How Much Protein You Actually Need
Cut through the protein hype. Most people do well on about 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilo of bodyweight, and there is little benefit going higher, unless you are losing weight.
The official protein target (0.8 grams per kilo) was set to prevent deficiency, not to build or keep muscle. Phillips' research, and the big pooled studies in his field, land on roughly 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilo of bodyweight a day as the sweet spot for muscle. Past about 1.6, the extra protein does not add more muscle, so there is no need to protein-maxx. The main exception is when you are losing weight, where going a bit higher (up to around 2 grams per kilo) helps protect the muscle you have.
Why it works▼
Work out your daily target
This is the range the research supports for building and keeping muscle, well above the old deficiency-based number.
Split it across your meals
Your body can only use so much protein to build muscle in one sitting, so spreading it makes better use of what you eat.
Choose good-quality proteins
Higher-quality proteins trigger muscle building more effectively per gram.
Go higher when losing weight or older
Both dieting and ageing make it harder to hold onto muscle, so a little more protein helps.
Don't sweat the timing
Total daily protein is the biggest lever; timing is a minor detail on top of it, and the muscle-building response stays elevated for up to a day.
Do not bother going way higher
Phillips' consistent message: past the sweet spot, more protein is hype, not results.
- Anyone confused by conflicting protein advice online
- People building or trying to keep muscle, including on a weight-loss diet
- Older adults wanting to protect muscle as they age
- General education based on Phillips' published work, not a personalized nutrition plan.
- If you have kidney disease or another medical condition, get a protein target set with your doctor or dietitian.
- Protein on its own does very little for muscle without resistance training, see his training protocol.
- No products are sold here. You do not need protein powders to hit these targets, food works fine.
- July 9, 2026 Consolidated the separate 'Protein Timing and Quality' protocol into this page (added the timing step).
- July 3, 2026 Protocol published.
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Not medical advice. This page is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical care. Consult a qualified clinician before changing your health routine.
Independent curation. YourProtocol.ai is an independent platform. This protocol is based on the publicly available work of Stuart Phillips and is not created, reviewed, endorsed by, or affiliated with Stuart Phillips or McMaster University.