Protein Target
A daily protein range from lean body mass, adjusted for deficit depth, training age and older adults.
- 01Enter bodyweight, and body fat if you know it.
- 02Set how aggressive your current calorie deficit is.
- 03Note the range rather than fixating on a single number.
What the terms mean
- g/kg
- Grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight or lean mass.
- Lean body mass
- Bodyweight minus fat mass. The better basis for a protein target.
- Anabolic resistance
- Reduced muscle response to protein with age, raising requirements.
- Training age
- How long you have trained consistently, not your years alive.
Supplying body fat switches the target to lean body mass, which matters a great deal if you carry significant fat — fat tissue contributes almost nothing to protein requirement.
Protein needs rise as calories fall, to protect lean mass.
Anabolic resistance raises the floor.
Scaled from your bodyweight at 1.3–2.0 g/kg.
The "30 g per meal absorption limit" is a myth. Larger single doses are handled fine, and the daily total is what drives outcomes. Spreading intake across three or four meals is convenient and probably marginally better, but it is not the lever it is often presented as.
Method & sources
Ranges follow the trained-population literature. Meta-analytic work suggests benefits plateau at roughly 1.6 g per kg of bodyweight for muscle gain, with higher intakes justified in a deficit where protein protects lean mass. Scaling from lean body mass rather than total weight avoids inflating the target for people carrying more fat.
Morton RW et al., Br J Sports Med 2018 · Helms ER et al., Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 2014 · Institute of Medicine DRI, 2005
What these numbers
actually tell you.
Where to sit in the range
The lower end is sufficient at maintenance or in a surplus. Push toward the upper end during an aggressive deficit, when protein does more work protecting lean mass, and if you are older, since anabolic resistance raises the floor rather than lowering it.
Why lean mass is the better basis
Two people at the same weight can differ by twenty kilograms of fat, which contributes almost nothing to protein requirement. Scaling from total bodyweight inflates the target for anyone carrying more fat — this is the most common error in protein recommendations.
The per-meal limit is a myth
Your body handles larger single doses without difficulty; the daily total is what drives outcomes. Spreading intake across three or four meals is convenient and probably marginally better for muscle protein synthesis, but it is nowhere near the lever it is usually presented as. Hit the daily number first.
Free, no account, nothing stored. A one-off tip helps cover hosting and keeps the site ad-light.