Protein calculator
Protein calculator: how much protein you need a day.
- Rate, where gains levelled off
- 1.6 g/kg
- Range, ISSN 2017
- 98–140 g (1.4–2.0 g/kg)
- Upper end, Morton 2018
- 154 g (2.2 g/kg)
- Each of 4 meals
- 28 g
- ISSN serving guide
- 18 g (0.25 g/kg)
For healthy adults 18 and over. An estimate, not medical advice. If you have kidney disease, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a medical condition, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian for your protein target.
This protein calculator works out your daily protein from your body weight and goal, using the adult RDA, the ICMR-NIN 2020 figure for Indian adults and the sports nutrition research on people who train. It shows the range, one suggested figure and the amount for each meal.
- Free, no sign-up
- Kilograms or pounds
- Runs in your browser; nothing is saved
How the calculator works →Coaching clients? Try Trainaq free →
How much protein do I need a day?
Healthy adults need at least 0.8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight a day, the RDA; ICMR-NIN sets 0.83 g/kg for Indian adults. To build muscle with weight training, research supports 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg. While losing fat with strength training, 1.6 to 2.4 g/kg helps keep muscle. This protein calculator does the arithmetic.
- Adult RDA of 0.8 g/kg (Institute of Medicine) and 0.83 g/kg for Indian adults (ICMR-NIN 2020)
- 1.4–2.0 g/kg for people who train, from the ISSN position stand
- Muscle gains levelled off near 1.6 g/kg in a meta-analysis of 49 trials
- Your daily total split across 3, 4 or 5 meals
How it works
How does this protein calculator work?
It multiplies your body weight in kilograms by a rate in grams per kilogram that matches your goal. Each goal has a range from the research and one suggested figure inside it. Then it divides the daily total by your meals and shows a per-serving guide from the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
Enter your body weight
Type your weight in kilograms or pounds. Pounds are converted to kilograms first, because every range in the research is given per kilogram of body weight a day. Use your current weight: that is what the studies behind the ranges measured.
- 1 lb is 0.45359237 kg
- For adults weighing 30 to 300 kg
Pick your goal
General health uses the RDA, the intake that meets the needs of nearly all healthy adults. Building muscle uses the range the ISSN gives for people who train. Keeping muscle while losing fat uses the higher range the ISSN gives for strength training while eating less.
- General health: 0.8 g/kg or more
- Building muscle: 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg
- Keeping muscle while losing fat: 1.6 to 2.4 g/kg
Read the suggested figure
The big number is the suggestion for your goal: the RDA for general health, 1.6 g/kg for building muscle, where gains levelled off in a 2018 meta-analysis, and 2.0 g/kg, the middle of the range, for fat loss. The range below it shows how far you can move either way.
- Rounded to the nearest gram
- In pounds, you also see grams per pound
Split it across your meals
Choose three, four or five meals and the calculator divides the day’s protein evenly between them. It also shows the ISSN serving guide of 0.25 g per kilogram, so you can see whether each meal reaches the dose the position stand suggests.
- ISSN: spread servings every three to four hours
- Schoenfeld and Aragon: about 0.4 g/kg a meal over at least four meals
Formulas
Which formulas does the protein calculator use?
Daily protein is your body weight in kilograms times a rate in grams per kilogram, chosen by goal. Protein for each meal is the daily figure divided by the number of meals. Weight in pounds is converted to kilograms first, and the result is rounded to the nearest gram.
P = W × RP meal = P ÷ MS = 0.25 × WW = lb × 0.45359237- P: protein in grams a day; W: body weight in kg
- R: the rate for your goal in g/kg a day (suggested 0.8, 1.6 or 2.0)
- M: meals a day (3, 4 or 5); S: grams in one serving
Ranges
How much protein per kilogram for each goal?
The RDA of 0.8 g/kg meets the needs of nearly all healthy adults, though the ISSN calls it not enough for training athletes. For building muscle the ISSN gives 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg. With strength training while eating less it gives two to three times the RDA, 1.6 to 2.4 g/kg.
| Goal | Protein, g per kg a day | Suggested here | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| General health, adults | 0.8 or more; 0.83 for Indian adults | 0.8 | IOM 2005 (RDA); ICMR-NIN 2020 |
| General health, mostly cereal-based diet | 1.0 | — | ICMR-NIN 2020 |
| Building or keeping muscle with training | 1.4–2.0; gains levelled off near 1.6, upper limit of the estimate 2.2 | 1.6 | ISSN 2017; Morton 2018 |
| Keeping muscle while losing fat, with strength training | 1.6–2.4 (two to three times the RDA) | 2.0 | ISSN 2017 |
| Lean, trained lifters in a deep deficit | 2.3–3.1 per kg of fat-free mass | — | Helms 2014 |
Per kilogram of body weight a day unless the row says otherwise. Fat-free mass is your weight minus your fat; the body fat calculator estimates it.
Worked example
What does a worked example look like?
Take a 70 kg adult who lifts weights to build muscle. At 1.6 g/kg that is 70 × 1.6 = 112 g of protein a day, inside a range of 98 to 140 g. Over four meals it is 28 g each, above the ISSN serving guide of 0.25 × 70, about 18 g.
- The same person for general health: 70 × 0.8 = 56 g, or 70 × 0.83 = 58 g by ICMR-NIN 2020
- Losing fat with strength training: 70 × 2.0 = 140 g, within 112 to 168 g
- At 154 lb (69.9 kg) and 1.6 g/kg: about 112 g, or 0.73 g per pound
- At Morton’s upper limit of 2.2 g/kg: 70 × 2.2 = 154 g
Meals
How much protein should I eat per meal?
The ISSN suggests about 0.25 g of high-quality protein per kilogram of body weight in a serving, or 20 to 40 g, spread every three to four hours. Schoenfeld and Aragon suggest about 0.4 g/kg a meal over at least four meals to reach 1.6 g/kg a day.
- Up to 0.55 g/kg a meal if you aim for 2.2 g/kg over four meals (Schoenfeld and Aragon)
- Protein before or after training both help; the effect of a session lasts at least 24 hours (ISSN)
- The ISSN notes the best dose per serving depends on age and recent training
- The calculator divides your daily total evenly, as the ISSN suggests
Vegetarian and Indian diets
Can vegetarians and Indian diets reach these targets?
Yes, with planning. Dal and other pulses such as chana and rajma, soya, paneer, curd, milk and, if you eat them, eggs are common protein sources in Indian vegetarian meals. ICMR-NIN advises cereals, pulses and milk in a 3:1:2.5 ratio for good protein quality, and 1 g/kg on a mostly cereal-based diet.
- Animal and dairy proteins carry the highest share of essential amino acids; a single plant protein often lacks one or more (ISSN 2017)
- Combining cereals with pulses and milk, as ICMR-NIN advises, improves the protein quality of the whole diet
- Whole foods can cover your needs; the ISSN calls supplements a practical way to add protein without many extra calories
- This page gives no grams per food: they vary by recipe and portion, so check the label or a food database
Accuracy
How exact are these protein numbers?
They are ranges from research on groups of healthy adults, so your own need may sit higher or lower. Morton’s meta-analysis put the plateau at 1.62 g/kg, with a confidence interval from 1.03 to 2.20 g/kg, and the break point was not statistically significant. Treat the suggestion as a starting point.
- Morton 2018 pooled 49 trials with 1,863 people; the plateau came from 42 study groups
- Extra protein helped trained people more, and helped less with age
- The ranges are per kilogram of total body weight, as the studies measured them
- Helms 2014 gave lean athletes’ needs per kilogram of fat-free mass instead
Limits
Who should not use this protein calculator?
It is for healthy adults. Do not use it if you have kidney disease, where a protein-restricted diet can be part of treatment, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, when needs rise. Children and teenagers have their own figures. In each case, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian for your target.
- ICMR-NIN 2020 adds 9.5 g a day in the second trimester of pregnancy and 22 g in the third
- It adds 16.9 g a day in the first six months of breastfeeding and 13.2 g in the next six
- For children aged 1 to 18 it gives 0.83 to 0.97 g/kg, by age
- Anyone with a medical condition that affects diet needs individual advice
For coaches
How do coaches set protein targets for clients?
Coaches pick a rate for the client’s goal, multiply it by body weight and set the result as a daily target, then adjust it from progress. In Trainaq you set protein with calories, carbs, fat and fibre on the client’s profile from a chosen day, and the client logs meals in the free Trainaq app.
- Targets keep their history, so you see what changed and when
- Clients log by search, barcode, photo or a quick add
- Each day’s log shows against the targets in force that day
- Weekly check-ins bring the weight that tells you when to recalculate
Sources
Sources
- Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2005. Chapter 10, Protein and Amino Acids.
- ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. A brief note on Nutrient Requirements for Indians, the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) and the Estimated Average Requirements (EAR). Hyderabad: ICMR-NIN; 2020. Table 2a.
- Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:20.
- 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. Br J Sports Med. 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. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018;15:10.
- Helms ER, Zinn C, Rowlands DS, Brown SR. A systematic review of dietary protein during caloric restriction in resistance trained lean athletes: a case for higher intakes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2014;24(2):127–138.
FAQ
Protein calculator FAQ
Is a high-protein diet bad for your kidneys?
For healthy people who exercise, the ISSN position stand reports that published reviews find no sign of kidney or liver harm from higher protein intakes. Kidney disease is different: people in kidney failure benefit from protein-restricted diets, so anyone with kidney disease should follow their doctor’s or dietitian’s advice instead of this calculator.
Do I need protein powder to reach my target?
No. The ISSN says active people can meet their protein needs from whole foods, and calls supplements a practical way to add good-quality protein without many extra calories. If dal, paneer, curd, milk, eggs, soya, fish or meat already get you to your figure, a powder is simply a convenience.
Why is the Indian RDA 0.83 g/kg and not 0.8?
ICMR-NIN 2020 followed the FAO/WHO/UNU 2007 method and set the safe intake for healthy Indian adults at 0.83 g/kg a day, with an average requirement of 0.66 g/kg. It replaced the 2010 figure of 1 g/kg. The gap from the US figure of 0.8 g/kg is small: about 2 g a day at 70 kg.
Does it matter when I eat protein?
Less than the daily total. The ISSN finds benefits whether you eat protein before or after training, and says the effect of a training session lasts at least 24 hours. It suggests spreading servings every three to four hours, which is why the calculator splits your total across the meals you eat.
Can I eat more than 2.2 g/kg of protein?
You can, and the ISSN notes early evidence that intakes above 3.0 g/kg may help trained people lose fat. For building muscle, Morton’s analysis found no further gain beyond about 1.6 g/kg, with 2.2 g/kg as the upper limit of its estimate. Within a fixed calorie target, more protein leaves less room for carbohydrate and fat.
