How Much Protein Do You Actually Need?

For anyone training regularly with the goal of building or preserving muscle, the range most sports-nutrition research converges on is roughly 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day. A 70kg person is looking at somewhere between 112g and 154g daily — noticeably more than general population guidelines, which are built around preventing deficiency, not supporting training.

Bodyweight, not bodyfat percentage, is the simplest number to build the target from, and it's a good-enough starting point for almost everyone outside of extreme leanness or extreme excess weight, where using an estimate of lean mass instead gives a more realistic number.

Total protein across the day matters far more than perfect timing or spacing. The idea that you can only absorb 20–30g of protein in one sitting, with the rest 'wasted', isn't well supported by current research — hitting your daily total is what drives results, however it's distributed across your meals.

Whole food should still be doing most of the work. Chicken, eggs, fish, beans, lentils and dairy all count, and a shake is there to close the gap on days food alone falls short — not to replace meals outright. Two scoops of whey typically adds 40–50g, which is often the exact difference between a day that falls short and one that hits target.

In a calorie deficit — cutting fat while trying to hold onto muscle — the upper end of that range, or slightly above it, becomes more useful, since higher protein intake specifically helps protect muscle mass when you're eating less overall.

More isn't better past the point your training and goals actually call for. Once you're comfortably inside that 1.6–2.2g/kg range, extra protein mostly just gets used for energy or stored — it won't build muscle faster on its own without the training and the calories to back it up.

If you want help working out your number and a realistic way to hit it in Nairobi on a real budget, message us on WhatsApp — we're happy to talk it through before you buy anything.