The Serving on a Day With No Workout
On a day with no workout, the serving is still the one printed on the pouch. The label tells you the grams of protein and the size of one serving. On a rest day, the serving size remains the same as on any other day.
On a day with no exercise, you still count the protein from all the food you eat, plus a powder serving only if you actually mix and consume it.
USDA FoodData Central lists one large egg at about 6.2 g of protein. Two large eggs provide approximately 12 g of protein. A Horlicks Protein sachet consumed with the eggs adds the 24 g of protein printed on the sachet. If you leave the sachet unmixed and do not consume it, you only count the eggs along with the rest of your food.
A training day and a day without training can have the same serving, or a rest day can have no powder at all. Either way, you only count what you actually consume. The powder in the pouch does not change simply because it is a rest day.
For a 65 kg adult, the guideline is about 54 g of protein per day. This total comes from your food, plus a protein serving if you actually mix and consume one.
Protein on the Pack
You can stir a Horlicks Protein sachet into 200 ml of cold water or milk. The sachet provides 24 g of protein when you mix and consume the full 36 g sachet.
If you would rather not mix a sachet, the Horlicks Protein Milkshake is a 240 ml bottle containing 20 g of ultra-filtered milk protein. On a day with no workout, you can choose either option or neither. The important point is that you count only what you actually consume.
If a label gives protein per 100 g instead of per serving, use the following calculation:
Protein consumed = Protein per 100 g × serving size in grams ÷ 100
For example, if a powder contains 80 g of protein per 100 g and you mix a 30 g serving, that serving provides:
80 × 30 ÷ 100 = 24 g of protein
That 24 g is what you count for that day, whether it is a training day or a rest day.
If you mix a second serving on the same day, that adds another 24 g of protein. Your remaining daily protein requirement would then need to come from your other meals.
What If You Mix Only Half a Serving?
If you mix the full serving, count the full amount of protein printed for that serving. If you mix half the serving, you can count approximately half the protein.
- Full 24 g serving = 24 g protein
- Half serving = approximately 12 g protein
Only the amount you actually mix and consume changes the protein total for the day.
A 65 kg Adult Needs About 54 g of Protein in the Day
You still need protein on a rest day. The ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2024, put the protein requirement for a 65 kg adult at approximately 54 g per day, based on 0.83 g of protein per kilogram of body weight.
The UK reference does not reduce the protein requirement on a rest day either. At 65 kg, the reference figure is approximately 49 g per day, based on 0.75 g per kilogram.
If you consume a 24 g protein serving, your other meals would need to provide approximately 30 g more protein to reach the 54 g daily figure.
A day spent at a desk and a training day work the same way when it comes to counting the protein you consume.
Protein Examples for Training and Rest Days
Even if one day is a rest day and the next is a training day, the protein calculation for the food and supplement you consume remains the same.
For example, two large eggs provide approximately 12 g of protein. If you also consume one full 24 g protein serving, the total is:
12 g from eggs + 24 g from the serving = 36 g protein
That leaves approximately 18 g to reach 54 g for the day.
If you leave the protein serving unmixed, you only count the eggs:
12 g from eggs = approximately 42 g remaining from other meals
If you mix half of the 24 g serving, you consume approximately 12 g from the powder. Along with the two eggs, that gives:
12 g from eggs + 12 g from half serving = 24 g protein
That leaves approximately 30 g to come from the rest of the day's meals to reach 54 g.
As another example, if a powder contains 80 g of protein per 100 g and you use a 20 g scoop:
80 × 20 ÷ 100 = 16 g of protein
So, a 20 g scoop would provide approximately 16 g of protein when consumed.
Can You Take Whey on a Day When You Do Not Work Out?
Yes, you can take whey or a protein supplement on a day when you do not work out. Use the serving size printed on the pouch and count the same protein amount you would count on a training day.
For a 65 kg adult, the daily protein guideline is approximately 54 g. A Horlicks Protein sachet providing 24 g of protein would leave approximately 30 g to come from other foods during the day.
Ultimately, your daily protein total depends on everything you actually consume throughout the day, whether you exercise or take a rest day.
Sources
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ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. Dietary Guidelines for Indians, 2024.
View ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines -
USDA FoodData Central. Eggs, egg whole, Large, Grade A. FDC 748967.
View USDA FoodData Central -
British Nutrition Foundation. Nutrition Requirements – Reference Nutrient
Intake for Protein, from the 1991 UK Dietary Reference Values.
View British Nutrition Foundation Reference