How to take egg protein: dosage, timing, duration

Egg protein is a convenient way to make up the protein in your diet, but its benefit depends on how much and when you take it. Our editorial team has gathered scientifically grounded guidelines on dosage, timing, and duration of use, taking into account the ISSN positions and key studies.

How much protein an athlete needs

Before determining the dose of egg protein, it is important to understand the overall daily protein requirement. The position of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (Jäger et al., 2017) recommends 1.4–2.0 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for physically active people. For a person weighing 75 kg, that is approximately 105–150 g.

The meta-analysis by Morton and colleagues (2018) clarified that for gaining lean mass with resistance training, the benefit of protein decreases after about 1.6 g/kg per day. The upper limit of the confidence interval reached 2.2 g/kg, so some athletes deliberately aim for higher values, especially during periods of a calorie deficit.

Egg protein is just one way to meet this requirement. The basis of the diet should remain ordinary foods: meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, legumes. The supplement complements them when there is not enough protein from food or when a convenient solution is needed.

To determine how much protein to add, calculate the amount of protein in your usual diet and compare it with the target. The difference is the amount that can be obtained from a supplement.

Dosage per intake

The data on the optimal serving were largely obtained precisely with egg white. In the study by Moore and colleagues (2009), muscle protein synthesis after training in young men reached a plateau at about 20 g of egg protein. Hence the practical recommendation: 20–25 g of high-quality protein per intake, or about 0.25 g/kg of body weight.

Schoenfeld and Aragon (2018), based on a broader review, proposed a guideline of 0.4 g/kg per intake with four intakes a day, which gives about 1.6 g/kg per day. For a person of 80 kg, that is approximately 32 g of protein at a time.

Note: this is the amount of protein, not powder. If the product contains 80% protein, about 31 g of powder is needed to obtain 25 g of protein. Always check the protein content per serving on the label.

Older people often need a larger serving of protein for the same stimulation of synthesis, because of so-called anabolic resistance. For them the guideline of 0.4 g/kg per intake is especially appropriate.

Timing of intake

The ISSN position on nutrient timing (Kerksick et al., 2017) emphasizes: the main thing is the total daily amount of protein, and the exact timing of intake is of secondary importance. However, sensible distribution helps to get the maximum.

After training.The most popular time. Taking 20–40 g of protein within a few hours after resistance exercise supports muscle protein synthesis. There is no strict “anabolic window” of 30 minutes, especially if there was a full meal before the workout.

At breakfast.Breakfast is often low in protein. Egg protein in porridge, pancakes, or a smoothie allows you to even out the distribution of protein throughout the day.

Between meals and before sleep.Egg white is absorbed at a medium speed. For intake before sleep, casein is the best studied, but egg protein as part of dinner or a snack also helps increase the daily amount of protein.

Duration of use and practical nuances

Protein is a food product, so it does not require courses, cycles, or breaks. It can be consumed for as long as needed to meet the daily protein requirement. The systematic review by Devries and colleagues (2018) found no negative effect of high-protein diets on kidney function in healthy adults.

Results from increasing protein intake are usually noticeable after a few weeks or months of regular training, not after a few days. That is why it is advisable to assess the effect after 8–12 weeks.

A few practical tips on preparation:

• mix the powder with cold water or a plant-based drink, adding the liquid gradually — egg white foams;
• use a shaker with a ball or a blender for uniformity;
• egg protein tolerates heating well, so it can be added to pancakes, omelets, baked goods;
• for those who avoid milk, it is a convenient base for protein desserts;
• store the package tightly closed in a dry, cool place.

For people with an egg allergy the product is contraindicated, and in chronic kidney disease the amount of protein is determined by a doctor.

Common mistakes

Our editorial team often sees the same mistakes in the use of protein:

Replacing a full meal.Protein is a supplement, not the basis of the diet. It does not contain fiber or most of the vitamins and minerals found in ordinary food.

Huge portions at once.More than 40 g of protein per intake rarely provides a substantial additional effect for muscle protein synthesis in young people (Moore et al., 2009) and more often causes bloating.

Ignoring the total amount of protein.Several shakes a day on an already high-protein diet bring no additional benefit.

Using raw eggs instead of powder.Raw egg white is absorbed much worse (Evenepoel et al., 1998) and carries the risk of salmonellosis.

Editorial conclusions

Aim for a daily protein amount of 1.4–2.0 g/kg of body weight, and use egg protein to fill the difference between this figure and what ordinary food provides.

For a single intake, a sensible serving is 20–40 g of protein depending on body weight and age, distributed across 3–5 intakes per day.

The most convenient time is after training and at breakfast, but the total intake is what matters most. The product does not require courses or breaks.

For more about the product, read our articles “Egg protein: what it is and how it works,” “The benefits of egg protein for athletes,” and “Side effects of egg protein.”

References

1. Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:20.
2. Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, et al. 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. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(6):376–384.
3. Moore DR, Robinson MJ, Fry JL, et al. Ingested protein dose response of muscle and albumin protein synthesis after resistance exercise in young men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;89(1):161–168.
4. Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA. How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018;15:10.
5. Kerksick CM, Arent S, Schoenfeld BJ, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:33.
6. Devries MC, Sithamparapillai A, Brimble KS, Banfield L, Morton RW, Phillips SM. 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. J Nutr. 2018;148(11):1760–1775.
7. Evenepoel P, Geypens B, Luypaerts A, Hiele M, Ghoos Y, Rutgeerts P. Digestibility of cooked and raw egg protein in humans as assessed by stable isotope techniques. J Nutr. 1998;128(10):1716–1722.