All about Protein Intake: How much do you need and are protein supplements really necessary?

A hilariously weird AI image of Steak, Soy and Protein shakes

Proteins are an essential macro nutrient. They are integral building blocks of every cell in our bodies, supporting our immune system, building muscle and are vital to the function of our brains and nervous system.

So it is no wonder that protein is a hot topic these days, especially on social media where cutting through the noise and misinformation can be difficult.

I often hear from clients, particularly from strength athletes, that “I need a good protein powder” and I also often hear “I don’t want to take those protein powders” from my everyday clients.

My answer to both groups is the same: You don’t need a protein powder, but there are some cases where they can be useful…

Current recommendations for protein intake range from a minimum of 1.2g/kg for sedentary people to 1.6g if you are an athlete or exercise, and as high as 2.2-2.7g/kg when dieting.

In all of these cases, you can feasibly get your protein from whole food sources. Someone who is 70 kg, for example, would need 84g protein when sedentary, 112g when exercising, and as high as 154g at the very extreme end of dieting based on these recommendations. Let's look at how you could hit these numbers throughout the day, without supplementing.

We’ll say that you have 3 main meals and a snack or post workout meal (4 meals a day) during a typical day. The table below gives you an example of how this might work.

You can see, achieving your protein goal — even a very high one — can be achieved through whole food sources.

But what about protein supplements? Are there any situations where they can be useful?

As with many things in nutrition, it depends on the context. You can (and should) certainly aim to hit your protein requirements through diet alone, the majority of the time. This will ensure you benefit from a wider variety of nutrients, especially if you include protein from sources, and are more likely to feel fuller for longer between meals, plus whole food is usually more economical.

Wondering about plant sources? Current evidence demonstrates that you can build muscle and recover just as well using plant proteins as with animal protein. You may want to combine foods and aim for the higher end of the recommended intakes (upwards of 1.6g/kg) if you are looking to maximize growth and recovery.

When it comes to recovery from exercise or muscle building, consuming your protein evenly throughout the day with 0.4g/kg — 0.55/kg per meal will typically optimize your anabolic response. But there is no mechanistic incentive to worry about slamming a fast acting protein shake ASAP post workout. The most recent studies indicate that optimal total protein intake throughout the day is more important than the timing, highlighting that there is nothing inherently special about protein shakes when it comes to sport.

But there are two factors where protein powder can be useful. Convenience and personal preference. Struggling to prepare meals, palatability or just personal taste are all perfectly valid reasons for including a protein supplement.

Here are some scenarios where they might be helpful:

- You are on your way to work and can’t sit down for breakfast — you could opt for an RTD protein coffee, a piece of fruit and a bread roll. Or a quick protein smoothie as you walk out the door, or eat a protein supplemented porridge pot on the train.

- You’re an athlete with a busy schedule and a long drive home. It’s more convenient to down a protein shake and eat a couple of bananas quickly as you get in the car, before heading home for a main meal a few hours later.

- You don’t have access to high-protein whole food sources — examples of this could be camping, deployment, or it is more economical to buy a protein powder than buy whole foods.

- Solid meals don’t sit well digestively before or after exercise.

- Competition day, or multi event sport, and you need fueling close before, during or after and don’t want to risk digestive discomfort.

- Maybe you struggle with eating a high volume of solid protein, and the use of a nice tasting supplement means you can hit what you require without having to suffer through a meal.

- You are a dieting vegan or vegetarian wanting to ensure you have enough complete amino acids in your system after training, but struggling to control calories when selecting whole food sources.

You can see from these examples that although whole food should always be the foundation of a diet, protein supplements do have their uses, and there is nothing inherently wrong with using them. In the majority of cases, I typically recommend starting with a food first approach and assessing ease, training/competition scenarios, personal preferences, attitude, and economics before I make a recommendation.

If you are interested in including enough protein in your diet or optimizing your athletic performance and recovery, check out my coaching services. I offer nutrition consultations and mentoring programs designed to help you understand nutrition and get the most out of your diet.

References

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