Protein calculator
Enter your body weight and your goal to get your daily protein in grams, the range research supports and a guide for each meal.
Filled in with example values. Replace them with yours.
Your daily protein
Range in research: 125–172 g
Per meal: 35 g in 4 meals. Guide: about 31 g (0.4 g/kg).
1.8 g/kg · 0.82 g/lb
With kidney disease, during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, ask your doctor first.
Your calories →- Your target
- 1.8 g/kg · 140 g
- Minimum for most adults (RDA)
- 0.8 g/kg · 62 g
- Gains level off (Morton 2018)
- 1.6 g/kg · 125 g
- Upper limit of the research range
- 2.2 g/kg · 172 g
| Goal | g/kg | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Build muscle | 1.8 | 140 g |
| Keep | 1.8 | 140 g |
| Lose fat | 2.0 | 156 g |
How much protein you need
The calculator multiplies your body weight by 1.8 g per kg, or by 2.0 g per kg if your goal is to lose fat. Someone who weighs 78 kg gets 78 × 1.8 = 140 g per day. These are the numbers the Muscla app uses for your daily target, so the website and the app agree.
Next to the target you see a range of 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg in grams. It is the range that research on strength training supports, and any value inside it is a good choice. The calculator picks a point in the upper middle on purpose: it is easy to reach with normal food, and it leaves some room if your intake varies from day to day.
For comparison, the official minimum for most adults is 0.8 g/kg (Institute of Medicine 2005). That figure is the amount that prevents a deficiency in people who do not train. It is not a target for building muscle.
What the research says
The best overview comes from a meta-analysis of 49 trials with 1,863 healthy adults who trained with weights for at least six weeks (Morton 2018). The authors looked at how much extra lean mass people gained at different daily protein intakes. The gain leveled off at about 1.6 g/kg per day. The confidence interval for that point reached about 2.2 g/kg.
Here is what that means in plain words:
- Below about 1.6 g/kg, more protein tends to mean more lean mass.
- Between 1.6 and 2.2 g/kg you are in the zone where the benefit flattens out, and individual differences decide.
- Above 2.2 g/kg, higher intakes are not known to harm healthy people, but they rarely add muscle.
We show the scale next to the result for this reason. The usual claim of “1 g per pound, or more” sounds precise, but the data do not support such a high number for building muscle. It is not wrong, just not needed. Note also that the trials in this meta-analysis tested protein supplements on top of training, so the figures are about total daily intake in people who lift.
Protein per meal and timing
How you spread protein over the day matters less than reaching your total, but a pattern helps. A review of acute and long-term studies suggests about 0.4 g/kg per meal, across at least four meals, to reach 1.6 g/kg per day (Schoenfeld and Aragon 2018). The upper end of 2.2 g/kg spread over four meals comes to about 0.55 g/kg per meal. The position stand of the International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests about 0.25 g/kg or 20 to 40 g per serving, every three to four hours (Jäger 2017).
The calculator shows both: your target divided by the number of meals you choose, and the 0.4 g/kg guide in grams. If your own split is above the guide at three meals, adding a fourth meal or a protein-rich snack is easier than forcing a large portion. For most people three to five meals work well.
The “anabolic window” after training is much wider than often claimed. A workout raises muscle protein synthesis for at least a day, so there is no need to drink a shake within thirty minutes. Eat a normal meal with protein before or after training, and you have covered it.
When you are losing fat
In a calorie deficit your body is more likely to lose lean mass along with fat. A higher protein intake helps to keep it, and so does continuing to lift. That is why the target rises to 2.0 g/kg when you choose Lose fat.
For athletes who are already lean and diet hard, a systematic review suggests even more, 2.3 to 3.1 g per kg of lean mass, scaled up with the size of the deficit (Helms 2014). Most people who lose fat are not in that group, and 2.0 g/kg is a solid target for them. Protein also keeps you full for longer, which makes a deficit easier to hold.
Plant-based protein and quality
Animal foods such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy contain all essential amino acids in good amounts. Many plant foods contain a little less of one or two of them, and some are slightly harder to digest. In practice this is easy to handle: combine soy, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds over the day and aim for the middle or upper part of the range. Protein powders from whey, casein, soy or peas work too, if they help you reach your total. Whole foods should still be the base.
Protein for older adults
Needs rise with age because the body responds less to the protein it eats. The PROT-AGE study group recommends at least 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg per day for healthy people over 65, and at least 1.2 g/kg for those who exercise (Bauer 2013). People with acute or chronic illness may need 1.2 to 1.5 g/kg. Strength training and protein work best together, so the calculator’s numbers are a good fit for older adults who lift. The exception is severe kidney disease, where intake may have to be limited.
Is a high protein intake safe?
For healthy adults, intakes within the range of this calculator are within what the position stands cited below cover. The situation is different with kidney disease, during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. In these cases, please ask your doctor before you follow any number from a calculator, including this one. The numbers here are general guidance for healthy adults, not medical advice.
Protein in Muscla
Muscla’s food diary shows protein as a blue ring next to your calories, so you see at a glance how close you are to your daily target. The target follows your body weight and your goal, and it changes when they change. The same numbers feed the calculator on this page. If you want to see your calories next, the calorie calculator uses the same method as the app.
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Questions
How much protein do I need per day to build muscle?
For building or keeping muscle with regular strength training, about 1.6 to 2.2 g per kg of body weight is the range research supports. Muscla uses 1.8 g/kg, and 2.0 g/kg when you lose fat. A person of 78 kg lands at 140 g.
Is more than 2.2 g/kg harmful or useless?
For healthy people, higher intakes are not known to be harmful, but they rarely add muscle. A large meta-analysis found that gains in lean mass level off around 1.6 g/kg, with the confidence interval reaching about 2.2. Beyond that, the grams mostly cost money and appetite you could use for other food.
Should I use my goal weight or my current weight?
Use your current body weight. It is simple, and the range is wide enough that a few kilograms do not change the plan. If you carry a lot of extra body fat, the lower end of the range is a sensible target.
Do I have to eat protein right after training?
No. The anabolic effect of a workout lasts for many hours, and the daily total matters more than the exact minute. Spreading protein over three to five meals, each with a good portion, is a simple way to cover both.
Can I get enough protein on a plant-based diet?
Yes. Soy, lentils, beans, peas, tofu, tempeh, seitan and grains can cover your target. Plant proteins are on average a little less rich in some essential amino acids, so a mix of sources and a target in the middle or upper part of the range make it easy.
Who should not simply follow this number?
Anyone with kidney disease, and anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding, should ask a doctor first. The calculator is made for healthy adults who train. It does not replace medical advice.
Sources
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Bauer J, Biolo G, Cederholm T, et al. Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people: a position paper from the PROT-AGE Study Group. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 2013;14(8):542-559.
- Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2005.