How much protein do I need a day?

At least 0.8 g per kg of body weight — 56 g at 70 kg — if you are a healthy, fairly inactive adult. If you exercise regularly, the ISSN suggests 1.4–2.0 g/kg (98–140 g at 70 kg); over 65, PROT-AGE suggests 1.0–1.2 g/kg.

How much protein do I need to build muscle?

1.4–2.0 g per kg a day, by the International Society of Sports Nutrition, combined with resistance training. In pounds that is about 0.6–0.9 g per pound. Pooled trials find the extra muscle gain levels off around 1.6 g/kg, with little sign of more above about 2.2, though higher intakes may help keep muscle during a diet.

Should I use my goal weight or current weight?

Current weight works for people near their target. With a lot of weight to lose, goal weight or lean body mass gives a figure that better matches the tissue that needs protein. Pick one method and stay consistent.

How much protein per meal?

Divide your daily target by your meals; 25–40 g at each of three or four meals is a common pattern for active adults. Total daily protein matters more than exact timing.

Is too much protein bad for you?

For healthy adults, intakes up to about 2 g/kg have not been shown to harm the kidneys, and the National Academies allow up to 35% of calories from protein. People with kidney disease should follow their doctor's limit.

Protein Intake Calculator (Grams per Day by Body Weight)

Daily protein in grams from body weight, from the 0.8 g/kg (0.36 g/lb) RDA to the ISSN's 1.4–2.0 g/kg (0.64–0.91 g/lb) for exercise, with per-meal grams and the share of your calories.

Inputs

Body weight(kg)

30 kg250 kg

Protein target

Meals a day

Daily calories (optional)(kcal)

0 kcal6,000 kcal

Units

Include CalculateEveryday mark

Daily protein

112 g

Every target on this page, at your weight

Target	g/kg	Grams a day
RDA for healthy adults	0.8	56 g
Adults over 65 (PROT-AGE, low end)	1.0	70 g
Over 65 and exercising (PROT-AGE)	1.2	84 g
Regular exercise (ISSN, low end)	1.4	98 g
Active / muscle gain	1.6	112 g

Body weight: 70 kg
Target: 1.6 g/kg (0.73 g per lb)
Working: 70 kg × 1.6 = 112 g
Per meal (3 a day): 37 g
Protein calories: 448 kcal (at 4 kcal/g)
RDA for your weight (0.8 g/kg): 56 g
ISSN range for exercise (1.4–2.0 g/kg): 98–140 g

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What each Protein Intake input means

Body weight: Current body weight. For people carrying a lot of extra weight, some dietitians use a target or adjusted weight instead, since fat needs little protein.
Protein target: 0.8 is the RDA for a healthy adult; 1.0–1.2 suits adults over 65; 1.4–2.0 is the ISSN range for regular exercise, higher end for strength work or a calorie deficit.
Meals a day: How many meals or snacks you spread protein across. It changes only the per-meal figure.
Daily calories (optional): Optional: your daily calories, to show protein's share against the 10–35% AMDR. Leave at 0 to skip.

Protein Intake formula

Protein (g/day) = body weight (kg) × grams per kg · per meal = daily grams ÷ meals · share of calories = grams × 4 ÷ calories

Protein needs are written in grams per kilogram of body weight, because a bigger body has more tissue to maintain. The Recommended Dietary Allowance from the National Academies is 0.8 g/kg a day — the amount that covers nearly all healthy adults who are not especially active. Two groups need more. The PROT-AGE study group recommended 1.0–1.2 g/kg for adults over 65, and at least 1.2 for those who exercise, to slow the loss of muscle with age. For people who train, the International Society of Sports Nutrition's 2017 position stand puts the range at 1.4–2.0 g/kg a day for building and keeping muscle, and notes that higher intakes can help preserve lean mass while dieting. Pick the target that fits, and the page multiplies it by your weight, splits it across your meals, and shows what the RDA and the ISSN range would be at your weight. Add your daily calories and it also checks the protein share against the 10–35% range the National Academies give for protein.

Protein Intake worked example

A 70 kg person training regularly at 1.6 g/kg: 70 × 1.6 = 112 g of protein a day, about 37 g at each of three meals and 448 kcal in all. The RDA at the same weight would be 56 g, and the ISSN range runs from 98 to 140 g.

More Protein Intake examples

A 180 lb lifter (81.6 kg) at the top of the ISSN range, 2.0 g/kg, needs 163 g a day, about 41 g across four meals. On 2,400 kcal that protein supplies 27% of calories, inside the 10–35% range.

A 68-year-old weighing 60 kg at the PROT-AGE floor of 1.0 g/kg needs 60 g a day — 20 g a meal, a bit more than the 48 g the general RDA would give.

Where the Protein Intake calculator can give the wrong answer

The RDA is a floor for healthy, inactive adults, not an optimum. It is set to cover almost everyone's minimum need, which is why sports bodies recommend more for people who train.
Kidney disease, liver disease and some metabolic conditions call for less protein, not more. This page does not replace a dietitian's plan for those.
At very high body weights a per-kilogram target can give numbers that are hard to eat. Basing it on a goal weight or lean mass gives a more practical figure.
Grams here are grams of protein, not grams of food: 100 g of chicken breast carries about 30 g of protein.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding raise needs; the National Academies set a separate RDA for those stages.

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Protein Intake reference table

Protein targets and where they come from
Who	g per kg per day	Source
Healthy adults (RDA)	0.8	National Academies, 2005
Adults over 65	1.0–1.2	PROT-AGE, 2013
Adults over 65 who exercise	1.2 or more	PROT-AGE, 2013
Exercising adults	1.4–2.0	ISSN position stand, 2017

Source: National Academies DRI (2005); Bauer et al., JAMDA 2013; Jäger et al., JISSN 2017

Protein Intake FAQ

: At least 0.8 g per kg of body weight — 56 g at 70 kg — if you are a healthy, fairly inactive adult. If you exercise regularly, the ISSN suggests 1.4–2.0 g/kg (98–140 g at 70 kg); over 65, PROT-AGE suggests 1.0–1.2 g/kg.
: 1.4–2.0 g per kg a day, by the International Society of Sports Nutrition, combined with resistance training. In pounds that is about 0.6–0.9 g per pound. Pooled trials find the extra muscle gain levels off around 1.6 g/kg, with little sign of more above about 2.2, though higher intakes may help keep muscle during a diet.
: Current weight works for people near their target. With a lot of weight to lose, goal weight or lean body mass gives a figure that better matches the tissue that needs protein. Pick one method and stay consistent.
: Divide your daily target by your meals; 25–40 g at each of three or four meals is a common pattern for active adults. Total daily protein matters more than exact timing.
: For healthy adults, intakes up to about 2 g/kg have not been shown to harm the kidneys, and the National Academies allow up to 35% of calories from protein. People with kidney disease should follow their doctor's limit.