Research
Macro partitioning
Post-exercise protein intake (approx. 20g) maximizes muscle protein synthesis, but its impact on strength or hypertrophy is equivocal if total daily protein intake is adequate.
Eat about 20 grams of high-quality protein after your workout to maximize muscle building. However, don't stress if you can't do it immediately; your total daily protein intake is more important for long-term strength and muscle gains.
GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
Dose–response studies suggest approximately 20 g of high-quality protein is sufficient to maximize MPS at rest, following resistance, and after high-intensity aerobic exercise... In resistance training, where postexercise intake of protein was balanced by protein intake later in the day, increased adaptation of muscle hypertrophy resulted in equivocal strength performance effects.
Why this rating
Supported by dose-response studies and meta-analyses.
Source
Role of nutrition in performance enhancement and postexercise recovery
Kathryn L. Beck et al. · Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine · 2015
DOI 10.2147/oajsm.s33605
narrative_reviewCited 216×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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Related findings · Macro partitioning
- Total daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg/day is sufficient for maximizing resistance training-induced muscle gains, with an upper confidence interval of 2.2 g/kg/day.Strong
- Resistance exercise training combined with sufficient dietary protein intake acts synergistically to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy, with protein intake saturating around 1.6 g/kg/day for general populations and potentially requiring 2.0-2.2 g/kg/day for resistance-trained individuals.Strong
- Trans fats should be completely eliminated from the diet, as they increase LDL cholesterol, decrease HDL cholesterol, and are directly associated with increased coronary risk.Strong
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