Protein Requirements in Practice – How Much Do You Really Need?

Protein is often described as a cornerstone of muscle growth, recovery, and overall health. At the same time, there is widespread confusion about how much protein is actually necessary in practice—especially for people who are not aiming for maximal muscle hypertrophy. Too little protein can contribute to loss of muscle mass and function, while excessively high intakes rarely provide additional health benefits. The key question is therefore: what is enough, and for whom?

The role of protein in the body

Protein is essential not only for building and maintaining muscle tissue, but also for the production of hormones, enzymes, immune components, and transport proteins in the blood. Unlike fat and carbohydrates, the body has no dedicated storage for protein, making regular dietary intake crucial.

With increasing age, illness, or prolonged inactivity, the body becomes less efficient at using dietary protein to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. This phenomenon helps explain why older adults and clinical populations often require higher protein intakes than young, healthy individuals.

Recommendations – minimum versus optimal intake

The Nordic Nutrition Recommendations suggest a minimum intake of approximately 0.8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for healthy adults. This level is sufficient to prevent deficiency but does not necessarily represent an optimal intake for preserving muscle mass, strength, or physical function.

Current research indicates that intakes in the range of 1.2–1.6 g/kg/day are more appropriate for physically active individuals, older adults, and people undergoing rehabilitation. In these groups, higher protein intake is consistently associated with better maintenance of muscle mass, improved strength, and superior functional outcomes over time.

Protein in physiotherapy and rehabilitation

In physiotherapy practice, protein intake is particularly relevant during rehabilitation after injury, surgery, or periods of immobilization. Resistance training without adequate protein availability leads to blunted adaptations, especially in older patients.

Protein distribution throughout the day also appears to matter. Evenly spreading intake—for example, 20–40 g of protein per meal—stimulates muscle protein synthesis more effectively than consuming most protein in a single meal. This has practical implications for patient education and lifestyle counseling.

Common myths

A persistent myth is that higher protein intakes damage the kidneys in healthy individuals. Current evidence does not support this claim. In people without preexisting kidney disease, moderate to high protein intakes have not been shown to impair renal function.

Another misconception is that protein is only important for athletes or bodybuilders. In reality, protein may be even more critical for older adults, patients with chronic disease, and individuals recovering from injury or illness.

Summary

Protein requirements are highly individual and depend on age, activity level, and health status. While minimum recommendations may be sufficient to avoid deficiency, they are often suboptimal for maintaining muscle health and physical function. In both prevention and rehabilitation, protein should be considered an active component of the intervention—not merely a background dietary consideration.

Sources

1. Bauer, J., Biolo, G., Cederholm, T., Cesari, M., Cruz-Jentoft, A. J., Morley, J. E., … Boirie, Y. (2013). Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 14(8), 542–559. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2013.05.021

2. Deutz, N. E. P., Bauer, J. M., Barazzoni, R., Biolo, G., Boirie, Y., Bosy-Westphal, A., … Calder, P. C. (2014). Protein intake and exercise for optimal muscle function with aging. Clinical Nutrition, 33(6), 929–936. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2014.04.007

3. Morton, R. W., Murphy, K. T., McKellar, S. R., Schoenfeld, B. J., Henselmans, M., Helms, E., … Phillips, S. M. (2018). A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of protein supplementation on resistance training–induced gains. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(6), 376–384. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608

4. Nordic Council of Ministers. (2023). Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023. https://doi.org/10.6027/nord2023-002