7 SURPRISING SOURCES OF PROTEIN THAT AREN’T MEAT OR DAIRY

Most guys looking to gain love a juicy piece of chicken breast, and with good reason. Your body needs protein to build and maintain lean muscle. Plus, the essential macronutrient helps keep you full, regulate your hormones, and build strong bones.

Loading up on foods like fish, chicken, turkey, beef, eggs, and milk is the most efficient way to get enough protein, and research suggests you ideally want to aim for 30 grams per meal. Meat and dairy often contain a much higher amount of protein per serving compared to plant-based protein, explains Lisa Moskovitz, R.D., a nutritionist and certified personal trainer, so you don’t normally need to eat as much to reach your daily needs.

How Much Protein Can Your Muscles Absorb In One Sitting?

It would seem logical that the more protein you pack away during a meal, the bigger your muscles would grow.

But your body doesn’t work that way. There’s a certain amount of protein your muscles can absorb in one sitting.

“Skeletal muscle protein synthesis is maximized by 25 to 35 grams of high-quality protein during a meal,” says Doug Paddon-Jones, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition and metabolism at the University of Texas Medical Branch.

“Protein synthesis” is basically a fancy way of saying “building and repairing muscle.” Exercise creates microtears in your muscles. The harder you work, the more tears. Protein helps repair these tears, causing your muscles to grow bigger and stronger.

How Much Post-Workout Protein Do You Really Need?

BY RACHAEL SCHULTZ

Protein is essential for maintaining and building muscle, but you don’t need to gulp down a carton of raw eggs like Rocky to get the maximum benefit. Consuming 20 grams of protein after your workout should do the trick, report British researchers.

In the study, 48 men ingested zero, 10, 20, or 40 grams of protein immediately after a strength workout. The 20-gram and 40-gram doses more effectively stimulated muscle protein synthesis—the process that helps promote the muscle repair and growth after exercise—in participants than the lower amounts. However, the 40-gram dose didn’t produce any added benefit.