Protein Intake Calculator

The RDA is 0.36 g per pound of body weight for sedentary adults (about 0.8 g/kg), but most active people and most goal-oriented diets target more. Fat-loss diets often use 0.8 to 1.2 g/lb. Muscle-gain targets cluster around 0.7 to 1.0 g/lb.

In a calorie deficit, higher protein helps preserve lean muscle and supports satiety. Most evidence-based recommendations move toward the upper end (0.8 to 1.2 g/lb) when cutting.

Protein scales with lean mass more than total weight, so a heavier-than-average body-fat person may overestimate their needs from total weight. Using lean body mass as the basis, or capping body weight at a reasonable upper bound, can avoid overshooting.

Most research suggests 3 to 5 meals with at least 20 to 40 grams of protein each is effective for muscle protein synthesis. The calculator splits your daily target evenly across the meal count you enter.

This page is protein-only. The macro calculator splits a daily calorie target into protein, carbs, and fat using a chosen ratio. Use this page first to set a protein target, then plug that target into the macro calculator if you want full macros.

For healthy people with normal kidney function, intakes up to about 1.6 g/lb (3.5 g/kg) are generally safe long-term. Existing kidney disease changes the math. This page is educational, not medical or sports-nutrition advice.