The post-workout anabolic window is one of those ideas that captured fitness culture so completely that people forgot to check whether they were hitting basic targets first. Spend ten minutes on any nutrition forum and you’ll find people debating 30-minute versus 60-minute post-training windows while eating 100g of protein a day on a body that weighs 80kg.
That’s the wrong problem to be solving.
The Numbers Most People Are Actually Missing
Current evidence broadly supports a protein intake of around 1.6g per kilogram of bodyweight per day for people training consistently, with some research suggesting benefits up to 2.2g/kg in certain contexts - particularly in a caloric deficit or with high training volume. For an 80kg person, 1.6g/kg means 128g daily. Most people who think they eat ‘high protein’ are landing somewhere between 90g and 110g and calling it close enough.
It isn’t close enough. At a consistent 20–30g deficit per day, that accumulates into a meaningful shortfall in muscle protein synthesis support over weeks of training.
Tracking for three days - not estimating, actually logging - usually reveals the gap immediately.
Why Timing Gets More Attention Than It Deserves
Timing is a more interesting variable to think about. It feels precise and optimisable in a way that ‘eat more chicken’ doesn’t. There’s also a grain of truth in it: protein distribution across meals does matter, and research does suggest that spreading intake across three to four meals rather than concentrating it in one or two produces better muscle protein synthesis responses. But that’s a refinement, not a foundation.
Distributing 90g across four meals is still 90g.
What Actually Moves the Needle
The practical fix is straightforward, if unexciting. Anchor each meal around a protein source large enough to contribute meaningfully - roughly 35–45g per sitting if you’re eating three meals, since the evidence suggests muscle protein synthesis responses plateau somewhere around 40g per meal in most adults, though individual variation exists.
Breakfast is where most people lose the most ground. A meal that’s 80% carbohydrate with a side of two eggs isn’t a high-protein breakfast. Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, eggs with a protein source added, or a shake alongside real food all work. The source matters less than the quantity.
Once the daily total is consistently met, then timing, distribution, and source quality become worth thinking about. Not before.