How much protein do you need a day?
Enter your weight and goal. You get a daily range in grams, the amount per meal, and where in the range to start - the ranges come from sports nutrition position stands, not from a single study.
Where the ranges come from
The ranges follow the grams-per-kilogram figures used by sports nutrition position stands and reviews of the research: about 0.8 g per kg of body weight as the minimum for sedentary adults, roughly 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg for people who train, about 1.6 to 2.2 g per kg to build muscle, and up to about 2.4 g per kg to keep muscle while losing fat. Older adults are generally advised to aim higher than the minimum and to spread protein across meals.
Why a range and not one number
Nobody's exact requirement can be calculated from weight alone. Training volume, total calories, age and how much of your weight is muscle all move it. Starting in the middle of the range and adjusting to appetite, recovery and progress is the honest way to use it.
Per meal
Spreading the total over three to five meals, each with a meaningful serving, is the pattern most research on muscle uses. The per-meal figure below is simply the daily total divided by the number of meals you choose.