Daily Protein Calculator

Get a daily protein range and per-meal split based on your bodyweight for resistance training.

How it works

For people doing resistance training, research on protein intake generally lands in a range of 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per day. That's a range, not a single magic number, because it depends on how hard you're training, how much muscle you're trying to build or keep, and how lean you already are. This calculator converts your bodyweight to kilograms if needed, applies that range, and splits the result across the number of meals you eat.

Worked example: a 176 lb person converts to 79.8 kg (176 divided by 2.20462). Multiply that by 1.6 and by 2.2 to get a daily range of 128 to 176 g of protein. Split across 4 meals, the low end of that range works out to 32 g per meal and the high end to 44 g per meal, both easy targets from a serving of meat, fish, eggs, dairy, or a protein shake.

The math doesn't change based on whether you're trying to gain muscle or lose fat. Protein needs actually go up slightly during a fat-loss phase to help hold onto muscle while eating less overall, so the same 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg range still applies, you just eat less of everything else.

FAQ

Why is there a range instead of one number?

Individual response varies, and so does training volume and goal. Someone doing three light sessions a week can get by near the bottom of the range. Someone training hard five or six days a week trying to build muscle does better nearer the top. Picking a number in the middle and adjusting based on how recovery and progress feel is a reasonable default.

What if I eat more than the range?

For most healthy people, extra protein beyond roughly 2.2 g/kg isn't harmful, it just doesn't build extra muscle. The body can only use so much for muscle repair and growth in a day, and the rest gets used for energy or excreted. There's no real upside to going well past the top of the range on purpose.

Does this apply to someone with kidney disease or who is pregnant?

No. This range is general sports-nutrition guidance for healthy adults. Kidney disease changes how the body handles protein load, and pregnancy has its own nutrition guidelines. Talk to a clinician or registered dietitian for a number that fits your specific situation rather than using this calculator's output.

Do I need to hit the number every single day?

Not exactly. Muscle protein synthesis responds to intake over days, not a single 24-hour window, so being a bit under on one day and a bit over the next averages out fine. Aim for consistency across a week rather than treating any one day as a pass-or-fail test.

For more on how muscle actually gets built and how to track your progress, see how long it takes to build muscle, what progressive overload is, and how to track your workouts as a beginner.