How to use the protein intake calculator
Enter your age, sex and weight, then choose the goal that matches what you're actually doing: Sedentary for the basic RDA baseline, General fitness for regular recreational activity, Muscle gain for building, or Fat loss (cutting) for an active weight-loss phase. Your target appears instantly in grams, plotted on the gauge so you can see exactly where it sits relative to every other goal.
Tap Go advanced to enter your body fat percentage — the calculation switches to your lean body mass, which is more accurate if you're carrying more fat than average — adjust for pregnancy or breastfeeding, and split your total across 3, 4 or 5 meals.
How much protein do you actually need?
The official RDA of 0.8 g/kg of bodyweight is a minimum to prevent deficiency, not a target for anyone active. Sports nutrition research supports meaningfully higher intakes depending on your goal — the four ranges below are based on ISSN (International Society of Sports Nutrition) position stand recommendations.
| Goal | Typical range (g/kg bodyweight) |
|---|---|
| Sedentary (RDA) | 0.8 (1.0–1.2 if 65+) |
| General fitness | 1.2 – 1.6 |
| Muscle gain | 1.6 – 2.2 |
| Fat loss (cutting) | 2.2 – 2.8 |
Protein needs go up, not down, during a calorie deficit — extra protein helps preserve lean muscle while you're losing fat, which is why the cutting range sits highest of all four.
Why age and sex matter
The PROT-AGE Study Group recommends adults 65 and older get 1.0–1.2 g/kg of bodyweight daily — meaningfully above the standard 0.8 g/kg RDA — to help offset the muscle loss (sarcopenia) that comes with aging. This calculator applies that higher baseline automatically once you enter an age of 65 or above on the Sedentary goal; the more active goals already sit above that threshold. Sex itself doesn't change the core g/kg targets, but it gates the pregnancy and breastfeeding adjustments in Go advanced — pregnancy adds the RDA's +14 g/day, and breastfeeding adds +25 g/day, on top of your selected goal.
Total weight vs. lean body mass
Every range above is normally expressed per kilogram of total bodyweight, which works well for most people at an average body fat level. But fat tissue is metabolically far less demanding than muscle, so at a higher body fat percentage, a total-weight target can overshoot what you actually need. Entering your body fat % in Go advanced re-bases the calculation onto your lean body mass instead — check your number with our Body Fat Calculator if you don't already know it.
Spreading protein across meals
The daily total matters most, but how you spread it matters too. Research on muscle protein synthesis suggests each meal needs a meaningful dose — roughly 0.4 g/kg of bodyweight — spaced about 3-4 hours apart, rather than skipping most meals and loading up at dinner. The advanced per-meal table splits your target evenly across 3, 4 or 5 meals so you can see what that looks like in practice.
Real-world food equivalents
A number in grams is hard to picture. Knowing your target equals roughly 4-5 chicken breasts or 25 eggs makes meal planning concrete — you know what you're aiming for before you open a tracking app. The equivalents box updates live alongside your target.
Protein and your other targets
Protein is one piece of your overall nutrition picture. Once you know your target, use the Macro Calculator to fill in carbs and fat around it, or the TDEE Calculator to set the total calorie budget it fits inside. If you're training for strength, the One Rep Max Calculator pairs well with a muscle-gain protein target.
Common questions
How much protein do I need per day?
It depends on your goal, not just your weight. The RDA baseline is 0.8 g/kg for a sedentary adult, but most active people benefit from 1.2-1.6 g/kg, and those focused on muscle gain or fat loss typically do best around 1.6-2.7 g/kg. This calculator picks a target inside the range that matches your specific goal.
Is more protein better for muscle gain?
Only up to a point. Research generally supports about 1.6-2.2 g/kg of bodyweight per day for building muscle — intakes above that don't show a clear extra benefit for most people. Spreading it evenly across 3-4 meals matters as much as the daily total.
How much protein should I eat to lose weight?
Higher than maintenance — typically 2.0-2.7 g/kg of bodyweight while cutting calories. A higher protein intake during a deficit helps preserve lean muscle mass so more of the weight you lose comes from fat rather than muscle.
Should I use my total weight or lean body mass?
Total bodyweight works fine for most people at a typical body fat level. If you know your body fat percentage, entering it in Go advanced switches the calculation to your lean body mass instead, which is more accurate for people carrying a higher body fat percentage.
Can I eat too much protein?
For most healthy adults, intakes up to roughly 2.5-3 g/kg of bodyweight are considered safe based on current research, though it offers no extra benefit beyond your goal-based target. People with existing kidney conditions should check with a doctor first.