Research

Macro partitioning

Male gym-goers are significantly more likely to consume protein supplements than females, primarily to gain muscle mass, with consumption often occurring immediately post-exercise.

If you are a male gym-goer in Saudi Arabia, you are statistically likely to use protein powder (1-2 scoops) right after your workout to build muscle. Be aware that nearly 70% of users experience gastrointestinal side effects like nausea or diarrhea. If you are female, you are less likely to use them, often preferring bars or snacks. Regardless of gender, verify your protein needs with a professional, as coaches are the main source of advice but may not be nutrition experts.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
males (68.7%) had significantly (p < 0.001) higher consumption of protein supplements than females (35.6%)... Gaining muscle mass (56.1%) followed by compensating for protein deficiency (28.6%) were the most important reasons for taking the supplements... Taking protein supplements right after exercise was most common among those using protein supplements.
Manan Alhakbany et al. · Healthcare · 2022

Why this rating

Cross-sectional survey design limits causal inference but provides robust descriptive statistics on prevalence and demographics.

Source

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Use of Protein Supplements among Saudi Adults: Gender Differences

Manan Alhakbany et al. · Healthcare · 2022

DOI 10.3390/healthcare10020394

cross_sectional · n=352Cited 17×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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