If you are active on social media and follow accounts linked with health and nutrition, you’ve probably come across the ‘protein-maxxing’ trend. Social media is full of influencers encouraging people to eat as much protein as possible as a way of achieving health goals.

However, many social media posts relating to health and nutrition are embedded in fearmongering, quick fixes and oversimplified “rules” to achieve a desired outcome. Diet, nutrition and health-related social media posts are often written by individuals without recognised nutrition qualifications and are frequently of poor quality, lacking accuracy and without evidence to support claims made.[1] Because of this, social media users can easily become misinformed about diet and health claims.[2]

As a dietetic learner, it is important to build your critical appraisal skills around social media posts and trends. Understanding the evidence (or lack of) behind such posts is crucial, as is supporting others to navigate the confusing world of nutrition information online. The protein-maxxing trend is a good example.

Protein is an essential nutrient; it plays a key role in building and repairing body tissues, supporting immune function and maintaining muscle mass. Current UK recommendations for healthy adults under the age of 65 suggest a protein intake of approximately 45g per day for women and 55g per day for men.[3]

Some groups might benefit from higher protein intakes, including people who are recovering from illness, injury or surgery,[4] older adults at risk of sarcopenia and people engaged in high levels of physical activity.[3,5] The rise of GLP-1 therapies may also have played a part in the trend of higher protein intakes, as an adequate protein intake is recommended to preserve lean mass during the weight loss journey.[6]

While protein requirements vary between individuals, there is little evidence to suggest that consuming extremely high amounts of protein provides additional benefits for most healthy adults. In fact, most adults in the UK are already exceeding the recommended amount of protein intake per day.[7]

Protein-maxxing is a social media trend with no formal scientific definition. Generally, it refers to deliberately increasing protein intake well above recommended levels by prioritising protein at every meal. The main goals promoted by the trend are usually to build muscle, lose weight or feel fuller for longer. While these goals seem appealing to many people scrolling social media, the reality is often more complicated than influencers suggest.

The main simplified message around protein-maxxing is that more protein will lead to more muscle. In reality, muscle growth depends on many other factors working together. To successfully build muscle, in addition to adequate protein, the body also requires adequate overall energy intake, regular resistance training and sufficient recovery. Simply eating extra protein will not automatically result in greater muscle mass.

The body can only use a limited amount of protein at any one time. Excess protein is not stored as muscle for future use. Instead, it is either used for energy or stored in the body as glycogen or fat.

One of the main concerns of this trend is the increased protein resulting in displacement of other essential nutrients in the diet. Very high protein diets may result in lower intakes of wholegrains, fruit, vegetables and fibre-rich foods. This can negatively affect digestive health, energy levels and overall nutrient intake, possibly resulting in nutrient deficiencies and impacting performance.

Another risk of protein-maxxing is the impact on diet quality. If protein intake relies on animal sources or processed foods, this may result in an increased consumption of saturated fat and salt, which is associated with poorer health outcomes (for example, cardiovascular disease or some cancers).

It is important to highlight that, for most healthy people, moderate increases in protein are unlikely to be harmful. However, excessive protein consumption may have negative consequences for individuals with existing kidney disease and should be approached with caution.

The explosion in popularity of protein-maxxed foods has also highlighted the impact of the ‘health halo’ effect. This occurs when a product is perceived as a healthy choice simply because it contains a desirable nutrient. A critical eye is often required to look beyond the marketing of a product to determine whether or not it is genuinely as healthy as it seems. For example, products marketed as high protein may also be ultra-processed, high in free sugars and low in fibre, vitamins and minerals.

The high protein claim can sometimes distract consumers from assessing the overall nutritional quality of the food. The illusion that a food is automatically healthy because it is high in protein is an issue that is prevalent when it comes to marketing and social media influencing. As a dietetic learner and future Registered Dietitian, sharing information and providing education and advice to individuals on looking beyond front-of-pack marketing claims is becoming increasingly important.

Nutrition advice does not only affect individual health. It also has implications for the health of the planet. Many social media discussions about protein focus heavily on animal-based foods. However, plant-based protein sources, such as beans, lentils, peas, tofu, nuts and seeds, can provide valuable nutrition while generally having a lower impact on the environment.

As a future dietitian, considering sustainability alongside health outcomes is an important part of evidence-informed practice. Encouraging a diverse range of protein sources, particularly plant-based options, can support both human and environmental health.[8]

An overwhelming space is taken up by influencers on social media shouting about quick fixes and endorsing the ‘halo effect’ of a nutrition trend. While protein is undoubtedly important, more is not always better. When evaluating nutrition trends, here are a few tips to successfully separate fact from fiction:

1. Look for evidence rather than anecdotes. Investigate the author’s credentials, qualifications and affiliations.
2. Consider overall dietary quality, not just one nutrient. Support individuals to make balanced and realistic dietary choices.
3. Challenge myths and misinformation respectfully.
4. Consider sustainability as well as health outcomes.

In your future role as a Registered Dietitian, you are not only required to provide nutrition information, but also to help people distinguish between evidence-informed advice and the latest social media fad. Protein-maxxing is a useful reminder that nutrition trends can spread quickly, but evidence should always come first.