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How much protein you need per day in g/kg

Daily protein in g/kg from your goal and training level

These calculators provide estimates based on population-level formulas and do not replace assessment by a dietitian, physician or exercise professional.

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Goal
1–3 years training

Put the protein target on your plate in FITTA

FITTA applies the same g/kg to the day's meals and updates the plan when the goal or training level changes.

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Practical guide

How to use FITTA better.

Daily protein is not a fixed slice of calories. People who train need a target in grams per kilogram of body weight, scaled to the goal — fat loss, maintenance, or muscle gain — and to training level. This calculator multiplies current body weight by the FITTA matrix coefficient and returns total grams, calories from protein, and a food equivalent. The number is a starting point for the plate, not a lab result. It is a population estimate. A dietitian or physician should revise it when a medical condition is in play.

What daily protein in g/kg actually means

The 0.8 g/kg RDA covers deficiency in a sedentary adult, not the target for people who lift. Morton et al. (2018) and the ISSN position stand (Jäger et al., 2017) put the useful range near 1.4 to 2.2 g/kg (0.64 to 1.00 g/lb) for resistance-trained adults, with higher numbers in an energy deficit and in lean athletes. Anchoring in g/kg beats a locked percentage: 30% of 1,600 kcal is 120 g; 30% of 2,800 kcal is 210 g, and body weight never entered the math.

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This page uses total body weight. Without a measured body-fat percent, converting to lean mass invents precision. In marked obesity, a professional may anchor to fat-free mass.

  • The 0.8 g/kg RDA is a deficiency floor, not a training target
  • Strength-training literature: about 1.4 to 2.2 g/kg of total weight
  • Without measured body fat, use total weight, not lean mass

How this calculator does the math

The formula is protein (g) = body weight (kg) × coefficient (g/kg). The coefficient comes from the FITTA matrix, crossing goal and training level. Fat loss: beginner 1.8, intermediate 2.0, advanced 2.4 (0.82 / 0.91 / 1.09 g/lb). Maintenance: 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 (0.64 / 0.73 / 0.82 g/lb). Muscle gain: 1.6, 1.8, 2.2 (0.73 / 0.82 / 1.00 g/lb). Calories from protein = grams × 4 (Atwater factors). The per-meal line divides the total by 4. Chicken-breast equivalent = grams / 0.31 (31 g of protein per 100 g grilled). Whole-egg equivalent = grams / 6.3.

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Example 1: woman, 62 kg (137 lb), fat loss, intermediate. 62 × 2.0 = 124 g; 496 kcal from protein; about 31 g across four meals; ≈ 400 g of chicken breast. Example 2: man, 80 kg (176 lb), gain, advanced. 80 × 2.2 = 176 g; 704 kcal; 44 g per meal; ≈ 568 g of chicken. Example 3: 75 kg (165 lb), maintenance, intermediate. 75 × 1.6 = 120 g.

A deficit raises the coefficient because lean-mass loss risk climbs when calories fall. Advanced raises it again: more volume and, in a cut, less reserve fat. Advanced gain at 2.2 g/kg covers adherence and under-reported portions; it is not a license to double protein once training and calories are already in place.

  • protein (g) = kg × matrix coefficient
  • Loss 1.8 / 2.0 / 2.4; maintain 1.4 / 1.6 / 1.8; gain 1.6 / 1.8 / 2.2
  • kcal = g × 4; chicken = g / 0.31; eggs = g / 6.3

How to read the result

The headline number is the daily gram target, not a percent of calories. At 2,000 kcal, 124 g of protein is about 25% of energy (124 × 4 / 2,000). The same 124 g at 2,600 kcal is 19%. Compare grams and g/kg, not the isolated percentage.

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Use today’s weight, not the goal weight. Recalculate every 4 to 6 weeks or after a 3–4 kg (7–9 lb) change. If the coefficient is 2.4 g/kg and the calorie target is already low, protein eats a large share: 70 kg × 2.4 = 168 g = 672 kcal. At 1,600 kcal that is 42% of energy; carbs and fat get squeezed. In that case revise the deficit (the calorie calculator floors at 60% of TDEE) before you cut protein.

A beginner at maintenance on 1.4 g/kg already clears the RDA and covers the early training stimulus. Advanced fat loss at 2.4 g/kg is this matrix’s ceiling, in line with the upper Helms et al. (2014) band for lean athletes in contest prep, applied here to total weight for safety.

Common mistakes when setting protein

Counting only the whey scoop and ignoring the plate undercounts what you already eat. The reverse error is treating raw food weight as protein grams. One hundred grams of grilled chicken breast yields about 31 g, not 100 g. Using goal weight inflates the target for someone who still has 15 kg (33 lb) to lose and shrinks it for someone trying to gain. Without DXA or another serious method, do not convert to lean mass. Copying 2.2 g/kg from an elite athlete in a deep cut does not fit someone who trains three days a week at maintenance.

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The 0.8 g/kg RDA is not the most the body can absorb. Intestinal absorption and muscle protein synthesis are different processes; muscle usually responds to about 20 to 40 g per meal. More than ~0.4 g/kg in one sitting is not wasted: it oxidizes or goes elsewhere, but the synthesis signal has already saturated. Do not rebuild the target after every 0.4 kg on the scale. Glycogen and sodium move 1 to 2 kg (2 to 4 lb). Hold the number 14 to 21 days.

  • Do not treat food weight as grams of protein
  • Do not use goal weight or invented lean mass
  • Do not confuse the 0.8 g/kg RDA with an absorption cap
  • Do not reset the target after every scale wiggle

How to put the number on the plate and in training

Split the total across 3 to 5 meals of 25 to 40 g. Dense sources: chicken breast (about 31 g per 100 g grilled), a whole egg (about 6.3 g), Greek yogurt, whey, fish, lean meat, tofu, and legumes. Leucine in the dose, not a 30-minute post-workout clock, drives the synthesis signal; a 25 to 40 g meal in the two hours around training is enough.

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In a deficit, keep protein and cut carbs and fat. In a surplus, do not double protein: the extra energy belongs mostly on the carbs that support volume. If a session runs past 90 minutes or you train twice a day, this page’s protein target does not change; carbs and fluids do.

FITTA applies the same coefficient to the meal plan and the food log. This page opens the math; the app puts the target on the menu and on progress. Estimate, not a clinical prescription: pregnancy, kidney disease, insulin-treated diabetes, and aggressive cuts belong with a dietitian.

When to raise or lower the coefficient

Step the level up when weekly volume, load, and adherence no longer look like someone who started three months ago. Step it down if the target pushes protein above about 40% of calories and training suffers from too little carbohydrate. Change the goal when a 7-day average weight confirms the new direction, not the morning the scale wiggled.

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Vegetarians and vegans hit the same g/kg with more food volume: tofu, tempeh, seitan, legumes, dairy if used, and a plant isolate if appetite closes the door. The matrix does not change the coefficient for food preference. Older adults who lift usually do better in the intermediate-to-high band (1.6 to 2.0 g/kg). Adolescents and pregnancy sit outside this page.

Frequently asked questions

How much protein per kg of body weight?

This calculator’s matrix runs from 1.4 g/kg (0.64 g/lb) for a beginner at maintenance to 2.4 g/kg (1.09 g/lb) for an advanced lifter in a cut. Intermediate: 2.0 g/kg in a deficit, 1.6 g/kg at maintenance, and 1.8 g/kg in a surplus. Use current weight, not goal weight. Without measured body fat, do not convert to lean mass. It is an estimate, not a substitute for a dietitian.

How much protein do I need to build muscle?

Body weight in kg times 1.6 g/kg (beginner), 1.8 g/kg (intermediate), or 2.2 g/kg (advanced). An 80 kg (176 lb) intermediate lifter lands on 144 g. A surplus of about 275 kcal per day covers a 0.25 kg (0.55 lb) weekly pace; extra protein past the matrix does not speed muscle if training and calories are already in place. Recalculate every 4 to 6 weeks.

How much protein should I eat to lose fat?

In a deficit the matrix rises: 1.8 g/kg beginner, 2.0 intermediate, 2.4 advanced. A 62 kg (137 lb) intermediate woman lands on 124 g per day. The higher coefficient protects lean mass when calories drop. Do not cut protein to open room; cut carbs or fat, and do not take the calorie target under about 60% of TDEE without a professional.

Can the body only absorb 30 g of protein per meal?

No. Intestinal absorption and muscle protein synthesis are different things. The gut absorbs well more than 30 g; the muscle synthesis signal saturates around 20 to 40 g per meal for most people, or about 0.4 g/kg per sitting. The rest oxidizes or goes elsewhere. That is why this page splits the target across 3 to 5 meals instead of discarding anything past 30 g.

Does high protein intake damage the kidneys?

In healthy kidneys, intakes in the 1.4 to 2.4 g/kg band have not shown damage in reviews of strength trainees. Chronic kidney disease, pregnancy, and some clinical conditions sit outside this page and belong with a dietitian or physician. Jumping protein at once can raise urea and thirst; that is not injury. Hydrate and step the target up over 1 to 2 weeks if you are coming from a very low-protein diet.

When should I eat protein around workouts?

Daily total and a spread across 3 to 5 doses matter more than a 30-minute window. A meal with 25 to 40 g in the two hours around training covers the stimulus. A protein-free breakfast and 80 g only at dinner is the weak pattern. Whey is a convenience tool, not a requirement; the plate hits the same target.

Are online protein calculators accurate?

They are estimates with coefficients aligned to strength-training literature, not an individual measurement. Scale weight, adherence, and training volume decide the real outcome. Run the number for 2 to 3 weeks, compare hunger, recovery, and average weight, then step a level up or down. Not a substitute for a dietitian.

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TDEE Calculator

Estimate daily calorie burn with Mifflin-St Jeor and a 1.2–1.9 activity factor

These calculators provide estimates based on population-level formulas and do not replace assessment by a dietitian, physician or exercise professional.