Protein intake on rest days - same as training days?

@MacroMaster

Intermediate• 1 posts

2/17/2026

Quick question for the nutrition nerds here.

I've been eating around 160g of protein daily (I weigh 75kg, so about 2.1g/kg). On training days this feels right, but on rest days I'm wondering if I should reduce it since I'm not breaking down as much muscle tissue.

Current split is: - Training days: 160g protein, 2400 calories - Rest days: ??? protein, 2000 calories

What do you all do? Keep protein the same and just reduce carbs/fats? Or lower everything proportionally?

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Accepted Answer

Advanced

@NutritionNinjaAdvanced

2/17/2026

Great question! The research is pretty clear on this: keep protein high on rest days. Here's why: Muscle protein synthesis (MPS) stays elevated for 24-48 hours after training. So on your rest day, your body is still actively repairing and building muscle from yesterday's session. My recommendation: - Keep protein at 160g (or at least 140g minimum) - Reduce carbs slightly since you don't need the workout fuel - Maybe drop to 2100-2200 calories The difference in calories should come from carbs, not protein. Your muscles need those amino acids for recovery.

Intermediate

@VeganGainsIntermediate

2/17/2026

Agreed with NutritionNinja. I keep my protein constant and just adjust carbs. One thing I'd add: spreading protein throughout the day matters more on rest days IMO. When you're training, you have a big post-workout window. On rest days, try to hit 30-40g per meal across 4-5 meals for optimal MPS.

Protein intake on rest days - same as training days?

2 Replies

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