Many people who exercise regularly incorporate rest or “off” days into their weekly workout routines. On these days, you take a break from intense exercise to allow your body to recover and rebuild. This is an important part of any fitness plan. However, you may wonder whether you still need to eat a lot of protein on your rest days. Here is a quick overview of how protein intake on off days can impact your goals:
- Protein helps repair and build muscle. Consuming adequate protein on off days enhances muscle protein synthesis and recovery from your workouts.
- Not eating enough protein during rest periods can hinder muscle growth. However, you may not need as much protein as on workout days.
- Getting the right amount of protein on off days optimizes strength and muscle gains over time.
Read on to get a more detailed look at protein needs on rest days and how to determine the optimal intake for your goals.
Why Protein Is Important on Off Days
Here are some of the key reasons why getting adequate protein on your non-training days is beneficial:
Muscle Repair and Growth
Exercise causes tiny tears in muscle fibers. Your body then repairs and rebuilds the muscles to become bigger and stronger. This muscle protein synthesis (MPS) process relies heavily on protein. Consuming protein provides amino acids that are the building blocks used for repairing and growing muscle tissue.
Getting sufficient protein in your diet on a daily basis aids recovery by enhancing MPS rates on rest days. Studies show protein supplementation can boost MPS rates by 25-50% after both resistance and endurance training.
Over time, optimizing protein intake on off days leads to greater muscle development. One study found participants who consumed a protein-rich meal immediately after exercise had a 24% increase in muscle mass after 12 weeks, compared to no significant change in the low-protein group.
Maintain Muscle Mass
Not consuming enough protein during inactivity or calorie restriction causes the body to break down muscle for energy. This loss of muscle mass is one way inadequate protein intakes sabotage your fitness goals.
However, taking in ample amounts of protein when you are not working out activates cellular pathways that inhibit muscle breakdown. Several trials indicate higher protein intakes preserve lean muscle when cutting calories and losing weight.
Getting sufficient protein on rest days can help maintain the muscle mass you worked hard to build. Over time, this leads to better body composition.
Fuel Recovery
Vigorous workouts cause metabolic stress and microscopic muscle damage at a cellular level. This tissue breakdown activates certain pathways within muscle cells to kickstart the repair process.
Protein feeds this recovery process by providing amino acids to facilitate muscle repair and reinforce the cells. The body is primed to absorb more protein immediately after exercise.
Therefore, a post-workout protein-rich meal or supplement ensures your body has ample building blocks to optimize recovery on training days. However, maintaining higher protein intakes on off days can sustain the enhanced rebuilding and adaptation process.
How Much Protein Do You Need on Off Days?
So protein remains crucial even when you are not training to:
- Enhance MPS to repair exercise damage
- Build bigger, stronger muscles over time
- Prevent muscle breakdown during inactivity
- Provide fuel for the recovery process
But how much protein should you aim for on rest days to reap these benefits? Here are some general protein intake guidelines based on your goals:
For General Health
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight (or 0.36 grams per pound). This equals:
- 56 grams per day for the average sedentary man
- 46 grams per day for the average sedentary woman
This basic protein RDA meets the needs of most non-active people. However, more protein provides additional health perks like preserving lean muscle and appetite control. Older adults may also need extra protein to counteract age-related muscle loss.
For Muscle Gain and Strength
If building muscle is your goal, shoot for:
- 0.7-1 gram per pound of body weight
- Or 1.6-2.2 grams per kg of body weight
Consuming protein within this range maximizes muscle protein synthesis. It also allows you to gain muscle effectively when combined with proper training.
Spreading this daily protein evenly across meals ensures your body has a steady supply of amino acids to continue repairing and growing muscle on rest days.
For Endurance Athletes
Endurance athletes need more protein to replace glycogen stores and repair exercise-induced muscle damage. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) recommends:
- 0.5-0.65 grams per pound of body weight
- Or 1.2-1.4 grams per kg
So a 150-pound endurance athlete would aim for about 75-100 grams of protein daily.
For Weight Loss
Higher protein intakes preserve lean muscle mass when cutting calories to lose weight. Aim for:
- 0.7-1 gram per pound of body weight
- Or 1.6-2.2 grams per kg
Studies utilized protein intakes in this range to stimulate muscle protein synthesis and inhibit muscle breakdown when calories were reduced for weight loss.
Is More Protein Needed After a Hard Workout?
Consuming more protein immediately after training is important to provide fuel for the recovery process. The ISSN recommends:
- 0.25-0.3 grams per pound of body weight
- Or 0.5-0.6 grams per kg of body weight
of high-quality protein within 1-2 hours post-workout. So a 185-pound person would aim for about 45-55 grams.
This dose stimulates muscle protein synthesis to start repairing exercise damage. However, it counts towards total daily protein intake. You do not necessarily need more protein overall on training days.
Aim to spread the remainder of your protein evenly across other meals on both exercise and rest days.
Best Sources of Protein on Off Days
To optimize muscle recovery and growth, focus on high-quality protein sources. The best options contain more of the essential amino acids your body requires:
Lean Meats
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Lean beef
- Pork
Fish
- Salmon
- Tuna
- Cod
- Tilapia
Eggs
Dairy
- Greek yogurt
- Cottage cheese
- Milk
Legumes
- Beans
- Lentils
- Peas
Nuts and seeds
Protein powders
Such as whey, casein, egg, soy, pea and hemp protein
Sample High-Protein Day Off
Here is an example higher protein day with around 130 grams of protein:
Breakfast
- 3 eggs scrambled with 1 cup spinach, 1 oz feta cheese
- 1 cup Greek yogurt with 1⁄2 cup blueberries
- 1 slice whole wheat toast with 1 tbsp peanut butter
Protein: 32 grams
Lunch
- Tuna salad sandwich on whole grain bread
- Carrot sticks
- Apple
Protein: 30 grams
Dinner
- 5 oz salmon, roasted asparagus
- 1 cup quinoa
- Salad with chickpeas and vinaigrette
Protein: 44 grams
Snacks
- 1 serving cottage cheese
- 1 oz mixed nuts
- Protein bar
Protein: 24 grams
The Takeaway
While protein needs are higher on training days, getting adequate protein on off days remains crucial. Consuming high-quality proteins helps repair exercise damage, build muscle, and fuel recovery.
Aim for 0.7-1 gram per pound of body weight daily from sources like meats, fish, eggs, dairy and protein powders. Spread this protein across all your meals, not just right after a workout.
Adequate protein on rest days enhances muscle growth over time so you come back stronger for your next training session.