Protein: the number to remember and the easy ways to reach it

Protein is the nutrient people most often under-eat when they start training, and the one most often over-complicated by supplement marketing. The useful number is simple.

The number

A 2018 meta-analysis of 49 trials found that muscle gains from resistance training plateau at around 1.6 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. For a 70 kg person, that's about 110 g. Going higher won't hurt, but the returns are small. Older adults may benefit from the higher end of the range because muscle becomes less responsive to protein with age.

If you're not training, the official minimum of 0.8 g/kg keeps you healthy, but most researchers now consider 1.0–1.2 g/kg a better target for general wellbeing.

What 110 g looks like

Spread across three or four meals, it's less daunting than it sounds:

• Breakfast: two eggs and 150 g Greek yoghurt — about 28 g
• Lunch: 120 g chicken breast in a salad or wrap — about 36 g
• Snack: a glass of milk and a handful of nuts — about 14 g
• Dinner: 120 g salmon with lentils — about 40 g

Without meat

Entirely possible, with slightly more attention. Tofu, tempeh, lentils, chickpeas, edamame, Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, eggs and seitan are the workhorses. Plant proteins are digested a little less efficiently, so aim for the top of the range and mix sources across the day. A pea or soy protein powder is a convenient, not essential, way to close the gap.

Timing matters less than total

Spreading protein across meals — roughly 25–40 g at a time — is modestly better than one huge dinner, but the daily total matters far more than the clock. The "anabolic window" after training is real but wide: a few hours, not thirty minutes.

What to do this week

• Work out your target: body weight in kg × 1.6.
• Track one ordinary day to see where you actually are. Most people are surprised.
• Add a protein source to whichever meal is lowest, usually breakfast.