Free protein calculator: how many grams of protein you need per day based on your weight and goal (sedentary, hypertrophy, cut or athlete). Ranges based on ISSN, EFSA and recent meta-analyses.
How many grams of protein per day you need
This protein calculator tells you how many grams of protein per day you need based on body weight and goal. If you're sedentary, 0.8–1.0 g/kg is enough (EFSA recommendation); if you do strength training and want hypertrophy, recent meta-analyses (Morton et al. 2018, ISSN Position Stand 2017) place the sweet spot at 1.6–2.2 g/kg; for aggressive cuts or elite athletes you can push to 2.4–2.8 g/kg to preserve muscle during a deficit.
Enter your weight, pick your goal and you'll get total grams and grams per meal (the optimum is to split into 3–5 meals of 20–40 g each to maximise muscle protein synthesis). If you want to know which foods cover that intake, check the protein equivalence table guide.
Factor used: 1.6-2.2 g/kg
Suggested split across 4 meals
- Meal 130–41 gprotein
- Meal 230–41 gprotein
- Meal 330–41 gprotein
- Meal 430–41 gprotein
Turn this protein into a real menu
Generate a day with foods that cover your protein grams split across several meals.
Protein is the most relevant macronutrient for building and maintaining muscle mass. Recommendations vary widely between the WHO (0.8 g/kg for sedentary people) and the ISSN or ACSM (up to 2.2 g/kg for athletes).
How much you really need
Healthy sedentary: 0.8-1.2 g/kg. Active gym-goer: 1.6-2.2 g/kg (Schoenfeld et al. 2022 shows a plateau around 1.6 g/kg for hypertrophy, but 2.0 g/kg leaves margin). In a cut, push to 2.2-2.4 g/kg to preserve muscle. Athletes in prep: up to 2.8 g/kg.
Distribution and sources
Split your total across 3-5 meals of 25-45 g (protein synthesis responds best to moderate, repeated doses). Prioritise complete sources: eggs, fish, dairy, lean meat, soy, legumes + grains. Whey and casein are useful, but not essential if you hit your target from real food.
Frequently asked questions
Is it dangerous to eat a lot of protein?+
For healthy people, intakes up to 3 g/kg are safe in the short and medium term (ISSN 2017 review). If you have kidney disease, consult your doctor.
How much protein per meal?+
20-40 g per meal optimises muscle protein synthesis. Split your total into 3-5 meals for best results.