How much protein do you need per day?

Protein advice online swings between “eat a gram per pound” and “you get plenty already.” The real answer depends on your body weight, how you train and your age, and it fits in one small number you can actually use.

Put in your weight below to see your range, then read on for where each number comes from.

How much protein do you need per day?

Most healthy adults need at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. That is the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), and a review in Advances in Nutrition notes it has barely changed in more than 70 years.

The same review describes the RDA as the lowest intake that meets the requirement of nearly all (97 to 98%) healthy people. In other words, it is a minimum to avoid falling short, not a goal for someone who lifts, runs or is trying to keep muscle while losing weight.

Here is how the main recommendations stack up:

To convert, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2046 to get kilograms. Then multiply by the number in the second column.

How much protein do you need if you exercise?

If you exercise regularly, 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg a day is enough for most people. That range comes from the International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand on protein and exercise, which says it is sufficient for most exercising individuals.

That covers a lot of people: someone who runs a few times a week, someone doing classes, someone mixing lifting and cardio. If you are doing both, our guide to hybrid training for beginners covers how to fit them in one week.

How much protein do you need to build muscle?

To build muscle with strength training, about 1.6 g/kg a day covers most people, and some may benefit from going up to about 2.2 g/kg.

Those numbers come from a meta-analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine that pooled 49 studies with 1,863 participants. Adding protein to a strength program led to more muscle and strength gains, but past a total intake of about 1.62 g/kg a day there was no further gain in lean mass on average.

The estimate had a wide confidence interval, from 1.03 to 2.20 g/kg. That’s why the authors suggested about 2.2 g/kg for people who want to squeeze out every bit of muscle gain. For most people, 1.6 is a sensible target and 2.2 is a ceiling, not a requirement.

Keep the effect size in perspective. In that analysis, extra protein added an average of about 0.3 kg of fat-free mass over programs lasting at least six weeks. Protein supports the training; it doesn’t replace it.

How much protein do you need after 65?

Adults over 65 are advised to eat at least 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg a day, which is more than the general RDA.

That comes from the PROT-AGE study group position paper, published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. The authors say older adults need more protein to make up for age-related changes in how the body uses it, and to help keep muscle and function.

They also advise:

• At least 1.2 g/kg for older adults who exercise or are otherwise active.
• 1.2 to 1.5 g/kg for most older adults with an acute or chronic illness.
• An exception for people with severe kidney disease who are not on dialysis, who may need to limit protein.

Strength training matters here too. The same paper recommends both endurance and resistance exercise at levels that are safe and tolerated for each person.

What does that look like for your body weight?

Here are the daily ranges for a few example body weights, rounded to the nearest gram.

These are starting points, not prescriptions. If your weight is far from where you want it, or you have a health condition, a registered dietitian can help you pick the right number.

Should you spread protein across meals?

Yes, spreading it out is a practical way to reach your daily total, though the total matters most.

The ISSN position stand suggests about 0.25 g/kg of high-quality protein per meal, or 20 to 40 g, spread every 3 to 4 hours. A 2018 review by Schoenfeld and Aragon suggests a bit more for people building muscle: about 0.4 g/kg per meal across at least four meals, to reach at least 1.6 g/kg a day.

The same review notes that the body doesn’t simply waste protein above 20 g in a meal, and that long-term studies show meal distribution matters less than earlier thought. So if two big meals work better for your life, that’s fine. Hitting the daily number consistently beats perfect timing.

For a 150 lb (68 kg) person, 0.4 g/kg per meal works out to about 27 g, roughly the protein in half a roasted chicken breast.

Which foods have the most protein?

Meat, fish, eggs, dairy, tofu and beans all add up quickly. These figures are from USDA FoodData Central, rounded to the nearest gram.

Notice the trade-offs. Peanut butter has protein, but two tablespoons also carry about 190 calories for those 7 grams. Half a roasted chicken breast, by comparison, gives you about 27 grams for about 140 calories.

If you don’t want to weigh food, our guide to counting calories without logging every bite covers estimating portions by eye.

How much protein do you need when losing weight?

When you’re eating less to lose weight, protein toward the higher end of the ranges can help you hold on to muscle.

The Advances in Nutrition review cites research where diets with 18 to 25% of calories from protein preserved more lean mass than diets with 10 to 12%. The ISSN position stand goes further for experienced lifters, saying 2.3 to 3.1 g/kg may be needed to keep lean mass in resistance-trained people during a calorie deficit. That higher range is for trained lifters, not a general target.

Lifting while you lose weight matters as much as protein. If you’re on a GLP-1 medication, our guide to strength training on a GLP-1 covers protecting muscle, and questions about your medication belong with your prescriber. And because weight swings day to day, it helps to read why the scale lies before judging progress.

Is more protein always better?

No. Past a point, extra protein doesn’t buy more muscle.

In the BJSM meta-analysis, gains in lean mass leveled off at about 1.6 g/kg a day on average. Schoenfeld and Aragon note that larger doses lead to more amino acids being burned for energy, though some still go to building tissue. Either way, protein still has calories, and protein bars or shakes don’t do anything a meal can’t.

If you already eat in your range from regular food, you don’t need supplements to reach it.

Who should be careful with protein?

If you have kidney disease, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before changing how much protein you eat.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases explains that the kidneys clear the waste made when protein breaks down, so some people with chronic kidney disease may need moderate amounts. Too little protein can also lead to malnutrition, which is why NIDDK says to work with a professional to find the right balance.

The same goes if you’re pregnant, managing diabetes, recovering from surgery or have any condition where your care team has given you a diet plan. Their advice comes first.

How does Coachh help you hit your protein?

Coachh, the app we make, is a health coach in one chat, with a food diary that tracks macros including protein. You log meals in plain words, by text or voice, like “2 eggs and toast,” or snap a photo of your plate for an estimate shown as a range. A barcode scan logs a package’s exact numbers, and “my usual breakfast” logs your usual numbers in one step.

It also builds strength programs from your goals, so the training side that makes protein worth it is in the same place. When you beat your rep range, the weight goes up next time.

What it doesn’t do: it isn’t a dietitian, it has no micronutrient tables, and photo estimates are estimates. If you have kidney disease or another medical condition, get your protein target from your doctor or dietitian.

The bottom line

Start at 0.8 g/kg as your floor. If you train, aim for 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg, with about 1.6 g/kg covering most people who lift. Over 65, aim for at least 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg. Spread it over your meals, get it from food you like, and spend your energy on showing up to train.