Protein Intake Calculator

How much protein do you really need?

Protein builds and repairs muscle, keeps you full, and has the highest thermic effect of the three macronutrients, meaning your body burns more energy digesting it. The right amount depends on your activity and goal, which is why this tool gives a range rather than a single number. It estimates your daily protein requirement in grams of protein per day from your body weight and goal, following published sports nutrition guidelines referenced on our methodology page.

The guidelines in plain language

For general health, 0.8 to 1.0 grams per kilogram of body weight is enough. Active people who want to build or keep muscle do better at 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram. When cutting on a calorie deficit, going higher, around 2.0 to 2.6 grams per kilogram of lean mass, helps protect muscle while you lose fat. If you enter your body fat percentage, the calculator bases protein on lean mass, which is more precise, especially at higher body fat.

How do you make a big protein target easy to hit?

Dividing protein across three to five meals of 25 to 45 grams each makes a big daily number manageable and may support muscle better than one or two large servings. Whole foods like chicken, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, and tofu can cover most targets, with protein powder as a convenient extra. To set your full plate, use the macro calculator for carbs and fat, and if you are recomposing, the body recomposition calculator pairs a high protein target with maintenance calories. To check the calories those grams sit inside, start from the TDEE calculator.

When should you not push protein higher?

For healthy people the ranges here are well tolerated, and eating beyond them adds calories without extra muscle benefit. If you have kidney disease or another medical condition affecting protein metabolism, set your intake with your doctor rather than a calculator. Nothing you enter here is stored or sent anywhere; the math runs entirely in your browser.

Protein for weight loss versus muscle gain

The best protein target shifts with your goal, which is why this doubles as a protein calculator for weight loss and for muscle gain. In a calorie deficit, protein does double duty: it protects the muscle you already have and keeps you full, so cutting sits at the top of the range. For muscle gain the priority is total protein plus progressive training, anywhere from 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg. Because the number scales with size, entering your weight (or lean mass, if you know your body fat) makes this a practical protein calculator by weight rather than a one-size figure.

Limitations of this calculator

These ranges come from population studies of healthy, active adults, so individual needs vary with age, training status, and overall calorie intake. Protein needs rise with age and hard training and can be blunted when total calories are very low. The tool estimates a target from body weight or lean mass; it does not measure how much protein you actually absorb or distribute, and it cannot account for kidney disease or other conditions that change protein handling. Treat the range as a well-supported guideline and adjust with a professional if you have a relevant medical condition.

Factors that change your protein target

• Body weight or lean mass: the target scales with size; entering body fat switches to lean mass, which is more precise at higher body fat.
• Goal: cutting sits at the top of the range to protect muscle, while general health sits near the bottom.
• Training status: hard resistance training raises needs; a sedentary week lowers them.
• Age: older adults benefit from the higher end to counter age-related muscle loss.
• Total calories: in a deep deficit, protein needs edge up because some is used for energy.
• Food sources: spreading protein across meals and choosing complete sources helps you use the target you set.