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Enter your body weight in kilograms or pounds, your activity level, and your goal. The calculator multiplies your weight by a protein factor built from your activity plus your goal: for example, a 70 kg moderately active adult maintaining weight uses 1.2 g/kg, or 84 g per day. Choose how many meals you eat and the target is split per meal, with protein calories (grams × 4) shown too. These are estimates from published guidelines, not professional medical or nutrition advice. If you have kidney disease, are pregnant, or are over 65, talk to a healthcare professional first.
Every evidence-based protein target starts the same way: Daily protein (g) = Body weight (kg) × Factor (g/kg). The factor comes from two parts: your activity level (sedentary 0.8, lightly active 1.0, moderately active 1.2, very active 1.4, athlete 1.6) plus your goal (maintenance adds 0, general health 0.2, fat loss 0.4, muscle gain 0.6). So a 70 kg moderately active adult maintaining weight needs 70 × 1.2 = 84 g per day. That is the full math behind this calculator, shown openly so you can check it by hand.
Enter your body weight in kg or lb, pick the activity level that best describes your week, and choose your goal. If you carry significant extra weight, use your goal weight rather than your current weight, since fat tissue needs far less protein than muscle. Set your meals per day and the calculator splits the target into per-meal grams. The result is a range-worthy target, not a magic number: landing within 10 to 15 grams either way is fine.
The 0.8 g/kg RDA is the minimum to avoid deficiency in sedentary adults, not the amount for best results. Research consistently finds active people do better at 1.2 to 2.0 g/kg depending on the goal. Older adults also need more, around 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg, to fight age-related muscle loss. The RDA is a floor, not a target: this calculator aims above it for anyone who moves.
Muscle gain targets land at 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg of body weight. A 75 kg lifter therefore aims for roughly 135 to 165 g per day. Going above 2.2 g/kg adds little extra benefit for most people; training stimulus and total calories matter more once protein is adequate. Spread intake across 3 to 5 meals so each meal delivers enough protein to trigger muscle protein synthesis.
Cutting is when protein matters most: higher intake (around 1.6 to 2.4 g/kg, using lean mass or goal weight) preserves muscle while you lose fat. Trials show people who keep protein high during a deficit keep significantly more lean mass. Protein also helps in a deficit because it is the most satiating macronutrient, making the diet easier to stick to.
The old claim that you can only absorb 30 g of protein per meal is a myth; your body absorbs it all. What exists is a per-meal threshold of roughly 20 to 40 g (about 0.3 to 0.4 g/kg, higher for older adults) that maximally triggers muscle protein synthesis. Beyond that in one sitting the extra protein is still used, just not for more muscle building. Spreading protein across 3 to 5 meals covers the threshold without forcing huge single meals.
Adults over 65 need more protein, not less: around 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg, and up to 1.5 g/kg when recovering from illness. Aging muscles respond less to each meal's protein (anabolic resistance), so slightly larger per-meal portions of 30 to 40 g help. Older adults are also the group most at risk of silent deficiency, so a real target beats a vague 'eat more protein'.
Muscle protein synthesis runs for 24 to 48 hours after training, so rest days need the same protein as training days. Eating protein before bed (30 to 40 g, often casein) supports overnight recovery. The old 'anabolic window' is largely debunked for regular eaters: total daily protein matters far more than exact timing, as long as you do not train completely fasted and then wait half the day to eat.
Yes, with slightly higher targets (10 to 15% more) because plant proteins are usually lower in leucine and less digestible. Combine sources (beans with grains, soy products, lentils, seitan) and consider protein per 100 g when planning: tofu, tempeh and soy milk are the heavy hitters. Vegetarian lifters hit the same muscle outcomes in studies once total protein and leucine are matched.
In healthy people, high protein intakes up to about 2 to 2.8 g/kg show no harm to kidneys in studies. The kidney concern is real only for people with existing kidney disease, who must limit protein under medical guidance. If you have kidney disease, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a metabolic condition, do not use a calculator target: get one from your doctor. For everyone else, high protein is one of the safest nutrition interventions studied.
Multiply your body weight in kg by a factor for your activity and goal: 0.8 for sedentary, 1.2 for moderately active maintenance, up to 2.0 or more for athletes building muscle. A 70 kg moderately active adult needs about 84 g a day. Our calculator picks the factor for you and shows the target.
Daily protein (g) = body weight (kg) × protein factor (g/kg). Convert pounds to kilograms first (divide by 2.2). Choose the factor from your activity level plus your goal: maintenance adds nothing, fat loss adds 0.4, muscle gain adds 0.6 to the activity base.
It prevents deficiency in sedentary adults, but it is not optimal for active people. Most research favors 1.2 to 2.0 g/kg for active adults, and older adults need about 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg. Think of 0.8 as the floor, not the target.
Around 1.6 to 2.2 g per kg of body weight per day, spread over 3 to 5 meals. A 75 kg lifter targets roughly 135 to 165 g daily. More than about 2.2 g/kg adds little extra for most people once training and calories are in place.
Yes. Higher protein (1.6 to 2.4 g/kg of lean or goal weight) preserves muscle during fat loss and increases satiety, making the deficit easier to sustain. Cutting without enough protein is the main reason diets end with less muscle and a slower metabolism.
Your body absorbs all the protein you eat; there is no 30 g limit. But muscle protein synthesis maxes out at roughly 20 to 40 g per meal (about 0.3 to 0.4 g/kg). Spread your daily target over 3 to 5 meals to hit that threshold each time.
In healthy people, intakes up to about 2 to 2.8 g/kg show no kidney harm in studies. The exception is existing kidney disease, where protein must be limited under a doctor's guidance. These are estimates, not medical advice; kidney patients, pregnant women and older adults should consult a professional.
Yes, keep protein the same on rest days. Muscle repair and growth continue for 24 to 48 hours after training, and your body builds muscle on the days between workouts, not during them. Dropping protein on rest days slows recovery.
Yes, 30 to 40 g of protein before sleep supports overnight muscle protein synthesis, which otherwise runs low for eight hours. Casein is the classic choice because it digests slowly, but any complete protein works.
Yes. Aim about 10 to 15% above the standard target, since plant proteins are typically lower in leucine and digestibility. Combine sources like beans with grains, and lean on tofu, tempeh, soy milk and seitan. Studies show equal muscle gains when total protein and leucine match.
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