Protein Calculator
Find your daily protein target to build and keep muscle.
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Enter your details and press calculate to see your result.
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Protein is the nutrient your body uses to repair and build muscle after training, and it is the macronutrient most people undereat. Getting enough of it is what lets you add muscle in a surplus and keep the muscle you have while dieting. This calculator turns your bodyweight and goal into a daily protein target in grams, so instead of guessing you have a clear number to hit each day.
How much protein per day
The target is set per kilogram of bodyweight. Research on resistance-trained people, summarised in the ISSN position stand, points to roughly 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight as the range that supports muscle growth and recovery. We anchor the recommendation to your weight and adjust the range by goal: when you are cutting on a calorie deficit you sit at the higher end to protect muscle, when maintaining you can sit a little lower, and when gaining you land in the middle.
For example, an 80 kg lifter maintaining their weight has a target of about 112 to 144 grams a day (1.4 to 1.8 g/kg), centred near 128 grams. The same person cutting on a diet moves up to roughly 144 to 192 grams (1.8 to 2.4 g/kg) to hold on to lean mass while losing fat. Heavier bodyweights need proportionally more, lighter ones less.
Why your goal changes the number
When you eat in a calorie deficit your body is more likely to break down muscle for energy, so a higher protein intake is protective and helps you lose fat rather than muscle. That is why the recommendation rises when you select fat loss. In a surplus aimed at building muscle the extra calories and training already drive growth, so a moderate intake in the middle of the range is enough and leaves room for carbohydrates to fuel hard sessions.
If you carry a lot of body fat, basing the target on your total bodyweight can overstate your needs. In that case use a goal weight or your lean body mass and the grams will still land in a sensible range.
How to hit your protein target
Total daily intake is what matters most, but spreading it across three or four meals of about 0.4 g/kg each gives a steady supply of amino acids and gets the most out of each meal. Build meals around a protein source such as chicken, eggs, fish, lean beef, dairy or tofu, and use a shake to close any gap. Keep protein steady on rest days too, because muscle repair continues for days after a workout. For healthy people, intakes up to about 3 g/kg are safe, and anything above your needs is simply used for energy rather than stored as extra muscle.
How to use
- 01
Enter your bodyweight
Type your weight in kilograms or pounds.
- 02
Pick your goal
Losing fat, maintaining or building muscle changes the target.
- 03
Read your target
See your recommended daily protein range in grams.
Frequently Asked Questions
Aim for 1.6–2.2 g per kilogram of bodyweight. People cutting on a diet benefit from the higher end.
For healthy people, intakes up to about 3 g/kg are safe. Beyond your needs the extra is simply used for energy.
Total daily intake matters most, but spreading protein across 3–4 meals of 0.4 g/kg each maximises muscle building.
Yes. Muscle repair continues for days after training, so keep protein steady every day.
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Last reviewed June 2026 · Methodology & sources