Free tool
Protein calculator
How much protein do you need a day? Enter your weight and goal to get a range in grams, based on sports nutrition research.
Your goal
Enter your weight (30 to 250 kg) to see your daily protein range.
How the numbers are worked out
- Build muscle: 1.6 g per kg of body weight a day is where extra protein stopped adding measurable muscle gains in a large 2018 review; the upper end of its estimate was about 2.2 g/kg.
- Endurance or general fitness: 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg is the range the International Society of Sports Nutrition gives as enough for most people who exercise.
- Lose fat, keep muscle: while eating less and lifting weights, research on lean athletes suggests 2.3 to 3.1 g per kg of lean mass (your weight minus your body fat).
- Not training: 0.8 g/kg a day is the general adult reference intake.
This is general guidance from sports nutrition research, not medical advice. If you have kidney disease or another medical condition, are pregnant, or take regular medication, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian before changing your protein intake.
Sources
- Jäger R. et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14:20.
- Morton R.W. et al. (2018). A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(6):376-384.
- Helms E.R. et al. (2014). A systematic review of dietary protein during caloric restriction in resistance trained lean athletes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 24(2):127-138.
- WHO/FAO/UNU (2007). Protein and amino acid requirements in human nutrition. WHO Technical Report Series 935.