How Much Protein Do You Need Per Day?

Targets by situation

Grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight, per day.

• Sedentary adult, maintenance: 0.8–1.0 g/kg
• Generally active adult: 1.2–1.6 g/kg
• Building muscle: 1.6–2.2 g/kg
• Losing weight while preserving muscle: 1.8–2.4 g/kg
• Endurance athlete: 1.4–1.8 g/kg
• Adults over 65: 1.2–1.6 g/kg to counter age-related muscle loss

Worked examples

A 70kg office worker who walks and trains twice a week: 1.4 × 70 = about 98g per day.

An 85kg lifter in a muscle-building phase: 1.8 × 85 = about 153g per day.

A 60kg person in a calorie deficit: 2.0 × 60 = about 120g per day, which protects muscle while losing fat.

If you carry significant excess weight, base the calculation on a target or lean bodyweight rather than total scale weight — otherwise the number becomes unrealistically high.

Distribution across the day

Muscle protein synthesis responds best to roughly 0.3–0.4g per kilogram in a single meal, which is 25–40g for most adults. Three or four such meals covers almost any target.

Front-loading matters more than most people expect: many diets are heavy at dinner and nearly protein-free at breakfast, which wastes half the day.

Is high protein safe?

In people with healthy kidneys, intakes up to around 2g/kg have been studied extensively without evidence of harm. If you have kidney disease, liver disease, or are pregnant, your target should be set by your doctor rather than by a general guideline.