Protein helps only with exercise — how much to eat and why whole foods matter

Protein supports muscle repair, immunity, and satiety, but it rarely changes your body on its own. Kinesiology professor Stuart Phillips says protein is the "small dressing on top" — the benefits you see in the mirror require a substantial stimulus from exercise, particularly strength training two to three times per week.

Eating more protein without changing activity can lead to weight gain because excess amino acids are converted to fuel and, once stores are filled, to fat. Phillips aims for about 1.5 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily, near the upper limit of the Dietary Guidelines' 1.2–1.6 g/kg range; the average American intake is roughly 1.22 g/kg, with the highest consumers getting 1.58 g/kg or more.

To put that in practical terms, Phillips' targets work out to about 90 grams a day for someone who weighs 125 pounds, 110 grams for 150 pounds, and 145 grams for 200 pounds — roughly 30 to 50 grams per meal.

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