Protein Calculator

How much protein do you need per day?

This protein calculator gives you a daily intake range in grams, based on your body weight and goal. Protein is the raw material for building and repairing muscle — and the most protective nutrient when you're dieting, because adequate intake tells your body to burn fat rather than muscle.

How it works

The calculator multiplies your body weight by an evidence-based range for your goal:

• General health: 0.8–1.2 g/kg — the RDA (0.8 g/kg) is a minimum to prevent deficiency, not an optimum
• Stay lean & active: 1.2–1.6 g/kg
• Build muscle: 1.6–2.2 g/kg — a meta-analysis of 49 resistance-training studies found gains plateau at about 1.6 g/kg, with the upper confidence limit at 2.2
• Lose fat, keep muscle: 1.8–2.4 g/kg — higher intakes are more protective in a calorie deficit

The per-meal figure splits the middle of your range across four feedings, in line with research suggesting roughly 0.4–0.55 g/kg per meal maximises muscle protein synthesis.

Frequently asked questions

Can you absorb more than 30 g of protein per meal?

Yes — that's a myth. You absorb virtually all protein you eat; the question is how much acutely stimulates muscle building. Spreading intake across 3–5 meals is ideal, but total daily protein matters far more than timing.

Is high protein bad for your kidneys?

Not in healthy people. Reviews of intakes well above 2 g/kg have found no harm to kidney function in people without pre-existing kidney disease. If you have kidney disease, follow your doctor's guidance.

Do protein shakes count?

Absolutely — whey, casein and plant proteins are just convenient food. Hitting 160 g+ from whole food alone is hard; a shake or two from the protein range makes the target practical.

References

1. Morton RW, et al. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(6):376–384.
2. Helms ER, Zinn C, Rowlands DS, Brown SR. A systematic review of dietary protein during caloric restriction in resistance trained lean athletes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2014;24(2):127–138.
3. Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA. How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018;15:10.

Related

• Do you actually need protein powder? — an honest guide to closing the gap
• Lean Body Mass Calculator — protein targets scale best with lean mass
• Macro Calculator — build the rest of your diet around protein