Protein Intake Calculator: How It Works
Protein requirements are usually quoted as one number, but the right figure depends on what you are asking your body to do: maintain, build, recover, or preserve muscle while losing weight. This page gives the ranges the evidence supports, and where they come from.
The baseline and the practical ranges
The recommended dietary allowance in most countries is 0.8 g per kg of body weight per day. That figure is the amount sufficient to prevent deficiency in the large majority of sedentary adults — a floor, not an optimum.
| Situation | g per kg per day | For a 70 kg adult |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary adult (RDA minimum) | 0.8 | 56 g |
| General health, active lifestyle | 1.0 – 1.2 | 70 – 84 g |
| Endurance training | 1.2 – 1.6 | 84 – 112 g |
| Resistance training, building muscle | 1.6 – 2.2 | 112 – 154 g |
| Losing weight while preserving muscle | 1.6 – 2.4 | 112 – 168 g |
| Adults over 65 | 1.0 – 1.5 | 70 – 105 g |
Two rows deserve comment. Requirements go up during weight loss, not down — in an energy deficit the body will use protein for fuel unless there is enough of it, and higher intake is one of the better-supported ways to preserve lean mass. And older adults need more than younger ones for the same effect, because the muscle-building response to protein blunts with age.
Distribution matters as well as total
Muscle protein synthesis responds to a threshold dose rather than accumulating gradually. Roughly 0.3–0.4 g per kg per meal — about 20–40 g for most adults — appears to produce a near-maximal response, and much more in one sitting adds little.
| Pattern for 120 g/day | Effect |
|---|---|
| 10 g / 20 g / 90 g | Two meals below threshold; poorer use of the total |
| 40 g / 40 g / 40 g | Three effective doses; better distribution |
| 30 g × 4 | Four effective doses; typically the best pattern |
Most people load protein into the evening meal and eat very little at breakfast. Evening out the distribution is a genuine improvement that costs nothing.
Quality, and what it means in practice
Protein quality reflects the essential amino acid profile and how well it is digested — particularly leucine, which triggers the muscle-building response. Animal proteins are generally complete; most single plant proteins are lower in one or more essential amino acids. This is a practical consideration rather than an obstacle: combining sources across the day (legumes with grains, for instance) covers the profile, and plant-based eaters are generally advised to aim toward the higher end of the ranges above.
| Food | Protein per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Chicken breast, cooked | 31 g |
| Lentils, cooked | 9 g |
| Greek yoghurt | 10 g |
| Eggs | 13 g |
| Tofu, firm | 17 g |
| Paneer | 18 g |
| Almonds | 21 g |
On the kidney question
In people with healthy kidneys, higher protein intakes within the ranges above have not been shown to cause kidney damage. In people with existing kidney disease, protein intake genuinely does need to be managed, and that must be done with a doctor. The distinction matters because the caution is widely repeated without it.
This page is general information, not dietary or medical advice. If you have kidney, liver or metabolic conditions, are pregnant, or are considering a substantial change to your diet, speak to a doctor or registered dietitian first.