Protein Intake Calculator
Daily protein for your body weight and training goal, shown as the published range it actually is — the RDA baseline for general health, or the sports-nutrition position-stand ranges for people who train — with the source of each range named next to the number.
Daily protein range
Example: 70 kg, building muscle → 98–140 g/day (ISSN 1.4–2.0 g/kg).
Why a range, and whose range it is
Protein guidance worth trusting always comes as a range with an owner. The RDA — 0.8 g per kg body weight per day, from the NASEM Dietary Reference Intakes — is a minimum that prevents deficiency in nearly all healthy adults: 56 g/day for a 70 kg adult, computed by the same engine as the calculator. For people who train, the 2016 joint position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine recommends 1.2–2.0 g/kg/day, and the ISSN's 2017 position stand puts building and maintaining muscle at 1.4–2.0 g/kg/day — 98–140 g/day at 70 kg. A single "your protein number" would be false precision; the honest output is the band plus its source.
Spreading it across the day
Total daily intake matters most, but distribution helps training adaptations: the ISSN suggests about 0.25 g of high-quality protein per kg body weight per serving — typically 20–40 g — every 3–4 hours. For a 70 kg adult that is roughly 18 g per meal across three to five meals. Whole-food sources cover micronutrients too; supplements are a convenience, not a requirement.
Who these numbers are not for
Every figure on this page assumes a healthy adult. Protein needs change with kidney disease, liver disease, pregnancy, adolescence (growth shifts requirements — teen athletes should get individual guidance rather than adult formulas), and advanced age, where some researchers argue for more than the RDA. If any of those describe you, the calculator is a conversation starter for a professional, not a plan.
Frequently asked questions
Where do these ranges come from?
The 0.8 g/kg/day baseline is the RDA from the NASEM Dietary Reference Intakes — the amount that prevents deficiency in nearly all healthy adults. The 1.2–2.0 g/kg/day athlete range is the 2016 joint position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the ACSM. The 1.4–2.0 g/kg/day muscle range is the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2017 position stand.
Is the RDA the "optimal" amount?
No — it is a minimum to avoid deficiency, set for essentially sedentary healthy adults. People who train regularly benefit from more, which is exactly what the sports-nutrition position stands document. That is why the calculator shows the RDA as "at least" rather than as a target for athletes.
Does it matter when I eat the protein?
Less than total daily intake, but distribution helps: the ISSN suggests roughly 0.25 g per kg body weight per serving (typically 20–40 g of high-quality protein), spread across meals every 3–4 hours. Hitting the daily total with three to five sensible meals covers this automatically for most people.
Is high protein bad for my kidneys?
In healthy adults, intakes inside these ranges have not been shown to harm kidney function. In people with existing kidney disease, protein intake genuinely matters and must be set with a doctor or renal dietitian — that caveat is not fine print, it is the difference between a fitness estimate and medical management.
Should I use total body weight even if I carry a lot of fat?
The published ranges are expressed per kg of total body weight for healthy adults. At high body-fat levels they can overestimate needs, and some practitioners scale to lean or "adjusted" weight instead — a judgment call best made with a professional rather than a calculator.
Not medical advice: these are published population ranges for healthy adults, not a prescription. Consult a qualified professional — especially with kidney disease or any medical condition affecting protein handling. Values are processed locally in your browser and never transmitted. See the methodology page.