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Protein Intake Calculator

Enter your body weight and goal to get a daily protein range from the research on resistance-trained people, and a practical split across meals. A range, not a prescription.

Calculator

Unit

Daily protein range

130–175 g/day

1.6–2.2 g per kg of body weight (0.73–1.00 g per lb)

Gains levelled off around 1.6 g/kg; 2.2 g/kg covers people who respond at the upper end.

meals

≈ 32–44 g per meal

For comparison, about 0.4 g/kg per meal over at least four meals has been suggested to maximise muscle building — 32 g per meal for you.

General information for healthy adults, not medical or dietary advice. If you have kidney disease or another medical condition, or are pregnant, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian before changing your protein intake.

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How it works

The calculator multiplies your body weight by a range of grams per kilogram for your goal and rounds to the nearest 5 g. It gives a range rather than one number because the research identifies a zone where most people’s needs fall, not an exact requirement.

  • Build muscle: 1.6–2.2 g/kg. A meta-analysis of 49 trials (1,863 participants) found that gains in fat-free mass from resistance training levelled off at around 1.6 g/kg per day [1]; 2.2 g/kg covers people at the upper end.
  • General training: 1.4–2.0 g/kg, the range the International Society of Sports Nutrition considers sufficient for most exercising people building or maintaining muscle [2].
  • Fat loss while lifting: 2.0–2.4 g/kg. In a deficit, a group eating 2.4 g/kg gained lean mass while one eating 1.2 g/kg did not [3]; the ISSN notes 2.3–3.1 g/kg may be needed to maximise lean-mass retention in trained people during hypocaloric periods [2], and a review of lean athletes suggests needs rise with the size of the deficit and leanness [4].

Splitting it across the day

Total daily intake matters more than timing. A 2018 review suggested about 0.4 g/kg per meal across at least four meals to maximise muscle building [5], though a later tracer study found a large 100 g serving after exercise still produced a bigger and longer response than 25 g [6] — a big meal is not wasted. Our guide to protein timing covers the details.

Limitations

  • Ranges are per kilogram of total body weight. For people carrying a lot of body fat, using a goal or lean body weight gives a more sensible number.
  • Needs also depend on total energy intake, training volume, age and dietary pattern; older adults appear to benefit less from added protein in some analyses [1].
  • The studies were done in healthy adults. This is not advice for medical conditions.

Frequently asked questions

How much protein do I need to build muscle?

About 1.6 g per kilogram of body weight per day (around 0.7 g per pound) for most lifters, with up to 2.2 g/kg covering those at the upper end [1]. See how much protein for the full evidence.

Is more protein better when cutting?

Usually yes, within reason: higher intakes help preserve lean mass in a calorie deficit [3] [2]. Our guide to building muscle while losing fat explains how far a deficit can go.

Sources

  1. [1]Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2018;52(6):376–384. Source
  2. [2]Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2017;14:20. Source
  3. [3]Longland TM, Oikawa SY, Mitchell CJ, Devries MC, Phillips SM. Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss: a randomized trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2016;103(3):738–746. Source
  4. [4]Helms ER, Zinn C, Rowlands DS, Brown SR. A systematic review of dietary protein during caloric restriction in resistance trained lean athletes: a case for higher intakes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 2014;24(2):127–138. Source
  5. [5]Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA. 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. 2018;15:10. Source
  6. [6]Trommelen J, van Lieshout GAA, Nyakayiru J, et al. The anabolic response to protein ingestion during recovery from exercise has no upper limit in magnitude and duration in vivo in humans. Cell Reports Medicine. 2023;4(12):101324. Source

Keep going

Related guides

The nutrition evidence behind these ranges.

Nutrition

How Much Protein Do You Need to Build Muscle?

What a meta-analysis of 49 trials shows about protein and muscle gain, why intake levels off around 1.6 g/kg, when more helps, and how to hit your target.

6 references · 3 minRead

Nutrition

Protein Timing: Does the Anabolic Window Matter?

Whether you need protein immediately after training, what meta-analyses show about timing versus total intake, and how to plan meals around workouts.

6 references · 3 minRead

Nutrition

How Many Calories Do You Need to Build Muscle? Lean Bulking Explained

How large a calorie surplus supports muscle growth without unnecessary fat gain, how fast to gain weight, and how to set and adjust your intake.

5 references · 4 minRead

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