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How to use protein powder, if you need one

India's dietary guidelines start with food. If you do use a protein powder, read its label first, keep to its serving and directions, and know when to ask your doctor.

KiloCare Team · · How we write and review

You cut open a new pouch of protein powder and look inside. The scoop is buried somewhere under the powder.

The pouch is large, and the back is full of small print. A trainer at the gym tells you one amount. The person at the shop counter tells you another. How much should go in your glass, and when?

Do you need one?

India's ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) answers this in its 2024 Dietary Guidelines for Indians. "Protein powders are unnecessary for normal healthy life," it says. NIN adds that most athletes can get the protein they need from food.[1]

The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) writes for adults who exercise. It advises choosing whole foods with complete protein first. It calls a powder a convenient way to add protein.[2]

NIN is more cautious. It warns against a large amount of protein from a supplement alone, taken over a long time. It links this with possible harms, such as bone mineral loss.[1]

If you find it hard to eat enough protein from food, ask your doctor or a dietitian whether a powder suits you. If you go ahead, take these steps first.

Before your first scoop, in order
  1. Read the label
  2. Check the serving
  3. Check the allergens
  4. Follow the label's directions

Read the label first

In India, a powder sold as a health supplement must say "HEALTH SUPPLEMENT" on its label. FSSAI rules also require these lines:[3]

  • "NOT FOR MEDICINAL USE"
  • a warning: "Not to exceed the recommended daily usage"
  • a statement that it does not replace a varied diet
  • a line telling you to store it out of children's reach

The label must also state the product's purpose, who it is for, and how long to use it.[3]

Your powder may be sold as an ordinary food instead, and then these lines may not appear. Either way, the serving on the label is the one to follow. Our article on reading a protein label covers the nutrition panel and the allergen line.

How much in one serving

The ISSN gives a figure for adults who exercise. It suggests about 20 to 40 g of protein in one serving, or about 0.25 g per kg of body weight. It says the right amount depends on age and recent strength training.[2]

This figure is sports guidance for exercising adults. It is not a target for everyone, and your scoop does not need to hold that much.

Use the serving your label gives. If the label warns you not to exceed the recommended daily usage, keep to that amount.

When to take it

For adults who do strength training, the ISSN says protein before or after a workout both help.[2] For the same adults, it suggests spreading protein across the day, about every 3 to 4 hours.[2]

The total matters more than the timing. For people doing strength training, the ISSN says total protein and calories across the day appear to be the most important thing. For non-athletes who train, it says the effect of timing "appears to be minimal".[2]

So you do not need to drink a shake the minute a workout ends.

Mixing it

Follow the label's directions for mixing it.

Who should ask first

India's dietary guideline says high-protein diets need care in people who already have kidney disease.[1] If you have kidney disease or have been told to limit protein, ask your doctor how much protein is right for you.

India's 2020 report on nutrient requirements does not encourage commercial high-protein supplements for older adults, or in pregnancy and breastfeeding.[4]

FSSAI rules say a health supplement is for people over 5 years old.[3] Products under these rules for children aged 2 to 5 are to be given only on medical advice.[3] If the powder is for a child, ask the child's doctor first.

Some powders are labelled as a food for special dietary use for sportspersons. FSSAI says to use these only on the advice of a doctor, or a certified dietitian or nutritionist.[3]

Whey comes from milk. NIN describes it as a by-product of cheese or paneer.[1] If you have a milk allergy, ask your doctor before you choose a powder.

A checklist for your first scoop

Tick these off with the pouch in front of you.

Before your first scoop

You find the scoop at last. You level it with the back of a spoon, then set it back in the corner of the pouch, on top of the powder this time.

Speak to your doctor or dietitian before using a protein supplement if you:

  • have a milk or other food allergy
  • have kidney or liver disease, or diabetes
  • are pregnant or breastfeeding
  • take a medicine that reduces your appetite
  • have been told to limit protein
  • are buying it for a child

India's 2024 dietary guidelines call protein powders unnecessary for normal healthy life. If you find it hard to get enough protein from food, ask your doctor or a dietitian before you start one.

Use the serving on your pack's label. Sports nutrition guidance for adults who exercise puts one serving at about 20 to 40 g of protein. That figure is for exercising adults, and it is not a target for everyone.

For adults who do strength training, protein before or after a workout both help. For them, the total protein across the day matters more than the exact time.

Sources

  1. ICMR-NIN Expert Committee. Dietary Guidelines for Indians - 2024. Hyderabad: ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition; 2024. Available from: nin.res.inCited atp. 61, Guideline 8p. 60, Guideline 8p. 60, Guideline 8p. 59, Guideline 8
  2. Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, Cribb PJ, Wells SD, Skwiat TM, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:20. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8. PMID: 28642676. Available from: doi.orgCited atConclusionPosition statement, point 5Position statement, points 1 and 8Position statement, point 7Protein ingestion and meal timing, key points
  3. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Food Safety and Standards (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, Functional Food and Novel Food) Regulations, 2016. New Delhi: FSSAI; 2021 Sep 29. Compendium Version-I. Available from: fssai.gov.inCited atReg 6(3)(iii), pp. 11-12Reg 3(16), p. 5Reg 6(1)(i), p. 10Reg 3(26), p. 6Reg 8(1), p. 15
  4. ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. Nutrient requirements for Indians: recommended dietary allowances and estimated average requirements, 2020. A report of the expert group. Hyderabad: ICMR-NIN; 2020. Updated 2024. Available from: nin.res.inCited atp. 92