How much protein you need for your goal
The amount depends mainly on your weight and whether you train. The protein calculator uses these ranges, in grams per kilo of body weight per day:
| Goal | Protein (g/kg/day) | What it is based on |
|---|---|---|
| Health, no training | 0.8-1.0 | Reference for sedentary adults |
| Training and maintaining | 1.4-1.8 | ISSN (2017): 1.4-2.0 g/kg for people who exercise |
| Building muscle | 1.6-2.2 | Morton (2018) and Schoenfeld and Aragon (2018) |
| Losing fat | 1.8-2.4 | ISSN (2017) and Helms (2014): more protein in a deficit |
| Recomposition | 1.8-2.4 | Longland (2016): 2.4 g/kg gained lean mass in a deficit |
If you enter your body fat percentage and your goal is to lose fat or recomp, the calculator uses 2.3-3.1 g per kilo of lean mass, the range proposed by the ISSN and by Helms and colleagues to preserve muscle in a deficit.
What the research says
The position stand of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) (Jäger and colleagues, 2017) sets 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg per day as sufficient for most people who exercise, and more in a deficit. The meta-analysis by Morton and colleagues (2018), with 49 studies and 1,863 participants, found that, on average, there was no further gain in lean mass above about 1.62 g/kg per day. Since that is an average, Schoenfeld and Aragon (2018) take 2.2 g/kg as the upper limit supported by the literature: that is why the range for building muscle goes from 1.6 to 2.2.
How much protein per meal
Schoenfeld and Aragon (2018) concluded that, to maximize muscle building, you should eat about 0.4 g per kilo at each meal spread across at least four meals. The calculator gives you the grams per meal based on how many meals you eat, along with that useful minimum as a reference.
How to reach your number
Build each meal around a protein source: meat, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes or tofu. You will find lists and amounts in the foods highest in protein and, if you do not eat meat, in plant proteins for building muscle. We go deeper in how much protein per day to build muscle.
If you have kidney or liver disease, do not increase your protein intake without consulting your doctor first.
