How much does protein powder help build muscle?

Whatever your fitness goals are, you have probably thought about protein powder at some point. After all, protein is the building block that muscles are made of, so you want to make sure you are getting enough. If you are struggling to get enough in your diet, protein powder is a great place to turn.

But how effective is protein powder at building muscles? First, let's look at how protein works to build muscle in the first place.

How do I build muscle?

In order to build muscle, you have to work them first! Resistance training, or lifting weights, causes hypertrophy - essentially microscopic tears in your muscle fibres. So by lifting weights, you are literally tearing your muscles apart and building them back up. That's pretty cool, hey?

Protein plays an important role in supporting your muscles after a workout as part of a balanced diet. Your body makes protein from amino acids, which are also contained in protein shakes. There is a whole bunch of science behind this, but that's the basics.

Does protein powder help build muscle?

A high protein diet is essential for building muscle, and protein shakes make it easier to increase your protein intake. However, it is possible to get enough protein from your diet alone, making protein shakes unnecessary. Use our protein calculator to work out how much protein you should be having per day.

If you are having trouble hitting your protein requirements from food alone, then a protein powder could be the best way to go. Some research suggests that combining whey protein supplementation with regular exercise may support lean body composition goals compared to exercise alone.

What's more, there are studies that suggest that protein shakes may help support lean body composition as part of a balanced diet and exercise programme during periods of weight management.

Is protein powder enough to build muscle?

Protein powder works, as long as you do! That's the easy answer, however the long answer depends on what your goals are.

Many men who are trying to build muscle are also trying to lose fat at the same time. This is all well and good, but sometimes these goals can be at odds. They'll take plenty of protein, but cut down on their overall calories. This means that a lot of that protein is being burned off as fuel rather than being used to build muscle. So if you are trying to build muscle, make that your focus and be sure to consume plenty of calories.

If your goal is to lose weight, swapping one of your snacks for a protein shake may help manage your overall calorie intake as part of a balanced diet and exercise programme. Check out our article on protein powder for weight loss

Just keep in mind that protein shakes are not the only way to follow a high protein diet. A high protein diet by definition includes more than 0.8g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day. It is possible to achieve this through high quality foods like fish, chicken, eggs, meat and soy. However, if you find that difficult to maintain, then protein powders are a great way to go.

In terms of building muscle, protein powder will help by boosting your overall protein intake. As we mentioned before, they may be digested more quickly than whole-food protein sources. Protein powders are generally considered more rapidly digested than whole-food protein sources due to their finer particle size. The downside of this is that they won't keep you as full for as long as food will. So before you go chugging shakes 24/7, make sure that you balance a good quality protein shake with healthy food sources of protein too.

Another crucial element of protein intake is timing. Our bodies don't have an efficient method for storing protein. So making sure you get your protein in when you need it is important. You should aim to have a good hit of protein within an hour of your workout. For some people, this makes protein shakes the ideal way to make this happen.

Does protein powder help build muscle faster?

The benefit of protein powders for muscle gain is that they are absorbed quickly, meaning the protein is available for your body to use quicker. So if you drink a protein shake straight after your workout, then the protein may be digested more quickly. In this situation Whey Protein Isolate is a rapidly digested protein option. It is a popular choice to include as part of a post-workout nutrition routine.

So whilst it is important to get enough protein in your diet, and consume protein at the right time, consuming too much protein won't make you build muscles any faster. Sorry.

What's the verdict?

So, to summarize, yes, protein is essential for building muscle. However, that protein does not necessarily need to come from protein shakes. You should aim to get as much protein from food as possible. However, protein shakes using a high quality protein powder can help get you over the line. Just remember: protein is not the be all and end all of good nutrition. Make sure you are getting plenty of nutrients from your fruit and veg too.

The best thing if you are looking to up your protein intake and get stuck into your training, hit up our collection of protein powders and find the right one for you. And depending on your fitness goals, you may want to consider a pre workout or a fat burner to help you push that little harder in the gym.

Is whey protein actually good for building muscle?

Yes, and it is the best-evidenced protein supplement there is. This is one of the few places in the supplement aisle where the marketing and the research broadly agree.

Whey is a complete protein, digests quickly, and is unusually high in leucine, the amino acid most associated with triggering muscle protein synthesis. That combination is why it is the reference product other proteins get compared against.

The important qualifier: it works because it is protein, not because it is whey. If you are already hitting your protein target through food, adding whey does very little. It earns its place on convenience and on filling a gap, not on being magic.

Is two scoops of whey a day okay?

For most healthy adults, yes. Two scoops is roughly 40 to 50 g of protein depending on the product, which is a reasonable contribution to a day's intake rather than an extreme one.

Whether it is right for you depends on the rest of your diet. If you already eat protein at every meal, two scoops on top may push you past what is useful. If you struggle to eat enough, two scoops is a sensible way to close the gap.

Count it as part of your total, not in addition to it. That is the mistake that turns a helpful supplement into unnecessary calories.

Why do some doctors and dietitians say no to whey protein?

The objections are mostly reasonable, and worth knowing even though we sell it.

• Most people already eat enough protein. In Australia, average intake exceeds requirements for the majority of adults. If you are already meeting yours, a powder adds cost rather than benefit.
• Whole foods bring more with them. Chicken, eggs, dairy, fish and legumes carry micronutrients and fibre that a powder does not.
• Supplements are less tightly regulated than food. Buying from established brands matters.
• It can displace better options. A shake instead of a meal is usually a nutritional downgrade.

What is not a good objection is the claim that whey damages healthy kidneys. That is not supported by the evidence. Existing kidney disease is a genuine caution and requires medical supervision, but that applies to protein generally.

Where to go next

• How many shakes a day, and how much protein you need.
• Is more protein better?
• Are BCAAs worth taking?