The Biggest Protein Myths Debunked

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8g per kilogram of body weight per day, or about 0.36g per pound. This recommendation is designed to meet the needs of nearly all healthy adults. Your training, however, can increase what your body needs.

Protein supports the repair and maintenance of muscle tissue. When you exercise regularly, getting enough helps support recovery and the adaptations you’re working toward. That makes your activity level an important consideration when setting a daily protein target.

The International Society of Sports Nutrition identifies 1.4–2.0g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, approximately 0.6–0.9g per pound, as sufficient for most exercising adults to support building and maintaining muscle.

For people who exercise regularly, Aston Dommel, Product Science Manager at Momentous, recommends a practical daily target of 0.8–1.0g of protein per pound of body weight. For someone weighing 150 pounds, that’s 120–150g per day.

Training changes the context for protein recommendations. Athletes often need more than the RDA to support exercise and recovery. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) suggests that endurance competitors need 50 to 75% more protein (0.5–0.6g of protein per pound of body weight) than the RDA because of the increased metabolic demands and muscle breakdown caused by training.

Resistance training can require even more protein to repair muscle damage and prompt recovery, so the ACSM suggests a range of 0.5–0.8g of protein per pound of body weight for strength and power athletes. Dietary protein supplies amino acids that support muscle repair and growth. Consistent intake matters between workouts, too, while recovery continues. Though heavier male athletes might need more total protein than lighter females, a 2012 study found that 25g of protein was sufficient to stimulate muscle protein synthesis for both.

Your protein needs evolve as you grow, train, and age.

Young athletes need protein to support growth and development alongside the demands of exercise. Getting enough food overall, including regular sources of protein, helps support both. Their needs should be considered in the context of their age, development, and activity level.

Later in life, maintaining muscle becomes increasingly important for strength, mobility, and independence. Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and function, makes adequate protein and regular resistance exercise especially relevant.

The PROT-AGE Study Group recommends at least 1.0–1.2g of protein per kilogram of body weight daily, approximately 0.45–0.55g per pound, for healthy adults over 65. Active older adults may need more.

Age is one part of the picture. Your activity level and individual needs still matter when deciding how much protein belongs in your day.

A complete protein provides all nine essential amino acids in adequate proportions. These are amino acids your body needs to obtain from food.

Whey, eggs, meat, and fish are familiar examples. Plant foods can provide complete protein, too, including soy foods such as tofu and edamame, as well as quinoa.

Other plant foods contribute different proportions of amino acids. Eating a variety of legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds throughout the day can help you meet your needs. You don’t have to perfectly pair complementary proteins at every meal.

If you’re vegetarian, vegan, or allergic to dairy, you can also boost your daily intake with Momentous Plant Protein, which combines pea and rice proteins to provide a complete amino acid profile and 20g of protein per serving. 

One of the most common misconceptions is that if you get one protein-heavy meal per day, you can skimp on it in your other meals and snacks. However, a 2014 study found that evenly distributing 30g in each of the three main meals led to approximately 25% higher muscle protein synthesis over 24 hours compared to low intake during the first two meals of the day and a large amount at dinnertime. The International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends approximately 20–40g of high-quality protein per serving, with servings ideally distributed every three to four hours across the day.

A related myth is that you shouldn’t eat protein, or anything else, after dinnertime. In contrast, a 2019 review stated that ingesting additional protein at night increases overnight MPS (muscle protein synthesis) rates, while other research has shown that combining this with resistance training increases strength and muscle growth (hypertrophy). Ingesting 20 to 40g of protein 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime is a research-backed protocol.

Grams of protein are a useful starting point. Ingredient sourcing, formulation, and independent testing deserve a closer look, too.

Those details shape our Signature Spec™ proteins. The designation recognizes the additional work we put into sourcing, formulation, or testing to create products we can stand behind.

Momentous Whey Protein Isolate delivers 20g of protein per serving, sourced from grass-fed cows raised without antibiotics or added hormones. It’s cold-processed and formulated with ProHydrolase® enzymes to support digestion.

Momentous Plant Protein also delivers 20g per serving, combining pea and rice proteins sourced from the U.S. and Canada for a complete amino acid profile.

Both are NSF Certified for Sport®, with requirements covering label accuracy, specified contaminants, and screening for substances prohibited in sport. That provides independent checks on product quality and contents.

You deserve to understand the work behind the protein you take every day. That’s why sourcing, formulation, and verification all belong in the conversation.