How much protein do you need after a workout?

30–40 g, or roughly 0.4 g per kilogram of bodyweight, is enough to maximise the muscle protein synthesis response of that meal.

Do you have to eat immediately after training?

Only if you trained fasted or you are training again within about eight hours. Otherwise a normal meal within a couple of hours is fine.

Are fast carbs better after a workout?

Yes, in that specific window. Glycogen refills faster with quickly digesting carbohydrate like white rice, potato or fruit.

← Notes

Performance·6 min read·August 7, 2026·By The Procaaf Team

What Macros Should a Post-Workout Bowl Have?

The post-workout window explained: how much protein, how many carbs, and why keeping fat low speeds recovery. With a ready-built bowl.

A recovery bowl with rice, greens and a protein source.

Short answer: 30–40 g of protein, 0.8–1.2 g of carbohydrate per kilogram of bodyweight, and as little added fat as you can manage. For a 75 kg lifter that is roughly 35 g protein and 70–90 g carbs — around 550 calories.

The 'anabolic window' was oversold for a decade and then dismissed too hard in the correction. The honest position: if you trained fasted or you train again within eight hours, timing matters. Otherwise, hitting your daily protein total matters far more than the clock.

Protein: 30–40 g, leucine-rich

Muscle protein synthesis maxes out around 0.4 g per kilogram per meal for most people, which is where the 30–40 g figure comes from. Whey, eggs, chicken, paneer and soy all clear the leucine threshold that triggers the response.

More than 40 g is not wasted — it is just used for other things rather than adding further to the synthesis response of that meal.

Carbs: this is the one time fast is better

Glycogen resynthesis runs fastest in the hours after training. White rice, potato, banana or a sports drink refill stores quicker than oats or brown rice.

0.8–1.2 g/kg covers a normal training session. Endurance athletes training twice a day should sit at the top of that range or above it.

Keep fat low here — not always

Fat slows gastric emptying. That is fine at dinner and unhelpful when you want nutrients moving. Five to ten grams for flavour is plenty in a recovery bowl; save the avocado and nuts for later meals.

The Post-Workout Bowl preset on the homepage is built to these numbers — load it, swap the protein for whatever you actually have, and the totals recalculate instantly.

Frequently asked questions

How much protein do you need after a workout?: 30–40 g, or roughly 0.4 g per kilogram of bodyweight, is enough to maximise the muscle protein synthesis response of that meal.
Do you have to eat immediately after training?: Only if you trained fasted or you are training again within about eight hours. Otherwise a normal meal within a couple of hours is fine.
Are fast carbs better after a workout?: Yes, in that specific window. Glycogen refills faster with quickly digesting carbohydrate like white rice, potato or fruit.

Keep reading