Many people who go to the gym have heard their mum ask, “Will drinking that much protein powder harm your health?” Sometimes, seeing you bring home a tub of powder can even make family members wonder whether you are taking something prohibited.
It is understandable that your family cares about your health. Protein powders generally contain protein extracted from food sources such as milk or plants, providing a convenient way to supplement your daily intake. They are not steroids. Whether you need a supplement, and how much you should have, still depends on your diet and training needs. 2 | ISSN position stand on protein
If you want to build muscle, the first step is to understand how much protein you need each day, and how much your usual meals already provide.
How do general health needs differ from muscle-building needs?
Protein contributes to the growth and repair of body tissues. Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety states that a daily intake of around 0.83 g of protein per kilogram of body weight is expected to meet the needs of most healthy adults.
For an adult weighing 70 kg, this is around 58 g a day. This is a reference for general health needs, rather than a target specifically designed for muscle-building training. 1 | Centre for Food Safety: protein intake information
For healthy adults who exercise regularly and want to build or maintain muscle, the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) position stand suggests that 1.4–2.0 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day is sufficient for most people who exercise. 2 | ISSN position stand on protein
These two sets of figures answer different questions: general nutrition recommendations focus on basic needs, while sports nutrition recommendations also consider recovery and muscle adaptation after training.
How much protein should you eat each day to build muscle? Start with 1.6 g per kilogram
A 2018 systematic review and meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine combined 49 studies involving 1,863 participants to assess the effects of protein supplementation on resistance training outcomes.
The results showed that protein supplementation could provide additional improvements in strength and muscle-related outcomes alongside training. The research model also estimated that once total daily intake reached around 1.6 g per kilogram of body weight, further protein intake did not, on average, produce greater gains in lean body mass. 3 | Meta-analysis of protein supplementation and resistance training
For generally healthy adults doing resistance training, body weight × 1.6 can therefore be a starting point for planning your daily diet:
| Body weight | At 1.6 g per kilogram per day | ISSN daily reference range: 1.4–2.0 g per kilogram |
|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | 96 g | 84–120 g |
| 70 kg | 112 g | 98–140 g |
| 80 kg | 128 g | 112–160 g |
| 90 kg | 144 g | 126–180 g |
These figures refer to the total protein from all the food and drinks you consume throughout the day, including meals, snacks, dairy products and supplements.
Nor is 1.6 g a fixed upper limit for everyone. Exceeding this figure does not mean that your body “cannot absorb” the extra protein. Research provides estimates of group averages; individual needs can still be influenced by age, training volume and overall diet. 2 | ISSN position stand, 3 | Research meta-analysis
What could around 112 g of protein a day look like?
For example, a healthy adult weighing 70 kg who does resistance training could spread protein across several meals, using foods that are easy to find in everyday life in Hong Kong to work towards their daily target.
| Meal | Example foods | Estimated protein |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Two eggs, two slices of wholemeal bread and a glass of milk of around 240–250 ml | Around 26 g |
| Lunch | Chicken and rice, including around 120 g of edible cooked chicken | Around 30–35 g |
| Afternoon snack | A serving of high-protein yoghurt with 16 g of protein stated on its nutrition label | 16 g |
| Dinner | Around 120 g of cooked fish and 100 g of regular tofu, with rice and vegetables | Around 35–40 g |
The main foods above provide around 110 g of protein in total, before individually counting the small amounts supplied by the rice and vegetables at lunch and dinner. Food estimates draw on data from the United States Department of Agriculture and Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety; actual amounts vary by food type, brand and portion size. 4 | USDA food protein data, 5 | Centre for Food Safety: tofu nutrition information
When eating out, dishes described as “chicken and rice” or “fish and rice” do not necessarily contain the same amount of meat. The total weight of bone-in chicken pieces also cannot all be counted as the weight of chicken you actually eat.
You do not need to weigh every meal. Start by noticing the meal at which you are most likely to fall short. For example, if breakfast is just toast and coffee, or lunch is mostly rice with little meat, you could consider adding eggs, dairy products or soy foods.
Do you have to drink protein powder within 30 minutes of a workout?
Your muscle-building results do not have to depend on a half-hour window. You can arrange protein intake around your training and daily routine, but pooled research suggests that getting enough protein across the whole day is generally more important than rigidly sticking to a particular time for a drink.
Spreading protein across several meals can also be easier to manage than only remembering at dinner to make up your entire daily intake. If dinner follows your workout, a normal meal containing fish, meat, eggs or soy foods can be your choice. 6 | Meta-analysis of protein timing, 7 | Review of protein distribution across meals
However, between work, eating out and finding time for the gym in Hong Kong, there will be days when you do not get enough. If breakfast is rushed, lunch has little meat, or dinner is still some time away after training, a portable protein drink can help fill that day’s gap.
For example, VOW Sparklean sparkling protein drink uses pea protein. According to the brand’s official nutrition information, each 330 ml can provides 15 g of protein and 80 kcal. If your daily target is 112 g and your meals and snacks have already provided around 97 g, a can of Sparklean can supply the remaining 15 g. 9 | Official Sparklean nutrition information
Keeping a can at work or drinking one on your way home after training can make protein supplementation part of your routine, making it easier to meet that day’s needs without much extra thought. If you would prefer a snack, VOW protein bars are another portable option. Use the nutrition label for your chosen flavour to count them towards your daily intake.
Work out how much you are still short of first, then choose suitable foods or products. This makes your diet easier to plan.
Can protein powder harm your kidneys?
This question needs two things to be distinguished: whether someone already has kidney disease, and how much protein they consume throughout the day.
A 2018 systematic review and meta-analysis published in The Journal of Nutrition combined 28 trials involving 1,358 adults without kidney disease. Compared with lower- or normal-protein diets, higher-protein diets did not produce a significant difference in the change in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) from before to after the intervention. 8 | Meta-analysis of protein intake and kidney function
This finding helps address the concern that “eating a little more protein will definitely harm your kidneys”. However, intake levels and follow-up periods varied between studies. The findings do not establish that long-term use at any dose is risk-free for everyone.
If you already have kidney disease, or your doctor has advised you to limit protein, you need an individual plan rather than directly applying the intake ranges used for people aiming to build muscle.
Parents should also note that the body-weight calculations in this article mainly apply to healthy adults. Adolescents under 18 are still growing. Their diets should be assessed according to their age, stage of growth and training needs. If supplements are being considered, a doctor or registered dietitian can help assess whether they are needed.
Understand your meals first, then decide how to supplement
Protein can come from fish, meat, eggs, dairy and soy foods, as well as protein drinks and bars. Building muscle also requires consistent resistance training, adequate food intake and rest.
Set a reasonable daily target based on your body weight, then see how much your usual diet provides. On days when you fall short, convenient options can help fill the gap and make the habit easier to maintain.
This article provides general nutrition education and does not replace individual medical advice. Product nutrition figures are drawn from VOW’s official brand information; check the packaging of the product you purchase for its actual contents.
References
Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety. Nutrient Information Inquiry: Protein. Protein functions and intake reference for healthy adults.
Jäger R, et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14, 20. DOI: 10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8.
Morton RW, et al. (2018). 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. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(6), 376–384. DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608.
United States Department of Agriculture. Food protein content table. Protein: Grams per Measure.
Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety (2026). Food Safety Focus, Issue 239: tofu nutrition information. Official publication.
Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA, Krieger JW. (2013). The effect of protein timing on muscle strength and hypertrophy: a meta-analysis. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 10, 53. DOI: 10.1186/1550-2783-10-53.
Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA. (2018). How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 15, 10. DOI: 10.1186/s12970-018-0215-1.
Devries MC, et al. (2018). 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. The Journal of Nutrition, 148(11), 1760–1775. DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxy197.
VOW Nutrition. Sparklean Protein Drink. Official brand product ingredients and nutrition information.