Protein Intake Calculator
Enter your weight and goal to get a daily protein target, split across meals.
Fill in the form and hit calculate to see your results here.
Your daily protein target
Spread your protein across meals rather than front- or back-loading it — it helps with both fullness and muscle protein synthesis.
Why protein needs vary
Your protein target depends on your goal, not just your weight. Someone cutting calories needs more protein per kilogram than someone at maintenance, to help protect muscle in a deficit.
Per-meal distribution
Research generally supports spreading protein across 3-6 meals a day, with roughly 0.3-0.4g per kg of bodyweight per meal, to maximise muscle protein synthesis throughout the day.
Is more always better?
Beyond roughly 2.2g/kg, additional protein generally doesn't add extra muscle-building benefit for most people — it's better used for the calories or displaced by carbs and fat.
The formula
# Protein target by goal General health: 1.2 - 1.6 g / kg bodyweight Active / maintaining: 1.6 - 2.0 g / kg bodyweight Fat loss (preserve muscle): 2.0 - 2.4 g / kg bodyweight Building muscle: 1.8 - 2.2 g / kg bodyweight # Per meal Per-meal grams = daily protein ÷ number of meals
These ranges come from sports nutrition research on muscle protein synthesis and retention during a calorie deficit or surplus.
Common questions
Not necessarily — these targets apply to anyone regardless of training experience. If the number feels unreachable at first, aim to get closer to it gradually over a few weeks.
Meat, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes and protein supplements all count. A simple way to check is reading nutrition labels for grams of protein per serving.
Generally no — keep your daily protein target consistent whether you train that day or not. Muscle repair happens continuously, not just on training days.
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