Why protein needs are a range, not a single number
Protein builds and repairs muscle, skin, enzymes, hormones and immune cells, and your body has no real storage depot for it, so a regular daily supply matters. How much you need depends on more than weight. A sedentary adult needs enough to cover basic turnover. Someone training hard is breaking down and rebuilding muscle daily. Someone dieting needs extra protein precisely because calories are low, to persuade the body to lose fat rather than muscle. That is why responsible guidance is published as ranges in grams per kilogram of body weight, and why this calculator shows a range with a midpoint rather than false precision.
The baseline reference is the RDA of 0.8 g per kg per day, the minimum set to cover the needs of nearly all healthy sedentary adults. Minimum is the key word: it is a floor to avoid deficiency, not necessarily the amount that best supports training, healthy ageing or weight loss. The levels on this page build upward from that floor. This calculator is for general information only and is not medical advice.
The protein ranges used here
Sedentary: 0.8–1.0 g/kg. Active: 1.1–1.4 g/kg. Endurance: 1.2–1.6 g/kg. Strength and muscle building: 1.6–2.2 g/kg. Weight loss: 1.8–2.4 g/kg, the highest range, because higher protein helps preserve lean mass and control hunger during a calorie deficit. Multiply your weight by the ends of your range to get your daily gram window.
Using your target across the day
Total daily intake matters most, but distribution helps in practice. Splitting the midpoint across three meals, roughly 25 to 40 g per meal for many adults, is a simple pattern that supports muscle protein synthesis through the day and makes the target feel achievable: eggs, Greek yoghurt, milk, fish, poultry, meat, tofu, lentils and beans all contribute. The results panel shows your per-meal figure for a three-meal split and the calorie cost of your midpoint (protein provides about 4 kcal per gram), so you can fit it into a wider calorie target from the macro calculator.
Worked example
A 70 kg active adult uses the active range of 1.1 to 1.4 g/kg. Low end: 70 × 1.1 = 77 g. High end: 70 × 1.4 = 98 g. The midpoint is 87.5 g a day, about 29 g per meal across three meals, providing about 350 kcal of protein energy.
How to use this calculator
- Choose units and enter your weight.
- Select the level that best matches your training and goal.
- Read your daily protein range in the headline.
- Note the midpoint and the per-meal figure for a three-meal split.
- Compare every level for your weight in the table below.
Upper ranges, sources and cautions
For healthy adults, intakes in the ranges on this page are widely used in sports nutrition. That does not mean more is always better: beyond the top of the strength range, extra protein is mostly just extra calories, and evidence for additional muscle benefit fades. Very high intakes also tend to crowd out fibre, fruit, vegetables and other foods a balanced diet needs.
One important caution: people with kidney disease or other medical conditions are sometimes prescribed a specific protein limit, and that personal instruction overrides any general range. Protein source matters for overall diet quality too; mixing animal and plant sources, or combining plant proteins across the day, covers amino acid needs comfortably. If you are unsure which level fits your health situation, ask a qualified professional or registered dietitian. Information only, not medical advice.
Important note
For information only — not medical advice. This calculator uses standard published formulas to estimate values for general education and planning. It does not diagnose, treat, or replace the advice of a doctor or other qualified health professional. If you have a health concern, are pregnant, or are making decisions about treatment, medication, or a major diet or exercise change, please talk to a healthcare professional first.