How much protein per day to build muscle?

The ISSN puts it at 1.4 to 2.0 g per kilo of body weight per day for most exercising individuals, and considers that around 1.6 g/kg captures most of the gain available to someone lifting weights. Above roughly 2.2 g/kg, studies stop showing any extra benefit for muscle mass.

How much protein when cutting?

More than at maintenance. In an energy deficit the ISSN reports 2.3 to 3.1 g per kilo of fat-free mass for resistance-trained athletes, which often works out at 2.0 to 2.7 g per kilo of body weight for someone already lean. High protein limits muscle loss and helps with fullness.

Can you absorb more than 30 g of protein in one meal?

Yes. The 30 g ceiling comes from short-term muscle protein synthesis studies, not from absorption: everything you eat is absorbed. To maximise the muscle response the ISSN recommends about 0.25 g per kilo per serving, or 20 to 40 g, every 3 to 4 hours — up to 0.4 g per kilo if you eat few times a day.

Is too much protein bad for your kidneys?

In healthy adults, trials running up to 2 g per kilo and beyond, some over several years, have found no kidney damage. With existing kidney disease, however, protein intake is part of the treatment and is decided with a doctor. This calculator gives an estimate, not medical advice.

Daily protein calculator

Enter your weight, your goal and your training level. The calculator gives a daily protein range in grams and in grams per kilo, taken from the ISSN and ACSM position stands rather than a house rule, then spreads it across your meals.

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How the range is built

Range = body weight × an interval in g/kg read off the published position stands, picked from your goal and your training level. The anchors: 0.8 g/kg for a sedentary adult, 1.2 to 2.0 g/kg for an athlete, 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg for someone who trains regularly, and up to 2.4 to 2.7 g/kg for a trained lifter in an energy deficit.

Target = the midpoint of the range. A single number is easier to act on, but the range is what is actually documented: going above its upper bound buys nothing measurable.

Per meal = target ÷ number of meals. The ISSN recommends at least 0.25 g per kilo at each serving (or 20 to 40 g), every 3 to 4 hours; 0.4 g per kilo per meal is the useful upper end when the day has few, larger meals.

With a body-fat figure: lean mass = weight × (1 − body fat). The ISSN publishes 2.3 to 3.1 g per kilo of fat-free mass for trained lifters in an energy deficit — a useful cross-check if your body fat is high, because a target set on total weight then overshoots.

For a “Muscle gain” goal at 75 kg, the range used is 1.6 to 2.2 g per kilo, or 120 to 165 g of protein a day. The target shown is 143 g, roughly 36 g at each of four meals.

Sources: ISSN Position Stand: Protein and Exercise, Jäger et al. (J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2017); ACSM / Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics / Dietitians of Canada, Nutrition and Athletic Performance (Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2016); Schoenfeld & Aragon, How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? (J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2018); reference intake of 0.8 g/kg (Institute of Medicine, Dietary Reference Intakes, 2005; EFSA, 0.83 g/kg, 2012).

This is an estimate, not medical advice and not a nutrition plan. The published ranges describe healthy adults; with kidney or liver disease, during pregnancy, with diabetes or a history of disordered eating, talk to a doctor or a registered dietitian before changing your intake.

Reference ranges by training level — “Muscle gain” goal, at 75 kg

Level	g/kg	Per day
Sedentary — little or no training	1.2–1.6	90–120 g
Recreational — 1 to 3 sessions a week	1.4–1.8	105–135 g
Regular — 4 to 6 sessions a week	1.6–2.2	120–165 g
Competitive — training every day	1.8–2.4	135–180 g

These intervals follow the goal selected in the form. The per-day column is worked out for the weight you entered; while the form is empty it uses a reference weight of 75 kg.

Spreading 143 g across the day

Meals	Per meal	Per kilo
3 meals	48 g	0.63 g/kg
4 meals	36 g	0.48 g/kg
5 meals	29 g	0.38 g/kg

The ISSN puts the useful dose at 0.25 to 0.4 g per kilo per serving — 19 to 30 g at your weight — spaced 3 to 4 hours apart. Below that, muscle protein synthesis is not maximised; above it, the surplus is simply used elsewhere: nothing is wasted, but nothing more is gained either.

How to use these numbers

The daily total beats the timing. Hitting your target across three meals is worth more than missing it while chasing five perfectly spaced servings.

Count the protein in everything, not just meat and powders: bread, pulses, dairy and even starches contribute, and the total often adds more than 30 g a day.

Move to the top of the range when you are in a calorie deficit, coming back from an injury, or getting older — those are the situations where muscle is lost fastest.

If your body fat is high, lean on the lean-mass line: set on total weight, the target becomes needlessly high.

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