From raw eggs to protein shakes, those hoping to expand their brawn are often encouraged to ingest vast quantities of protein. But how much is really necessary and what's the best way to consume it?

Sophia Moulson, 21, a fitness influencer based in West Sussex, began taking fitness seriously at the age of 19, after struggling with being overweight.

"I often turned to food as a source of comfort, which ultimately left me in a cycle of negative self-image and low confidence. One day, I realised that I needed to take control – not just for my physical health but for my mental wellbeing too," says Moulson.

Initially, she joined the gym with the sole intention of losing weight. But over time, she fell in love with the process of building up a healthy amount of muscle too. "I discovered how empowering it felt to grow stronger, and each small strength milestone motivated me to keep pushing forward," she says.

An integral part of Moulson's progress was research on nutrition. That's when she learned about the importance of protein for building muscle. However, as a vegetarian, Moulson initially felt that she was struggling to get enough protein through just her diet, so she turned to protein powders. "While it was possible for me to meet my needs through a well-balanced diet, it often required time and careful planning. Protein powders offered a convenient solution, especially with my busy lifestyle," she says.

While in the past, bodybuilders were notorious for consuming vast quantities of steak and drinking raw eggs, today, protein powders and tailored diets are big business. But do we really need so much protein to grow stronger? And what is the best way to consume it?

Linea Patel, a Sports Dietitian at the company Pure Sports Medicine in London, explains that proteins have many roles in the human body. As they are digested, the proteins in food are broken down into amino acids – building blocks that can be rearranged to form any protein that the body needs. Haemoglobin, enzymes, muscles, the keratin in our skin and hair – there are more than 20,000 proteins in the human body, performing a wide range of functions.

However, the amount that each person needs can vary greatly, depending on their age, body composition and lifestyle.

"In the UK, the government guidelines say that the general baseline for sedentary adults is that they should consume 0.8 or 0.75g [around 0.03oz] of protein per kg of their own body weight," says Patel. "So, for example, if somebody weighed 70kg [154lb], then you just multiply that by 0.8 and you'll get 56g [around 2oz] of protein a day."

Most people get more than that amount from their normal diets. In the US, the average American consumes around 14-16% of their total calories as protein. However, if you're more active, your protein requirements may exceed 1g per kg each day. The amount of protein you need also depends on factors such as your age, because people tend to lose muscle mass as they get older – consuming more protein can help us to hold onto more muscle. Post-menopausal women also have higher protein requirements.

"What I see in my clinical practice, particularly because I work with women in the menopause or high performing individuals [sportspeople], is that perhaps that they're not eating enough protein for their level of activity or to maintain [appropriate] muscle mass for their stage of life," says Patel. One size doesn't fit all, she explains.

For individuals engaging in regular high-intensity resistance training or athletes and powerlifters or body builders, research has found that the daily protein requirement is approximately 1.6-2.2g (0.06-0.08oz) per kg of body weight to maximise muscle protein synthesis.

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