Protein is important to help with muscle hypertrophy, but more quantity is not always synonymous with better. Protein needs vary from person to person, based on age, body, training plan, goals. Recreational athletes should aim to get between 1.1 and 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (about 75 - 95g/day for a 68kg athlete). Advanced athletes need more and should ingest 1.2 to 2.0g of protein/kg of their body weight per day.

Studies show that eating about 20 to 30 grams of protein (or 10 g of essential amino acids) during exercise or the recovery period stimulates protein synthesis. However, higher doses (more than 40g of protein at one time) do not increase protein synthesis. Another important point is the protein source - high-quality proteins, such as eggs, milk and meat, are more easily digested by the body and contain all the essential amino acids necessary for muscle hypertrophy.