Is Protein Really Important? Answering 3 Common Questions About Protein Intake And RFK

How important is protein really? When RFK announced the new nutritional guidelines, one of the major changes was increasing the recommended daily protein intake to 1.2-1.6 grams per kilogram of bodyweight. 

Along with other changes, this has caused a lot of people to critique the new changes, which have rehashed some old myths.

We're going to talk about 3 today.

Is protein really as important as they say, and why did they not stress fiber!?

Yes, and they do. 

What Are The New Nutrition Guidelines For Protein Intake?

Earlier this year, RFK and USDA released new nutritional guidelines, and it caused quite a stir. We put a whole article out here, so go check that out. But basically, we can sum it up like this;

• They increased the suggested total protein intake to 1.2g-1.6g/kg (HHS & USDA, 2025)
• Heavily stressed eating whole foods.
• All of the guidelines would help lose weight if they were followed.
• Guidelines are just guidelines; you can tweak things or abandon them; it's up to you. 

With that said, there has been a lot of backlash for various reasons; some justified, some less so. We want to focus on a new wave of backlash against protein, which has rehashed many old criticisms. 

We're going to look at 3 common critiques we've seen after the new nutrition guidelines were released.

1. Do you need more protein than the RDA?
2. How much protein can your body actually use to build muscle in one meal?
3. Should we really be emphasizing fiber more, not protein? 

Do You Need More Than The RDA Suggested Protein? 

• The protein RDA (0.8 g/kg) is the minimum needed to prevent deficiency, not an optimal intake for muscle growth, recovery, or athletic performance.
• Protein requirements vary with age, activity level, and training demands, so active individuals typically need more than the RDA.
• Treating the RDA as a universal protein target ignores real-world differences in lifestyle and physiology, especially for lifters and older adults.

Many in the anti-protein crowd often cite the RDA for protein, which is just 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight.

However, the RDA is not an ideal number but rather a target to meet people's basic needs. If you eat less than this, you will increase your risk of deficiency and may start experiencing various health issues.

Here's what the RDA is not:

• Optimal intake level
• Dosed for performance or the needs of athletics 
• Specific doses for everyone.

Picture this group of people;

• A young 22-year-old man going to the gym 4 days a week, following an SFS program
• His 75-year-old grandma, who spends most of her day going on walks and gardening
• A 40-year-old who is sedentary and obese

Using the RDA suggests that all these people need the same protein intake. That's despite differences in age, activity levels, and resistance training involvement.

Conclusion: The RDA remains the same, and if you want to follow it, you're more than welcome. However, this number is to ensure you're not in a deficit, not to optimize your performance.

How Much Protein Can You Really Digest In One Meal?

• The "20g protein limit" myth comes from confusing digestion, absorption, and muscle protein synthesis. 
• Your body absorbs nearly all the protein you eat, even if it's not used immediately for muscle building.
• Protein utilization for muscle growth depends on meal composition, digestion rate, and timing (during resistance training). These all influence how many amino acids are directed toward muscle protein synthesis.
• Muscle-building thresholds per meal tend to range from ~0.4 to ~0.6 g/kg. 
• Maximum total-day protein intake tends to be around 1.6–2.2g/kg.

This is a very common claim and comes down to confusing language and simplifying studies, as usual.

We first need to identify several terms used.

• Digested- Protein is broken down into amino acids
• Absorption- The amino acids are absorbed and shuttled to where they need to go. 
• Utilized- How the protein is actually used, generally in the context of muscle protein synthesis.
• Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS)- The process that triggers muscle repair and growth when triggered. 

When you eat protein, it's digested into amino acids that are absorbed into the bloodstream and transported throughout the body to support a wide range of functions. Some critics claim that any protein consumed beyond about 20 grams cannot be absorbed and is simply wasted. 

Not correct. 

Critics are taking studies and conflating digestion, absorption, and utilization (in terms of MPS).  Research does show that a threshold exists for protein being utilized for building muscle; if you eat 100g of protein, it's not all being used for MPS.

However, this does not mean it's all expelled.

In fact, your body seems to absorb nearly all the protein you eat (Antonio et al., 2014). The change is in how much is directed toward muscle protein synthesis and how much is sent elsewhere.

What Effects How Much Protein Is Utilized For Muscle Growth?

In addition to things like your weight and various genetic factors, there are two variables to consider;

1. Are you consuming whey isolate alone or as part of a meal?

Drinking whey isolate alone is rapidly digested and absorbed, causing a sharp rise in blood amino acid levels. This strongly stimulates muscle protein synthesis but is relatively short-lived.

In contrast, consuming protein as part of a mixed meal, or choosing a slower-digesting protein like casein, slows gastric emptying and amino acid release. This produces a more gradual rise in circulating amino acids that lasts longer, extending the time muscle tissue can draw on those nutrients (Schoenfeld & Aragon, 2018).

Both of these can contribute to muscle growth depending on timing, total intake, and overall diet.

2. Food timing: Are you eating it while watching TV or after the gym?

Muscle protein synthesis (MPS) influences how your body uses amino acids. When MPS is elevated, your muscles are more responsive to incoming amino acids.

Resistance training is one of the most powerful stimulators of MPS, meaning amino acids are more effectively directed toward repair and growth.

While the timing window is much broader than once believed, this heightened response is what gave rise to the popular idea of an "anabolic window." 

Need a program to maximize protein intake and MPS? Check these out!

So, what's the maximum protein your body can use for muscle growth per meal?

The threshold seems to be around 0.4-0.6 g/kg (0.18-0.27 g/lb). For a 180 lbs person, this would be 30-50 grams.

Schoenfeld et al. (2019) note that these numbers were obtained with fast-acting whey protein powders, so it's reasonable to assume they could be higher if you ate a meal.

In addition, total daily protein intake for muscle hypertrophy tends to max out at around 1.6g/kg while some research shows benefits up to 2.2g/kg (Schoenfeld et al., 2019). 

Conclusion: Your body can absorb more than 20g of protein per sitting, and this largely depends on the quality and timing of the protein. At the same time, protein is used for more things than Muscle Protein Synthesis, so using that as the barometer is cutting its benefits short.

Is Fiber More Important Than Protein?

• Fiber: The recommended intake itself hasn't changed much and already sits at levels associated with health benefits (gut health, cardiometabolic risk, satiety). The problem is that most people simply don't reach it.
• Protein: The RDA is still defined as 0.8g/kd/day as a minimum to prevent deficiency. However, new research suggests higher intakes may provide functional benefits (muscle retention, satiety, aging, training adaptation). 
• The discussion in protein is about optimization, not correcting a population-wide deficiency, as with fiber.

Both are important.

Since the new Nutrition Guidelines have been released, there has been a flood of comments saying things like;

• People need to increase their fiber intake, not their protein intake.
• Protein is over-hypered when people really need more fiber.

These are not mutually exclusive.

However, let's consider that fiber has always been pushed, and the recommendations have been relatively the same since the original Food Pyramid in 1992. Specifically, the new guidelines suggest;

• Whole Grains- 2-4 servings of fiber-rich whole grains
• Vegetables- 3 cups of 
• Fruits- 2 cups
• With heavy emphasis on whole foods

This means the new guidelines did not deemphasize fiber; it just increased the importance of Protein. 

Plus, when we look at the modern recommendations, we see they already meet numbers that confer significant benefits. It's just that people aren't doing it. 

A large meta-analysis examined the association between fiber intake and health benefits (Reynolds et al., 2019). They found that people did eat way too little fiber in their diet.

This is consistent with other large reviews that show Americans get only around half of their daily need, around 15-17g per day (McKeown et al., 2022).

However, they found that the greatest benefits were seen when people increased their fiber intake to 25-29g a day. The general recommendation is;

• 14g of fiber per 1,000 calories
• 28g for a 2,000-calorie diet
• 42g for a 3,000-calorie diet

For a 2,000-calorie diet, the new guidelines suggest HHS & USDA. (2025);

• Whole Grains- 2-4 servings of fiber-rich whole grains
• Vegetables- 3 cups of 
• Fruits- 2 cups

This would meet most people's needs unless they specifically try to eat foods without fiber.  Also, the guidelines do put emphasis on eating fiber-rich foods.

So yes, fiber is important. It's always been important, and people should be eating more, but they're not. Guidelines are meaningless unless they're followed through. 

Conclusion? Fiber isn't lacking in recommendations; rather, it's lacking in adherence. In comparison, raising the suggested protein intake isn't about addressing a deficiency but about optimization. Both matter, and prioritizing one doesn't diminish the other's importance.

Action Is More Important Than Guidelines 

Protein is important. Eating more protein is likely important. Fiber is important. Eating whole foods is important. Cutting out sugar, ultra-processed diets, and sedentary behavior is important. It's all important, but we spend so much time arguing about "what's more important", we forget about actually adhering to it. At the end of the day, guidelines aren't going to make us healthy just because they were published with a nice pictograph, regardless of the pyramid's design.

But if you want to increase your protein intake because you understand there are crucial benefits to gain, SET FOR SET just released 3 new Protein Powder Products to increase your uptake!

• Whey Isolate (Vanilla)
• Whey Isolate (Chocolate)
• Plant-Based Protein Isolate (Vanilla)

References

1. Antonio, J., Evans, C., Ferrando, A. A., Stout, J. R., Antonio, B., Cinteo, H., Harty, P., Arent, S. M., Candow, D. G., Forbes, S. C., Kerksick, C. M., Pereira, F., Gonzalez, D., & Kreider, R. B. (2024). Common questions and misconceptions about protein supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 21(1), 2341903. https://doi.org/10.1080/15502783.2024.2341903 
2. Helms, E. R., Aragon, A. A., & Fitschen, P. J. (2014). Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 11(1), Article 20. https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-11-20
3. HHS & USDA. (2025). Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030. U.S. Government. 
4. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. (2024). Nutrient recommendations: Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
5. McKeown, N. M., Fahey, G. C., Jr, Slavin, J., & van der Kamp, J. W. (2022). Fibre intake for optimal health: how can healthcare professionals support people to reach dietary recommendations?. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 378, e054370. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2020-054370 
6. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. (n.d.). Dietary reference intakes (DRIs): Recommended dietary allowances and adequate intakes. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://ods.od.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Dietary_Reference_Intakes.aspx 
7. Reynolds, A., Mann, J., Cummings, J., Winter, N., Mete, E., & Te Morenga, L. (2019). Carbohydrate quality and human health: a series of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Lancet (London, England), 393(10170), 434–445. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31809-9
8. Schoenfeld, B. J., & Aragon, A. A. (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(1), Article 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-018-0215-1