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Short Summary
Main recommendation: For hypertrophy, keep total daily protein high, around 1 gram per pound of body weight (about 2.2 g/kg), and make sure carbohydrates and protein are consumed around training, with a roughly 1:1 protein-to-carbohydrate ratio for strength-focused sessions. Dr. Andy Galpin says total protein intake matters most, so if it is high enough, the exact timing and protein type matter far less.
Key Points
- Huberman cites Dr. Layne Norton's protein range (1.6 to roughly 2.7 g/kg/day) as the starting reference, and Galpin says to aim toward the high end because it reduces the need to worry about other variables.
- Protein quality, type, and timing become important mainly when total protein intake is low; at a high total intake, plant-based proteins performed well in work by Stu Phillips.
- Carbohydrate timing matters more than protein timing, especially for replenishing muscle glycogen during endurance-style or high-volume work.
- Galpin's coaching experience suggests people do better spreading meals across the day and eating nutrients before, during, or after training rather than skipping fuel around sessions (he explicitly notes this is his coaching experience, not settled science).
- The "post-workout anabolic window" has shifted from the old 30-minute recommendation to a much broader window, though its exact length is still debated.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Aim for total daily protein of about 1 gram per pound of body weight (about 2.2 g/kg), or higher, and spread it across meals.
- For standard strength training, consume roughly 35 g of protein with 35 g of carbohydrate (1:1) around the workout; this can be before, during (as drinks), or after.
- For a mixed strength and conditioning session, use about 35 g of protein with 60 to 70 g of carbohydrate (about 2:1).
- For hard conditioning work, Galpin says to move toward roughly 3:1 to 4:1 carbohydrate to protein, such as 35 g protein with 100 to 140 g carbohydrate.
- If you train in the morning without having eaten, the pre-, mid-, or post-workout feeding is especially useful; Galpin's favorite is mid-workout intake, which can be liquid calories.
- Adjust timing to personal tolerance: if you cannot eat before training or right after, shift intake to whichever window you can tolerate.
- Units: Huberman's 1.6 to 2.7 g/kg range and Galpin's "one gram per pound" are equivalent in practice (2.2 g/kg = 1 g/lb).
- Galpin notes his view may change once an upcoming fasting study is published; he presented his recommendations as coaching experience rather than settled science.
Bottom Line
If total protein is high enough, the finer details of protein timing and source matter far less, while carbohydrate timing around training remains worth managing for performance and recovery.
