Protein calculator
Your daily protein target for building muscle, or keeping it while you lose fat, split across your meals.
Carrying a lot of body fat? Use a realistic goal weight instead.
Daily protein target
130g
1.6 g per kg of bodyweight. Useful range: 95–175 g.
- Per meal
- 33 g× 4
- Research dose
- 32 g0.4 g/kg
How much protein to build muscle
A 2018 meta-analysis of 49 trials and 1,863 people (Morton et al.) found extra protein stopped adding muscle at about 1.6 g per kg of bodyweight a day, with the upper end of the estimate at 2.2 g/kg. In a calorie deficit, aim for the top of that range.
The full reasoning, including the cheapest sources per calorie, is in eat protein the smart way.
Protein per meal
About 0.4 g/kg per meal over four meals best supports muscle building (Schoenfeld and Aragon, 2018). The daily total matters more, so three larger meals work if that is easier to stick to.
Protein FAQ
How much protein do I need to build muscle?
About 1.6 g per kg of bodyweight a day, where the benefit levelled off in a 2018 meta-analysis of 49 trials. For an 80 kg lifter that is about 130 g.
How much protein per pound of bodyweight?
About 0.7 g per pound (1.6 g/kg). The popular "1 gram per pound" rule is a generous round-up: harmless, but it builds no extra muscle.
Is more than 2.2 g/kg harmful?
Studies in healthy people have not shown harm from higher intakes, but they don't build more muscle either. If you have kidney disease, ask your doctor before increasing protein.
Should I use my bodyweight or my goal weight?
Your bodyweight, unless you carry a lot of body fat. Then use a realistic goal weight, or the target ends up tracking fat mass rather than muscle.
Can my body only use 30 g of protein per meal?
No. You absorb almost all of it. Only the muscle-building response tapers, and a 2023 study found a larger, longer response to 100 g than to 25 g. Three or four solid meals will hit any sensible target.
Sources
- Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2018;52(6):376–384.
- Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA. How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2018;15:10.
- Trommelen J, van Lieshout GAA, Nyakayiru J, et al. The anabolic response to protein ingestion during recovery from exercise has no upper limit in magnitude and duration in vivo in humans. Cell Reports Medicine. 2023.
Built by Max Van Strydonck, Founder of VERTEX. Last reviewed .