Calculate your recommended daily protein intake based on your body weight, activity level, and fitness goal — from fat loss to muscle building.
| Goal | g / kg BW | Daily (g) |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum (RDA) | 0.8 | 60 |
| General fitness | 1.2–1.6 | 90–120 |
| Endurance athlete | 1.4–1.7 | 105–128 |
| Strength / muscle gain | 1.6–2.2 | 120–165 |
| Weight loss (preserve muscle) | 1.8–2.4 | 135–180 |
| Your recommendation | 1.8 g/kg | 135g |
Protein needs vary based on age, training intensity, and individual physiology. These values are based on current sports nutrition guidelines.
A recommendation of 1.6 looks harmless until you realise it could mean grams of protein per kilogram of body weight or per pound. For a 75 kg (165 lb) person that is the difference between 120 g and 264 g a day. This calculator works strictly in grams per kilogram, converts pounds for you if you choose US units, and sets your target from your activity level and goal, with a table of the usual ranges beside it so you can see where your number falls.
The page multiplies body weight in kilograms by a factor chosen by two dropdowns. For the Lose Weight and Maintain goals the factor climbs with activity: 1.6, 1.8, 2.0, 2.2 and 2.4 g/kg from sedentary to extra active. For Build Muscle every step is 0.2 higher: 1.8, 2.0, 2.2, 2.4 and 2.6. Pounds are converted first with × 0.453592. Notice that the lose and maintain columns are identical on this page.
Protein calories are grams × 4, and the share shown is measured against TDEE, estimated as Mifflin-St Jeor BMR (10 × kg + 6.25 × cm − 5 × age, plus 5 or minus 161) times the usual activity factor, not against the reduced calories of a fat-loss plan. The comparison table lists 0.8 g/kg (the RDA), 1.2 to 1.6 for general fitness, 1.4 to 1.7 for endurance, 1.6 to 2.2 for strength and 1.8 to 2.4 for fat loss while keeping muscle. The US Dietary Reference Intakes set the RDA at 0.8 g/kg as the amount that prevents deficiency in most healthy adults, which is a floor, not an athlete's target.
Worked example: a 25-year-old man, 75 kg, 175 cm, lightly active, goal Maintain. The factor is 1.8 g/kg, so protein = 75 × 1.8 = 135 g, which is 135 × 4 = 540 kcal. BMR = 750 + 1,093.75 − 125 + 5 = 1,723.75, rounded to 1,724, and TDEE = 1,724 × 1.375 = 2,371 kcal, so protein is 540 ÷ 2,371 = 22.8%, displayed as 23%. In the comparison table the same man sees 60 g at the RDA, 90 to 120 g for general fitness and 120 to 165 g for strength. Typing 165 lb in US mode converts to 74.84 kg and still returns 135 g.
No. Only body weight, activity level and goal set the grams. Sex and age feed the BMR that produces the percentage of calories shown, and nothing else.
That range is fixed at 0.8 to 2.2 g/kg, but Build Muscle with Extra active gives 2.6 g/kg, or 195 g for a 75 kg person. Most position statements stay at or below roughly 2.0 to 2.2 g/kg, so treat the top rows as the ceiling of a cautious plan.
The page uses total weight. For someone with a lot of body fat that can overshoot, and some people use a goal weight or lean mass instead. A registered dietitian can set that for you.
This tool cannot judge that. People with kidney disease or other medical conditions should take protein targets from their doctor or dietitian, and nothing here is medical advice.
No. The target is grams of protein itself. Cooked chicken breast is roughly 30 g of protein per 100 g of meat, so 135 g of protein means closer to 450 g of cooked chicken if that were your only source.