actually need?

Aim for 2 to 3 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day. For a person weighing 60kg, that is 120–180g of protein daily. For a person weighing 75kg, that is 150–225g.

This range accounts for different training volumes, goals, and metabolic histories. If you are in a fat loss phase, stay toward the higher end — adequate protein preserves muscle when calories are reduced. If you are in a maintenance or build phase, the lower end of the range is typically sufficient.

Do these figures surprise you? These numbers are higher than general population guidelines — and deliberately so. General guidelines are set for the average sedentary person. If you are training consistently with the goal of changing your body composition, you are not the average sedentary person.

Protein is the most important nutritional variable for body recomposition. Many people are hitting their calorie target and still under-eating protein significantly — and their results reflect it.

What around 130g of protein actually looks like in food

To put this in practical terms — ~130g of protein could look like: two scoops of protein powder, half a chicken breast, one medium steak, and a small tub of Greek yoghurt across a day. That is achievable without excessive effort, but it does require attention. Many people are probably eating half this amount, if that, when they first start weight training without guidance.

Good protein sources to build your meals around: quality red meat (steak, mince), chicken thigh and breast, whole eggs, wild-caught fish and salmon, full-fat Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, and protein powder as a supplement when needed. If you are plant-based, prioritise tempeh, legumes combined with grains, and a quality plant-based protein powder.

Avoid processed meat substitutes and heavily processed protein bars as your primary sources. Real, minimally processed food — where you know exactly what is in it — will always produce better results than processed alternatives with the same protein count on the label.

When to eat your protein

Distribute protein across your meals throughout the day rather than concentrating it in one sitting. This is typically much easier than trying to hit your target in one or two large meals. 

Research has shown that the body does not simply discard protein consumed beyond an arbitrary per-meal threshold — larger protein doses are processed over a more prolonged period, with amino acid utilisation remaining elevated for up to 12 hours. A 2023 study found that 100g of protein following resistance training produced a greater anabolic response than 25g, with no upper saturation limit identified.

Prioritise protein at every meal. For example, a serve of meat, fish, or eggs at lunch and dinner, a protein-rich snack mid-morning or afternoon (like high protein Greek yoghurt, boiled eggs, a protein shake), and a protein-containing meal or snack before training. This gives your body a steady supply of amino acids across the hours when it needs them most.

Eating protein before bed is also important. Protein combined with fat before sleep slows digestion, keeps you satisfied through the night, and provides your body with amino acids during the overnight recovery period when muscle protein synthesis is active.

What about protein powder?

Protein powder is a supplement — meaning it supplements a diet that is already built on whole food sources. It is a useful and practical tool for reaching your daily target, particularly on days where whole food sources are harder to fit in. Just ensure it contains 5g carbs or less per serving, you want to be paying for protein not fillers, so the higher protein per serve the better. 

A good quality whey protein isolate or concentrate is fine for most people. If you are dairy-free, a quality plant-based blend works well. Use it to fill gaps — a scoop mixed into yoghurt, oats, or a smoothie — not as a replacement for meals.

The bigger picture

Protein targets are important — but so is the quality of the food you're eating. Processed sources that technically hit your protein number but are packed with additives, emulsifiers, and low-quality ingredients do not produce the same results as whole food equivalents. What your body gets from a piece of steak or salmon goes far beyond the protein count.

The simplest approach: build every meal around a quality protein source, eat consistently across the day, use whole foods where possible, and supplement with protein powder when needed to reach your target. Track it until you know what it looks and feels like. Then it becomes automatic.

References

Jäger R et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 14, 20. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5477153/

Trommelen J et al. (2023). The anabolic response to protein ingestion during recovery from exercise has no upper limit in magnitude and duration in vivo in humans. Cell Rep Med, 4(10). https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(23)00435-8

Trommelen J & van Loon LJC (2016). Pre-sleep protein ingestion to improve the skeletal muscle adaptive response to exercise training. Nutrients, 8(12), 763. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5188418/

Snijders T et al. (2019). The impact of pre-sleep protein ingestion on the skeletal muscle adaptive response to exercise in humans: an update. Front Nutr, 6, 17. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6415027/