Protein Distribution: What's Important for Strength and Hypertrophy
Will Dyson ·
A practical, evidence based framework for setting daily protein intake and distributing it across meals without making nutrition unnecessarily complicated.
Protein receives a disproportionate amount of attention these days... And although for the better - I'd far rather we be here than when saying the word "protein" was near synonymous with steroids - there's still a lot of context and balance to be learned, starting with timing. For most people, the first priority is still the total amount of high quality protein consumed across the day, wherein distribution and timing needn't even be mentioned until after that daily target is consistently met.
Start with the daily target
Most studies (such as this large meta-analysis) consistently conclude that the lion's share of the benefit the average active individual can reap from protein for muscle growth and recovery sits at around 1.6-2 g protein per kg of body mass per day. There are other other factors such as energy restriction (i.e. a caloric deficit), very high training volumes, food preference and individual tolerance which can/may justify a higher target, however.
Then work on precision
Once your daily total is secure and consistent, dividing protein across three to five meals/snacks is the next sensible approach. A practical target is approximately 0.3 to 0.5 g/kg per meal. Four meals at 0.5 g/kg would provide 2.0 g/kg across the day while giving each meal enough protein to (near) maximally stimulate muscle protein synthesis (the process that drives muscle growth and recovery) in most adults.
| Body mass | Per meal | Four-meal total |
|---|
| 60 kg | 24 g | 96 g |
| 80 kg | 32 g | 128 g |
| 100 kg | 40 g | 160 g |
Example protein distribution using four meals at approximately 0.4 g/kg per meal.The "classical" belief is that protein synthesis is maximally stimulated at 40 g/meal however, for academic reasons that would involve me trailing you through 12 years of history since the pivotal - and excellent - work of Areta and colleagues, there is a little more nuance and freedom than it might otherwise suggest. For instance, other recent work by Trommelen et al. that showed increased and near proportionate responses to single servings of protein as high as 100 g per meal when compared to 25 g per meal.
Graphical abstract from Trommelen et al. (2023).
Post workout protein isn't special
The concept of there being a heightened narrow window of responsiveness to protein is often referred to as "the anabolic window". This has caused many to believe that they must ingest protein rapidly immediately following training, else they remain fools that have missed out on this golden opportunity for gains! However, fortunately, this is a myth, with no evidence to support any significant benefit of rapid protein ingestion post-exercise when total daily protein requirements are equated.
The reality is that resistance training increases the muscle response to protein for many hours, so there is no need to treat the post workout window as a blue light emergency as some would have you believe... A protein containing meal within a few hours before or after training is generally sufficient, provided that total daily intake is appropriate.
Protein distribution should make the daily target easier to achieve, not make eating more complicated.
Application without overengineering
- Choose a daily target based on your bodyweight.
- Divide it between the number of meals you can repeat sustainably (for most, that's 3 squares (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) and 1-2 snacks.
- Anchor each meal with good quality protein sources (e.g. chicken, fish, tofu, seitan, high protein dairy etc.) that you enjoy.
Remember - a plan is only worth following when it's practical in the face of work, family life, busy training weeks etc. The objective is a broadly repeatable structure with enough flexibility to stay relatively accurate when circumstances change.
References
- Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, et al.. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2018, vol. 52, no. 6, 376-384. Source
- Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA.. How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2018, vol. 15, 10. Source
- Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al.. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2017, vol. 14, 20. Source
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