The world of nutrition information is a scary place. Take a scroll on social media or watch mainstream media for a while and I’m sure you’ll hear about some food you’ve been eating or drinking for a while being labelled as ‘bad’ for you (Fake News Right). Although social media has been a great way to disseminate health information and a great way to reach people around my age, a lot of the information is often inaccurate or low quality (PMID: 37138366). For example lol:
But let’s zoom in on the heavyweight champ of the nutrient world: protein. Step into any gym and you’re bound to overhear debates about its consumption - how much, when, what kind, and whether it's secretly plotting against your kidneys. It’s like a bro-science showdown, but does it stack up against real science? Today, we’re unravelling the mystery of protein: what it does, how much you need, when to slurp that shake, and some special considerations for the seasoned athlete.
Part I: How Does Protein Contribute to The Body & What Are the Current Recommendations?
In the game of muscle, protein is the MVP. Picture this: your muscles are in a constant tug-of-war between growth (muscle protein synthesis or MPS) and breakdown (muscle protein breakdown or MPB). When MPS flexes its muscles more than MPB, voilà, you've got gains. The two primary stimulants of this process are physical activity and nutrient bioavailability. As protein consumption is a major contributor to this process it obviously becomes important to consume enough to support muscle building especially if you are working out or participating in sport (or even if your main activities consist of mowing the lawn and manning the BBQ). Health Canada recommends that daily intake should be .8g/kg (and you gotta dig a lot on the website to find this info).
From my research, this number seems to be underdosed, especially for athletes or those who are older. Newer studies using newer methods to analyze these recommendations put the value needed for most in the 1.2-2.0g/kg/day. Some studies specific to bodybuilders put the value closer to 2.7g/kg/day! (PMID: 32548960, 31247944)
Part II: Protein Timing & Type
When to take your protein and which type to take seems to be one of the biggest debates I’ve noticed when talking with fellow gymgoers and patients. I don’t know how it started, but I think every person who goes to the gym has the common knowledge that as soon as you get home you have to slam down a protein shake within 30 minutes. In actuality, this doesn’t seem to be the case. The absolute GOAT bodybuilding researcher, Brad Schoenfeld, has done a couple studies looking into this and determined current evidence doesn’t seem to support the claim that immediate consumption of protein pre or post-workout is necessary. Rather, to support max anabolism (AKA GAINS) one should consume a target intake of .4g/kg/meal across a minimum of 4 meals to reach the minimum of 1.6g/kg/day that was previously discussed (PMID: 29497353)
In terms of protein type, there is still so much mixed evidence when it comes to determining the best protein sources. Regardless, it seems that supplements with complete EAA profiles (with adequate amounts of leucine), quick digestion and high overall bioavailability attenuate MPS the best.
Part III: Key Recommendations
Here are my 7 key recommendations if you want to dial in your protein consumption:
How Much Protein Do You Get A Day?
<1.0g/kg/day
1-1.5g/kg/day
1.5-2g/kg/day
>2g/kg/day
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