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The Protein Myths That Are Holding You Back

September 6, 2026

Protein has become the nutrient everyone is talking about—and somehow that has made eating it even more confusing.

Food companies are adding it to almost everything. Starbucks now sells lattes with up to 36 grams of protein. Grocery aisles are filled with protein chips, protein waffles, and protein cookies.

At the same time, you might feel conflicted about protein in the first place. 

Maybe you’ve heard that eating more protein can damage your kidneys. Or, if your goal is simply to feel strong and healthy—not to look like a bodybuilder—you might wonder whether all this pressure to eat more chicken even applies to you.

It leaves many people caught between two extremes: eat dramatically more protein or approach it with caution.

Luckily, there’s a better way. 

Protein matters for strength, healthy aging, recovery, appetite, and much more—but you don’t have to chase the biggest possible number to benefit. 

All you need to do is understand how much your body actually needs, which sources deliver the most value, and how to eat enough without turning every meal into a math equation. And I’ll walk you through exactly that here. 

Myth #1: More Protein Is Always Better

Protein is essential, but once you’re eating enough to support your body and goals, the returns for muscle growth and recovery begin to level off. 

A large analysis of resistance-training studies found that eating more than about 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day did not lead to additional gains in muscle or other lean tissue.¹ Another analysis found that strength gains increased alongside protein intake only up to about 1.5 grams per kilogram per day.² 

Now, there are cases where a higher intake—up to 2.0–2.2 grams per kilogram of ideal bodyweight—may be safe and potentially beneficial.^3–5 For example, for an athlete with a high training volume.

But for most people, chasing an ever-higher number isn’t automatically productive. Chronically eating protein in excess may crowd out other valuable nutrients or cause digestive side effects.³ 

Focus on the Goldilocks principle: Not too little, not too much. Prioritize getting the right amount for you. You’ll learn how to do that shortly. 

Myth #2: All Protein Sources Are Created Equal

Animal proteins such as eggs, fish, poultry, meat, and Greek yogurt tend to provide all nine essential amino acids in concentrated amounts. We call these “complete” proteins because they include all the essential amino acids your body needs to function.

Plant proteins vary more. Soy is considered a high-quality, complete source of protein. Beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and grains are generally considered “incomplete,” meaning they don’t contain the full suite of essential amino acids. So, you have to be intentional about eating more and/or mixing and matching them throughout the day to get everything you need.

I typically recommend a combination of animal protein and plant protein (as long as you’re willing and able to consume animal products). These whole foods come with an array of vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial compounds that promote overall health.

Myth #3: Higher-Protein Diets Damage Healthy Kidneys

Your kidneys help process the waste created when your body uses protein. Eating more can temporarily increase how much blood they filter, which is sometimes interpreted as a sign of damage.

What the evidence has consistently shown, though, is that higher-protein diets are safe for healthy kidneys.⁶ 

Most of us have what I’ll call a “built-in brake” when it comes to protein, anyway. Because it’s so satiating, a higher-protein eating pattern may help some people naturally eat less—especially when the protein comes from whole foods.⁷ So you don’t need to stress about eating so much protein that it affects your kidneys. 

(The potential exception is kidney disease. Depending on the stage of disease and whether someone receives dialysis, protein needs may be lower or higher.)⁸ 

Myth #4: Eating More Protein Will Make You Bulky

Many women have been conditioned to believe that eating more protein—or lifting heavier weights—will quickly make them look bulky.

For most people, muscle growth simply doesn’t happen that way.

Building significant muscle size requires progressive strength training, adequate calories, recovery, consistent effort over time, and favorable genetics. Protein supplies the raw materials, but it doesn’t create dramatic growth by itself.

In practice, increasing protein is more likely to support strength, recovery, calorie control, and a healthy body composition than to create unwanted bulk.

Myth #5: Older Adults Need Less Protein

Aging muscles don’t respond as strongly to the same amount of protein and exercise⁹—even though this is the time when preserving muscle becomes more important. Illness, inactivity, and unintentional weight loss can accelerate the decline.

The good news is that higher protein intake can help make up for this reduced response.⁹

In a trial of undernourished older adults who were frail or at risk of frailty, those consuming 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram daily experienced greater improvements in muscle and walking speed than those consuming 0.8 grams per kilogram.¹⁰ Another trial found that helping older adults with low habitual protein intake reach at least 1.2 grams per kilogram improved walking time and leg strength.¹¹

So, older adults often need more protein than younger adults to maintain functionality, offset conditions of aging, and promote both recovery and overall health.¹² And, it should be paired with resistance training.

What Really Matters: Enough Protein From the Right Foods

Aim for an intake that fits your age, activity level, health, and goals. 

If you’re focused on healthy aging, preserving muscle, losing weight, and/or supporting an active lifestyle, a useful ballpark is 1.2–1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight each day.

That equals approximately 0.55–0.73 grams per pound. So, someone whose target weight is 150 pounds would aim for roughly 82–109 grams per day.

Then, adapt this to your unique needs. For example: 

• Older adults and highly active people will likely benefit from the middle or upper end, depending on their appetite, training demands, and goals.
  
  
• People trying to preserve muscle during weight loss may benefit from the upper end, alongside resistance training. Under the right conditions, this approach may help preserve—or even build—lean tissue while eating in a calorie deficit.¹³
  
  
• Anyone with chronic kidney disease requires individualized recommendations.

Once you have a general target, let food quality guide how you reach it.

Build your meals around sources that supply substantial protein and valuable nutrients. High-quality sources include: 

• Grass-fed beef or lamb
  
  
• Game meat (venison, elk, bison)
  
  
• Pasture-raised pork
  
  
• Pasture-raised eggs
  
  
• Organic poultry (chicken, duck, turkey)
  
  
• Wild-caught fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel, anchovies, herring)
  
  
• Organic Greek yogurt or cottage cheese (if tolerated) 
  
  
• Non-GMO tofu or tempeh

You don’t need to worry about precise measurements here—just use your hand. 

A palm-sized serving of meat, fish, or tofu contains about 20–30 grams of protein. So, most people do well aiming for 1–2 palm-sized servings per meal, supplementing with a half or full serving at snacks as needed. 

Protein powders, such as Naked Goat Whey Protein Powder, can help fill gaps when struggling to reach your target. You may also want to consider Perfect Amino Powder, which provides all nine essential amino acids to support muscle protein synthesis and help maintain lean muscle over time—with nearly zero calories (use code HYMAN20 for 20% off). 

Focus on building a daily pattern you can maintain: enough total protein for your needs, from high-quality sources full of other beneficial vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. 

References

1. Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, Schoenfeld BJ, Henselmans M, Helms E, et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med. 2018 Mar;52(6):376–84.

2. Tagawa R, Watanabe D, Ito K, Otsuyama T, Nakayama K, Sanbongi C, et al. Synergistic effect of increased total protein intake and strength training on muscle strength: A dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Sports Med Open. 2022 Sep 4;8(1):110.

3. Wu G. Dietary protein intake and human health. Food Funct. 2016 Mar;7(3):1251–65.

4. Naderi A, Rothschild JA, Santos HO, Hamidvand A, Koozehchian MS, Ghazzagh A, et al. Nutritional strategies to improve post-exercise recovery and subsequent exercise performance: A narrative review. Sports Med. 2025 Jul;55(7):1559–77.

5. Chapman S, Chung HC, Rawcliffe AJ, Izard R, Smith L, Roberts JD. Does protein supplementation support adaptations to arduous concurrent exercise training? A systematic review and meta-analysis with military-based applications. Nutrients. 2021 Apr 23;13(5):1416.

6. Devries MC, Sithamparapillai A, Brimble KS, Banfield L, Morton RW, Phillips SM. Changes in kidney function do not differ between healthy adults consuming higher- compared with lower- or normal-protein diets: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Nutr. 2018 Nov 1;148(11):1760–75.

7. Leidy HJ, Clifton PM, Astrup A, Wycherley TP, Westerterp-Plantenga MS, Luscombe-Marsh ND, et al. The role of protein in weight loss and maintenance. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Jun;101(6):1320S – 1329S.

8. Ikizler TA, Burrowes JD, Byham-Gray LD, Campbell KL, Carrero JJ, Chan W, et al. KDOQI Clinical Practice Guideline for nutrition in CKD: 2020 update. Am J Kidney Dis. 2020 Sep;76(3 Suppl 1):S1–107.

9. Baum JI, Kim IY, Wolfe RR. Protein consumption and the elderly: What is the optimal level of intake? Nutrients. 2016 Jun 8;8(6):E359.

10. Park Y, Choi JE, Hwang HS. Protein supplementation improves muscle mass and physical performance in undernourished prefrail and frail elderly subjects: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018 Nov 1;108(5):1026–33.

11. Reinders I, Visser M, Jyväkorpi SK, Niskanen RT, Bosmans JE, Jornada Ben Â, et al. The cost effectiveness of personalized dietary advice to increase protein intake in older adults with lower habitual protein intake: a randomized controlled trial. Eur J Nutr. 2022 Feb;61(1):505–20.

12. Bauer J, Biolo G, Cederholm T, Cesari M, Cruz-Jentoft AJ, Morley JE, et al. Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people: a position paper from the PROT-AGE Study Group. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2013 Aug;14(8):542–59.

13. Longland TM, Oikawa SY, Mitchell CJ, Devries MC, Phillips SM. Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss: a randomized trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Mar;103(3):738–46.