Protein Calculator
How much protein you need per day, as a range and a simple target, plus what that means per meal.
Want to turn these numbers into a plan you will actually follow?
A coach adjusts the calories and macros to your real life, your training and your progress. Compare weight loss and body transformation coaches on BoulderGain.
Continue with
Example
A 175 lb (80 kg) lifter cutting fat needs about 130 to 175 g of protein a day, roughly 40 g per meal over four meals.
Method and formula
Targets follow the sports nutrition consensus (ISSN position stand): 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg to maintain, 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg in a deficit, 1.6 to 2.0 g/kg to build muscle, 1.4 to 1.8 g/kg for endurance. High activity nudges the range up by 0.2 g/kg.
Limits
- For people with high body fat, using goal weight instead of current weight avoids overestimating.
- Very high intakes are not harmful for healthy kidneys, but above 2.2 g/kg brings little extra benefit.
FAQ
Is 1 g per pound of body weight necessary?
No. 0.7 to 1 g per pound (1.6 to 2.2 g/kg) covers nearly everyone, even in a hard cut.
Does protein timing matter?
Total daily intake matters most. Spreading it over 3 to 5 meals of 25 to 40 g helps a little.
Free educational tool. Body composition, calorie and heart rate values are estimates from published formulas, not medical measurements. They do not replace a professional assessment. No weight-loss recommendation is intended for people under 18.