How Much Protein per Meal Can You Use to Build Muscle Mass?

How much protein can the human body absorb per meal? That might be one of the most frequently asked by anyone interested in muscle gain and strength.

In this article, you’ll learn:

The minimum amount of protein per meal you need for building muscle effectively.
The ideal amount of protein to eat in one meal to maximize muscle strength and growth.
The maximum amount of protein your body can use for muscle building.

Key Points:

Your body can absorb all the protein you give it. However, not all of it is used to build muscle.
According to older research, you can use roughly 30–40 grams of protein per meal to build muscle. However, current research suggests that the upper limit is much higher, 100 grams of protein per meal or even more.
Nothing bad happens if you eat more protein than you need for muscle-building. Higher protein intakes are not harmful, and your body will still use the protein, only not to build muscle. Instead, you increase protein synthesis in your gut, skin, liver, and other organs and decrease the protein breakdown in your body.
Even though there doesn’t seem to be an upper limit to the amount of protein you can use for muscle-building purposes from a single meal, spreading your protein intake out over the day is still ideal for most people from a practical standpoint.
If you are older than ~60, you need more protein per meal to build muscle properly. Shoot for 40 grams or more every meal, post-workout or not.
Does any of this matter if you’re not a high-level strength athlete or bodybuilder? Possibly not. It’s probably not worth the effort to go beyond comfort and convenience for the typical gym rat. Total daily protein intake > any timing and distribution tricks.

Table of Contents

Protein Basics for Building Muscle and Strength

Protein is the nutrient for building muscle. Dietary protein provides the building blocks – amino acids – to create and repair muscle and other body tissues.

The daily protein requirements for someone looking to build muscle and strength are higher than the recommended daily intake for an average person.

According to dietary guidelines, the typical adult should eat around 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram (0.36 grams per pound) of body weight per day. The Dietary Guideline for Americans recommends that 10–30% of your daily calories come from protein. That’s enough protein for moderately active adults to maintain muscle mass and meet their nutritional needs.

However, your protein needs increase significantly if you want to build muscle and strength effectively. The recommendation ranges from 1.2 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (that equals 0.5–1 gram per pound).¹ ² ³

How much protein per meal: high or low protein diet. — *Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2018 Nov 1;28(6):580-585.*

Eat too little protein, and you’ll struggle to put on lean muscle mass.

If you consume too much, meaning an excessive protein intake above what your body needs, nothing terrible happens, as long as you don’t have a medical condition where a high-protein diet is not advised. No adverse consequences (including cancer, kidney disease, kidney stones, and osteoporosis) of high protein intakes have been identified.⁴ Excess protein is simply used for energy.

How Much Protein Per Meal Can You Use?

Now that you know the optimal protein intake per day for building muscle, let’s move on to the burning question: How much protein per meal can you use?

First, let us clarify the question. There is often a certain misunderstanding about what this really means.

Taken literally, as in how much protein can be absorbed before an excess is eliminated through the feces, the amount is higher than is practically relevant. You can concentrate your entire daily protein intake into a single meal and absorb it all. You only find traces of protein in the urine and feces of healthy humans, regardless of how much protein they eat.

The intestinal capacity to absorb protein is not limited to the amount of protein in a can or two of tuna.

It also makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. If that had been the case, and gorging when the opportunity presented itself had only resulted in a protein-rich bowel movement, humankind probably would not have survived to see modern times.

The actual question is probably “How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building?” The answer to this question is more complex. Just because your body has absorbed the protein from a meal does not mean it can utilize it all to synthesize muscle protein.

What does the science say?

Anabolic Response to Protein Intake at Rest

These studies measure muscle protein synthesis after protein consumption at rest. “At rest” means you haven’t performed strenuous physical activity or worked out before eating.

After lifting weights, your muscles are more sensitive to amino acids from the protein you eat and drink for at least 24 hours.⁵ That means your muscles respond more powerfully to protein for an entire day after strength training. It also means measuring muscle protein synthesis responses after a workout does not necessarily produce the same results as measuring them when you haven’t lifted for at least a day.

2009 Study: 30 Vs. 90 Grams of Protein

One of the cornerstone studies looking at how much protein per meal you can use to build muscle is from 2009. Since then, it has been referenced as showing that you only need a moderate amount (~30 grams) of protein to stimulate muscle protein synthesis maximally.⁶

In the study, 34 subjects, both young and older adults, received servings of lean meat, providing either 30 or 90 grams of protein.

One group received a serving of 113 grams of meat, providing 220 calories.
The other group was served 340 grams of meat, providing 660 calories.

The researchers calculated muscle protein synthesis rates for 5 hours following the meal and found that both the small and the large meal increased muscle protein synthesis by approximately 50%. Regardless of age, 30 grams of protein stimulated muscle protein synthesis just as much as 90 grams.

30 g or 90 g protein in one meal and muscle growth

Previous research shows that the number of calories in a meal does not affect muscle protein synthesis the hours after eating it. This study confirmed those earlier findings – despite a threefold increase in energy content, the larger serving did not result in more added muscle protein.

The researchers concluded that instead of eating one or two large, daily protein-rich meals, dividing your total protein intake into multiple moderate-sized meals might be a more effective way to optimize muscle growth.

One important caveat is that this study was limited to measuring muscle gain over five hours. The researchers did not look at what happened after that point.

Later Research

Several later articles find that there probably is no practical upper limit to the anabolic response to the amount of protein consumed in a single meal.⁷ ⁸

They find that the more protein you consume in a single meal, the better your protein balance, meaning the difference between protein synthesis and protein breakdown.

However, as usual, there is always a “but”.

The studies showing “no upper limit to the anabolic response to the amount of protein in a single meal” at rest do not look at muscle protein synthesis per se.

Instead, more protein consumed in a single meal means greater whole-body protein synthesis. That means not only your muscles but also your gut, skin, intestines, and other organs.

That does not have to be something negative, but it is probably not your intended goal when chugging your protein shakes.

Few other studies look at the effects of consuming more protein than 40 grams at one time. However, a 2019 study had 18 men consume either 30 or 70 grams of whey isolate.⁹ A third group received a placebo drink with 0 grams of protein.

Unfortunately, this study did not measure muscle protein synthesis. However, it looked at the levels of amino acids in the participants’ blood over three hours.

How much protein per meal: 30 vs 70 grams of hey protein.

Circle = 0 grams of whey protein isolate.
Square = 30 grams of whey protein isolate.
Triangle = 70 grams of whey protein isolate.

As you can see, amino acids levels remained significantly higher after three hours in the 70-gram group. That means the body can still use them to further muscle protein synthesis. And that’s even though whey isolate is a super-fast protein that previously has been thought to build muscle only for a couple of hours.

These results suggest that you can extend the time you build muscle from a protein-rich meal simply by increasing the amount of protein it contains.

All other types of protein break down much slower than whey protein isolate, so larger amounts of slow proteins, like chicken breast, eggs (whole and egg whites), Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and other dairy products, likely provide your muscles with building materials for even longer.

Anabolic Response to Protein Intake at Rest: Summary

In summary, 30–40 grams of protein per meal seems ideal for maximizing muscle protein synthesis at rest.
That being said, only a few well-controlled studies look at higher amounts, and those only do so for up to five hours.
Newer research suggests that the upper limit of how much protein per meal you can use at rest to build muscle might be significantly higher than previously thought. However, that remains to be tested in controlled studies.
For practical purposes, eating 30–40 grams of protein per meal spread throughout the day is a sensible approach for most people.

Anabolic Response to Post-Exercise Protein Intake

Is there any difference in how much protein per meal the body can use for muscle-building purposes if the protein meal is preceded by strength training?

The answer is likely yes, especially in the light of new research.

Resistance training enhances amino acid sensitivity for 24 hours, which implies that you could consume a smaller dose of protein and still stimulate muscle protein synthesis effectively.

In one study from 2008 subjects, researchers gave healthy young men 0, 5, 10, 20, or 40 grams of egg protein after a leg day workout.¹⁰ Muscle protein synthesis peaked at 20 grams of protein, after which it plateaued—doubling the amount of protein only marginally increased muscle protein synthesis further.

In a 2014 study, subjects ingested 0, 10, 20, or 40 grams of whey protein post-exercise.¹¹

The results were the same, with a plateau at 20 grams of protein, after which a further intake primarily increased amino acid oxidation.

This study also showed that 10 grams of protein is not enough to stimulate muscle protein synthesis significantly after a strength training session. You want at least 20 grams to kickstart the muscle-building processes.

Full-Body Workouts Require More Protein

The results of a 2016 study indicate that a post-exercise protein intake larger than 20 grams can be beneficial.¹² In this study, the subjects ingested 20 or 40 grams of whey protein following a full-body workout. In previous studies, only the effect of protein intake after working one muscle or one muscle group had been studied.

After the full-body workout, 40 grams of protein boosted muscle protein synthesis to a greater extent than 20 grams. The response was not double that of 20 grams but 22% greater.

Over the course of a more extended period of time, even 22% more muscle protein following each workout would amount to a significant difference.

How much protein per meal: 20 vs 40 grams of whey.

The researchers also found that the amount of lean body mass did not affect the anabolic response to the amount of protein ingested. Instead, how many muscles you train might set the limit on how much protein you utilize post-exercise.

In other words, if you regularly do full-body workouts or at least train more than one muscle group, you might benefit from increasing your post-workout protein intake.

New 2023 Study: 100 Grams of Protein for Better Gains?

In 2023, a new study shattered earlier speculations about how much protein per meal you can use to build muscle after a workout.¹³

In this randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial, 36 young men between 18 and 40 received 0, 25, or a whopping 100 grams of milk protein after a full-body workout.

Four sets of 10 repetitions for the leg press, leg extension, lat pulldown, and chest press. A decent workout, in other words, especially since most sets were to muscular failure at 80% or the participants’ 1RM.

The researchers then measured the amino acids appearing in the bloodstream and how many were incorporated into new muscle tissue over 12 hours, more than double the time of earlier studies.

The results showed that 100 grams of post-workout protein is superior to 25 grams.

The massive protein intake led to greater uptake and more new muscle protein for the entire 12-hour period.

Grey circle = 25 grams of protein.
Black circle = 100 grams of protein.

More and more amino acids from the 100-gram protein intake kept appearing in the blood for 12 hours.

Grey circle = 25 grams of protein.
Black circle = 100 grams of protein.

More and more amino acids were also incorporated into new muscle protein for the entire 12-hour period after consuming 100 grams of protein, and the number kept rising.

What does this mean?

It means that you can likely consume a really big amount of protein, at least 100 grams, after training and use it all to build muscle. Not literally, of course – after 12 hours, 13–14 grams had been incorporated as muscle protein – but the point is the process was still going strong when the study ended.

This is a very well-controlled study, going much further than previous studies in design and the amount of time examined.

However, there are still things we don’t know.

This study used milk protein, a very slow-absorbing type of protein. Does the same apply to 100 grams of whey protein isolate, which you absorb rapidly? The authors of the study suggest that this might be the case, but it has not been tested.
The results do not show you can eat or drink 100 grams of protein post-workout and get another muscle-building boost just a few hours later.
Will your actual muscle gains differ from consuming one meal of 100 grams of protein compared to four meals of 25 grams or 3–4 meals of 30–40 grams during those 12 hours after working out?
Does this mean you can further stimulate muscle protein synthesis with 100 grams of protein per meal at rest, too? Maybe not. The authors themselves note that the “higher values observed in the present study are attributed to the prior exercise bout that stimulates amino acid incorporation by skeletal muscle tissue.”

These questions remain for the future.

However, this study simplifies protein intake tremendously for anyone looking to build muscle. You don’t have to fiddle with meal distrution and time your protein intake to a certain number of grams at a specific hour. Up to ~2.2 grams of protein/kg of body weight/day is still enough to maximize muscle and strength gains, but how you spread it out on your training days is likely far less relevant.

In practical terms, consuming 30–40 grams of protein per meal after training might still be ideal for most people. Not everyone enjoys eating or drinking a 100-gram protein feeding, and your stomach might protest if you give it that much in one sitting.

What About Muscle Breakdown?

Another factor when it comes to muscle growth is muscle breakdown.

Muscle fiber hypertrophy is the result of a positive muscle protein balance. You achieve a positive balance when muscle protein synthesis over a certain period exceeds that of muscle protein breakdown.

If muscle protein synthesis is larger than muscle protein breakdown, the result is anabolism and muscle hypertrophy.

Your muscle protein balance during a single moment in time or a short period is not very relevant. Sure, it might be of academic interest, but it does not translate to hypertrophy or muscle loss over time. Even if your protein balance is negative – you lose lean mass – at a particular time and under a specific condition, the protein balance of the entire day can still be positive.

Large amounts of muscle protein breakdown can occur during the day, for example, through physical activity, with the result still being a positive muscle protein balance at the end of the day.

Measuring muscle protein breakdown is easier said than done. A needle biopsy collects cells from a muscle and, in the process, damages the muscle fibers. This makes it hard to determine whether naturally occurring processes or the invasive procedure caused the observed muscle damage.

Instead of measuring breakdown directly through invasive biopsies, researchers use indirect biomarkers of muscle protein breakdown, like creatine kinase levels in the blood. Those results do not translate directly with actual muscle protein breakdown. High creatine kinase levels can also result from activities stimulating muscle growth, like resistance training. In that case, are those high levels detrimental to hypertrophy? Probably not.

Effective Muscle Protein Synthesis Requires Effective Muscle Protein Breakdown

Recent research indicates that suppressing muscle protein breakdown beyond what everyday life and nutrition accomplish might not be desirable if your goal is to maximize hypertrophy. That might sound paradoxical, but both logic and physiological mechanisms back the perspective.

A recent review article suggests no known benefits to suppressing muscle protein breakdown when your goal is muscle hypertrophy.¹⁴ Such strategies might even be counterproductive since robust muscle protein synthesis requires a robust system of muscle protein breakdown to remove damaged proteins efficiently and prepare the muscle to add new proteins.

Your body re-uses amino acids from muscle protein breakdown to build new muscle, meaning suppressing muscle breakdown would also decrease the number of available building blocks for building muscle.

That does not mean that you should strive to maximize muscle breakdown. The take-home message is that trying to manipulate muscle protein breakdown and suppress it is unnecessary at best and might even be counterproductive. If you focus on stimulating muscle protein synthesis, muscle protein breakdown takes care of itself. It is a necessary part of muscle growth.

Older People Require More Protein

Sometime after age 60, a phenomenon called amino acid resistance manifests itself.¹⁵ This means that an older individual requires more protein per intake to stimulate muscle protein synthesis maximally compared to a younger individual.

As an older adult, you can accomplish this by increasing the amount of protein in your meals or adding extra protein like a protein supplement or shake. The first alternative can be impractical since protein is the most satiating of the essential macronutrients, and getting older often means a decreased appetite.

As an older adult, you should always try to get at least 40 grams of protein per meal if you want to build muscle. You can likely benefit from even more, especially after a training session, but massive amounts might not always be practical or palatable.

Practical Recommendations

You don’t have to eat every third hour to gain muscle mass or become stronger. One meta-analysis examined the effect of meal frequency on body composition and found no significant difference between few and many meals.¹⁶ If there is such a difference, it certainly is not a large one.

For most people, spreading your meals and protein intake out over the day in moderate servings is likely the most viable approach. You don’t overload your stomach and feel bloated or sluggish like a boa constrictor after a huge meal.

However, do you enjoy eating a few large meals daily rather than many small ones? Maybe you practice intermittent fasting?

No problem.

You can reach your body goals with any meal frequency. This has been shown in practice many times. It is also possible that such a meal pattern makes it easier to lose or keep a low body fat percentage.

Note that you should include all the protein in your diet when calculating your protein intake, not just high-protein foods like lean meats, fish, eggs, and protein powders. A bowl of oatmeal with milk and eggs provides amino acids from all three protein sources, including the whole grains. Even if one food article in isolation does not provide a complete protein, protein from whole foods complement each other when part of a varied diet.

Strength training is the most important thing for muscle mass and strength. Your total protein- and energy intake per day, over extended periods, make it possible for your training routine to give you the desired results. Meal- and protein frequency might be the icing on the cake, but they will not make or break your gains. The best results are often the results you get from doing what you like, not forcing yourself to follow a diet or a training program you feel an aversion to.

For individuals older than 60–65 years of age or those following a plant-based diet, it might be prudent to increase the protein content of each meal by 5–10 grams. In the first case, because you need more protein to boost muscle protein synthesis as you get older, and in the second, because plant-based proteins do not provide the same amounts of the essential amino acids as animal proteins.

It might not be 100% optimal to eat your entire daily protein intake in a few large meals, but the differences won’t be crucial.

Ninety-seven percent optimal can get you pretty far.

Conclusion: How Much Protein Per Meal?

So, let’s summarize! How much protein per meal can you use to build muscle?

There is likely no practical limit to how much protein your body can absorb.
The evidence suggests that there might be a limit to how much protein per meal you can use for muscle-building purposes. Current evidence does not lend clear support for more than ~40 grams per meal, although there are too few studies looking at higher amounts for this number to be set in stone.
Post-exercise, you need at least 20 grams of a good source of protein like whey for a robust muscle-building response. You can double that amount to 40 grams if you’re a senior lifter. Also, the more muscles you train, the more protein you can use.
The upper limit of how much protein per meal you can use to build muscle after a weight training session is unknown, but likely at least 100 grams. This has only been tested with slow-uptake protein, and it is not certain a fast protein like whey would work the same.