How much protein do I need to gain muscle?

Protein is needed for both building and repairing muscle, so you might think to gain more muscle quickly you need to eat extra protein. This isn’t the case.

Muscle growth happens when we exercise, especially with resistance exercise (such as lifting weights, carrying heavy bags of shopping or doing body weight exercises like push-ups or sit-ups) and when we eat enough protein.

Most of us in the UK are already getting plenty of protein – more than the recommended amount. The recommendation is 0.75g of protein per kilo of body weight per day, which works out as 56g (2oz) a day for a 75kg (11st 11lb) man and 45g (1½ oz) a day for a 60kg (9st 6lb) woman.

Having regular meals with sources of protein during the day should be enough

Protein is found in a wide range of foods. To give you an idea of how easy it is to get enough protein from food, a small pot of plain yoghurt contains 7g of protein, an average chicken breast fillet 24g and half a tin of baked beans 10g.

For most people, eating a little more protein isn’t harmful, but any that your body doesn’t need will be broken down and used for energy or stored as fat, rather than be made into muscle.

It’s also advised that we don’t eat more than double the amount recommended (not more than 1.5g per kilo of body weight per day), as too much protein might cause problems for some people. If you have problems with your kidneys or liver, talk to your dietitian or doctor before changing the amount of protein you eat.

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If you’re actively trying to build muscle with exercise it might be more useful to know when to eat protein than how much. Exercise will prepare the body for muscle growth, so eating a meal with a good source of protein or having a snack with some protein after exercise might be helpful.

However, don’t get too hung up on eating as soon as you stop exercising. The effects of exercise on muscle growth can last for 24 hours, so just having regular meals with sources of protein during the day should be enough.

Meet the expert

Victoria Taylor is a registered dietitian with 20 years’ experience. Her work for the NHS focused on weight management and community programmes for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. At the BHF she advises on diet and nutrition.