The Gospel According to Protein: Five Questions, Zero Worship Required

I’ve been on a high-protein diet since I was twelve, back when I was a Junior Olympic Weightlifter with delusions of grandeur and a lunchbox full of boiled eggs. Since then, I’ve watched the cult of protein grow into something resembling an early church council—complete with feuding sects, sacred macros, and influencers with ring lights in place of halos.

Before you start weighing your chicken breasts with the reverence of a Vatican archivist, let’s break this down. Anyone walking the high-protein path has to reckon with five questions. Five. Not fifty. And none of them require a podcast marathon or the blessing of a shirtless guru on TikTok.

1. What even counts as high protein?
To some, 100 grams is high. To others, it’s starvation-level—a one-way ticket to shrink into a protein-deficient homunculus. A real high-protein diet, for the average man with muscles in mind, starts around 160 grams a day and tops out around 200. Women who lift, train, or simply don’t want to be hungry all day can thrive on 120–140 grams.

2. How much protein do you need if you train like a beast?
Competitive athletes and bodybuilders often require more—up to 250 grams daily. Why? Because lifting heavy things repeatedly rips you apart, and protein is the duct tape of the human body. If you want to recover, grow, and not feel like a sentient bruise, you’ll need the extra load.

3. What kind of protein should you eat for best results?
Not all proteins are created equal. Whey protein, derived from dairy, is the bioavailability gold standard. It’s fast-digesting, rich in leucine, and built for muscle synthesis. Vegan proteins? Not useless—but they’re often slower-digesting, less complete, and may require blending or fortification to match whey’s efficiency.

4. Should you use protein supplements?
If you’re a monk with time to grill and prep six high-protein meals a day, go for it. For the rest of us: supplements are practical tools, not signs of weakness. A good whey protein powder can plug the gaps, especially when you’re busy or simply don’t want to eat another chicken breast.

5. Can too much protein hurt you?
Let’s address the boogeyman. The phrase “too much” already contains the answer. Yes, if you binge 400 grams of protein a day while ignoring water, fiber, and kidney health, your body will rebel. Moderation matters—even in the temple of gains.

Despite clear science and decades of nutrition data, we’ve turned protein into a theological debate. Scroll through YouTube or Instagram and you’ll find influencers analyzing the topic with the fervor of 4th-century bishops arguing over the Trinity. Algorithms love it. Audiences crave it. What should be a basic nutrition conversation now has the gravity of a Nicene Council.

So here’s my final word: Yes, eat protein. Eat a lot of it. Eat it regularly. But for the love of hypertrophy, don’t let your fitness journey become a protein-themed identity cult. Eat, lift, recover, repeat. Then go outside. Call your mom. Touch some grass. You’ll be fine.