[hlnx1]

Most athletes now know total protein matters. Fewer think about quality, which mostly comes down to the amino acid profile and how digestible the protein is.

What the research generally supports:

• Leucine is a key trigger for muscle protein synthesis; animal proteins such as dairy, eggs and meat tend to be richer in it
• Around 0.3 g/kg of high-quality protein per meal, roughly 20-40 g for most people, appears to be enough to maximise the response in that meal
• Plant proteins can work well, but you often need a bit more of them, or a blend (for example pea plus rice), to reach a similar leucine content
• Total daily intake, commonly 1.2-2.0 g/kg for athletes, still matters more than any single meal

Background on timing and synthesis: protein timing and muscle protein synthesis.

Do you pay attention to protein source, or only to the total grams?

[hlnx1]

A practical way to think about it: 30 g of whey or a couple of eggs with some milk gets most people to an effective leucine dose without effort. With plant sources, aim a little higher per meal, around 35-40 g of protein, or combine sources across the day.

Soy is one of the more complete plant options; mixing legumes and grains also helps.

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