Protein and Your Exercise Routine: Why It Matters

Whether your goal is building muscle, quicker recovery times, or improving performance, protein plays a crucial role in your daily exercise routine.

But why?

Protein is important because exercise can cause minuscule tears in your muscle fibers, and to repair and rebuild those muscles, you need amino acids. Protein is made up of amino acids, therefore, you need protein in your diet.

But how much protein do you really need?

What are the benefits of protein?

Getting enough protein not only helps repair your muscles and helps with quicker recovery times, but it can also reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) so you’re not as achy after a tough workout.

With the right amount of protein, a quicker recovery means you’ll be better prepared for your next session. Plus, if you’re training hard, doing intense workouts, or eating in a calorie deficit, protein can play a key role in preserving lean muscle mass.

How much protein do you need in your diet and after a workout?

How much protein you need depends on your weight and activity level.

According to the Mayo Clinic, protein should make up 10% to 35% of your daily calories. So, if you eat 2,000 calories a day, 200 to 700 of those calories should come from protein—roughly 50 to 175 grams.

To maximize the benefits, it’s ideal to consume 10 to 30 grams of protein within an hour after your workout to support muscle repair and recovery.

How can you calculate how much protein you need?

To meet your minimum daily nutrition requirements, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) says you should eat 0.36 grams of protein for every pound you weigh, according to Harvard Health.

This number goes up depending on how active you are.

To calculate your daily protein intake, multiply your weight in pounds by 0.36, or use the online protein calculator provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Is it better to eat protein before or after a workout?

The short answer is, after.

While it’s beneficial to eat protein before a workout and throughout the day to help fuel your muscles, reduce muscle breakdown, and give you sustained energy, post-workout protein is generally more important for muscle recovery and growth.

When is it too late to eat protein after a workout?

It’s important to eat protein within 30 to 60 minutes after a workout. This is your “anabolic window.”

Your anabolic window, also known as the protein window or metabolic window, is when your body is most primed to use protein efficiently.

While it’s generally believed that during this window your body is more sensitive to insulin and more efficient at transferring nutrients into muscle cells, recent studies have shown that the window can last several hours and it’s never “too late” to get your protein in after a workout.

Protein is a non-negotiable

No matter your fitness goal—whether it’s building strength, improving endurance, or simply recovering faster—protein is a non-negotiable part of the process. From supporting muscle repair to reducing soreness, getting the right amount of protein at the right time can make a big difference in your results.

But knowing how much you need is only part of the equation—what you eat matters, too.

Not sure where to start? Check out our article on the Top High-Protein Foods and Meals to Boost Your Diet.