Protein advice online ranges from “just eat normally” to “1 gram per pound of bodyweight” — and the right number actually depends heavily on your activity level and goals. Our protein intake calculator gives you a research-backed starting point in seconds.
The math
Daily protein (g) = Body weight (kg) × g-per-kg multiplier for your activity level| Activity / goal | g per kg body weight |
|---|---|
| Sedentary | 0.8 |
| Lightly active | 1.2 |
| Regular exerciser | 1.6 |
| Strength training / muscle gain | 2.0 |
| Cutting / calorie deficit | 2.4 |
Example
A 70kg (154 lb) regular exerciser: 70 × 1.6 = 112g of protein per day, or about 28g per meal spread across 4 meals/snacks.
Why the range is so wide
Protein supports muscle repair and growth, so demand scales up with training intensity and frequency. Sedentary adults need enough to maintain basic tissue repair (the 0.8 g/kg figure is close to many official dietary reference intakes), while someone doing regular resistance training needs meaningfully more to support muscle protein synthesis after each workout — and someone in a calorie deficit needs even more to help preserve lean muscle mass while losing fat.
Is more always better?
No — protein needs plateau once you’re in the range appropriate for your activity level and goal. Eating far beyond that doesn’t meaningfully add extra muscle-building benefit; it just displaces other nutrients or adds unnecessary calories.
Spreading it across meals
Research suggests the body can only effectively use a limited amount of protein for muscle protein synthesis in a single sitting (commonly cited around 20-40g), so spreading your daily total across multiple meals tends to support muscle maintenance and growth better than front-loading it into one or two large meals.