Protein Intake – Are You Overdoing It or Not Getting Enough?

Obsessing over protein intake isn’t actually helping.

When it comes to protein intake, new clients at Strength Lab tend to fall into one of two categories:

1. Under-consumers: Their daily protein intake is significantly below what it needs to be. This often results from not considering macronutrient content, leading to diets high in carbs and fats with minimal protein, usually only appearing at dinner.

2. Over-obsessors: They’re hyper-focused on protein, basing every meal around it and snacking on low-quality protein products like bars or protein-added ice creams. These often contain cheap proteins (like soy or wheat), are filled with low-quality ingredients causing digestive issues, and don’t taste great. This leads to discomfort and dissatisfaction, especially when compared to others enjoying their meals without such complications.

Here’s the issue: Many people adopt the athlete’s diet—high protein, numerous supplements, expensive gear—without committing to the athlete’s training regimen. If you’re not training like an athlete, you don’t need excessive protein. What happens to the surplus protein you consume?

You need enough protein to recover from your actual training—not the training you aspire to do. If your workouts are sporadic or based on generic online programs, approximately 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily is sufficient. For an 80kg individual, that’s about 144 grams of protein, achievable through three meals with 250 grams of meat each.

Exceeding this amount won’t provide additional benefits.

So, stop fixating on protein. Get your required amount from whole foods like meat and eggs. Allocate the rest of your calories to fats and carbs. Personally, I prefer meeting my fat requirements and using the remaining calories for carbs—they’re enjoyable, enhance training performance, aid recovery, and improve overall quality of life. But if you prefer a higher fat intake, that’s fine too. Just avoid unnecessary protein products.