Protein Intake Calculator
Find the daily protein your goal actually calls for, from the RDA to a cutting target.
Your details
Resistance training with a surplus
High protein intakes are safe for healthy kidneys. That concern comes from studies of people who already had kidney disease. If you have reduced kidney function, protein IS restricted, and the target comes from your nephrologist, not from here.
This works out a daily protein target from your body weight, activity level and goal.
It gives a range rather than a single number, because the research supports a range.
How much protein you need
There are two very different answers to "how much protein do I need", and confusing them is why the advice seems contradictory.
The RDA is 0.8 g per kg of body weight. That is a minimum designed to prevent deficiency in the general population. For a 70 kg person it is 56 g a day. It is not a target for anyone training.
For building or preserving muscle, the research on resistance-trained people clusters around 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg. For that same 70 kg person, 112 g to 154 g a day. Two to three times the RDA, and both figures are correct for their own question.
Roughly one gram per pound of body weight lands near the top of that range, which is where the common gym advice comes from.
What to enter
- Body weight
- The basis for every recommendation. If you carry substantial excess fat, lean body mass or a target weight is the better basis.
- Activity level
- Sedentary sits near the RDA. Endurance training raises it somewhat, and resistance training raises it most.
- Goal
- Building muscle, maintaining, or losing fat. Protein needs are highest during a calorie deficit, which is the opposite of what people assume.
- Age
- Requirements rise with age. Older adults need more protein to trigger the same muscle-building response.
Where the numbers come from
- 0.8 g/kg
- The RDA. A minimum to prevent deficiency across the general population, not an optimum.
- 1.2-1.4 g/kg
- Commonly cited for endurance athletes.
- 1.6-2.2 g/kg
- Where the resistance-training research clusters for building and preserving muscle.
- 2.3-3.1 g/kg
- Sometimes used by lean athletes in aggressive deficits, to protect muscle. Not necessary for most people.
- Per meal
- Roughly 20-40 g per meal, spread across the day, appears more effective than the same total in one sitting.
What this assumes
Recommendations are based on body weight. For someone with substantial excess fat, using lean mass or a target weight avoids overestimating.
This is general guidance for healthy adults. Kidney disease, pregnancy and some medical conditions change protein needs, sometimes substantially.
How to calculate your daily protein target
Convert weight to kilograms, then multiply by the figure matching your goal.
- 0.8
- RDA minimum for sedentary adults
- 1.6 to 2.2
- Building or preserving muscle with resistance training
- kg
- Pounds divided by 2.205
Convert your weight to kilograms. Divide pounds by 2.205. 154 lb is 70 kg.
Choose a factor for your goal. 0.8 if sedentary, 1.6-2.2 if training with weights, towards the top of that range if you are in a calorie deficit.
Multiply. 70 kg × 1.6 = 112 g. 70 kg × 2.2 = 154 g. Anywhere in that band is reasonable.
Spread it across the day. Roughly 20-40 g per meal works better than one large serving, and it is easier to actually eat.
See a worked example: the same person, three different answers
- Weight
- 154 lb, which is 70 kg
Sedentary, RDA: 70 × 0.8 = 56 g a day.
Building muscle: 70 × 1.6 = 112 g, up to 70 × 2.2 = 154 g.
That upper figure is very close to one gram per pound of body weight, which is where the familiar gym rule of thumb comes from.
Across four meals, 112 g is 28 g each: about a chicken breast, or a large serving of Greek yoghurt with a scoop of whey.
56 g sedentary, 112-154 g if training
Frequently asked questions
Because they answer different questions. The RDA is a minimum set to prevent deficiency across the general population, and it works for that.
Research on people training with weights consistently supports 1.6-2.2 g/kg for building and preserving muscle. Neither figure is wrong; they are just not answering the same thing.
Yes, and this surprises people. In a calorie deficit the body will break down muscle as well as fat, and higher protein plus resistance training is what limits that.
Aim towards the upper end of the range, 1.8-2.2 g/kg, when cutting. Protein is also the most satiating macronutrient, which makes the deficit easier to hold.
For healthy people, high protein intakes have not been shown to cause kidney damage. Studies in trained populations at 2 g/kg and above have not found harm.
If you have existing kidney disease, that is genuinely different, and protein intake should be set with your doctor. The concern is real for that group and does not transfer to everyone else.
Body weight is fine for most people and it is simpler. If you carry substantial excess fat, it overestimates, because fat tissue has little protein requirement.
In that case use [lean body mass](/health/lean-body-mass-calculator) or a realistic target weight instead. The difference can be 40 g a day or more.
Total daily intake matters most by a distance. Distribution has a smaller but real effect: roughly 20-40 g per meal across three or four meals outperforms the same total in one sitting.
The "anabolic window" after training turns out to be much wider than once believed. Hitting your daily total matters more than eating within thirty minutes of a workout.
Yes, though it takes more deliberate planning. Legumes, tofu, tempeh, seitan, and soy or pea protein powders all work well.
Two adjustments help: plant proteins are generally less digestible, so aiming slightly higher is sensible, and most are lower in leucine, so varying sources across the day matters more than it does on an omnivorous diet.
Problems people actually run into
Training hard on the RDA
Someone lifting three times a week and eating 56 g a day is training on a deficiency-prevention minimum, and will build muscle more slowly than their effort deserves.
The gap is large: 56 g against 112 g is double. It is often the single most impactful change to a training diet.
Chasing very high intakes
Above roughly 2.2 g/kg the returns flatten out sharply. Going from 154 g to 220 g adds calories and crowds out other foods for very little benefit.
The exception is a lean athlete in an aggressive deficit, where higher intakes help protect muscle. For most people, hitting the range consistently beats exceeding it occasionally.
Results are estimates for general information only and are not professional financial, medical, or legal advice. Read our full disclaimer.
Last updated: September 4, 2026