Skip to content

Coming soon. The store is not open yet.

Menu
Full Measure

Tools

Protein per day calculator by body weight

Written by the Full Measure editorial team, which sells supplements. Approved for publication by the Full Measure owners. Updated .

Drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed below. How we write these

Quick answer

The calculator multiplies your weight by four amounts from the research: 0.8 g per kg a day, the RDA; 1.4 to 2.0 g for people who exercise regularly; 1.6 g, where added gains stopped in trials; and 1.0 to 1.2 g for adults over 65. At 70 kg, the RDA comes to 56 g.1,2,3,4

Work it out for your weight

Unit

Enter your weight to see the amounts the studies used.

These are the amounts used in studies, not advice for you. Ask your doctor first if you are pregnant, nursing, take medicine or have a medical condition.

Key facts

  • The RDA for protein is 0.8 g per kg of body weight a day for healthy adults.1,2
  • The ISSN says 1.4 to 2.0 g per kg a day is enough for most people who exercise to build and keep muscle. NIH gives a similar range for athletes, 1.2 to 2.0 g.1,2
  • Adults over 65 are advised at least 1.0 to 1.2 g per kg a day, and 1.2 g or more if they exercise.4
  • In pooled training trials, protein supplements added no more lean mass once total intake passed about 1.6 g per kg a day.3
  • NIH sets no upper limit for protein and reports no safety concerns at intakes up to about 2.0 g per kg a day.1

How the calculator works

Enter your weight in kilograms or pounds. Pounds are divided by 2.205 to get kilograms. Each amount per kilogram below is then multiplied by your weight, and the answer is rounded to a whole number of grams, or to one decimal place for answers below ten grams. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.

It shows one line for each of the four amounts, in the order they appear below, each with the note that the research gave for it.1

The four amounts

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 g per kg of body weight a day for healthy adults and 0.85 g per kg for teens. The ISSN says this amount is not enough for people in regular training.1,2

The International Society of Sports Nutrition says 1.4 to 2.0 g of protein per kg of body weight a day is enough for most people who exercise to build and keep muscle. NIH gives a similar range for athletes, 1.2 to 2.0 g per kg.1,2

In a pooled analysis of 49 training trials, protein supplements added no more lean mass once total protein intake passed about 1.6 g per kg of body weight a day. The estimate was uncertain, with a likely range of about 1.0 to 2.2 g per kg.3

An international expert group on protein in older people (PROT-AGE) recommends at least 1.0 to 1.2 g per kg of body weight a day for adults over 65, and 1.2 g or more for those who exercise.4

Worked examples

Daily protein worked out for three body weights1,2,3,4
Body weightRDA, 0.8 g per kgExercise, 1.4 to 2.0 g per kgWhere gains stopped, 1.6 g per kgOver 65, 1.0 to 1.2 g per kg
60 kg48 g84 to 120 g96 g60 to 72 g
70 kg56 g98 to 140 g112 g70 to 84 g
80 kg64 g112 to 160 g128 g80 to 96 g

A person who weighs 154 pounds is about 70 kg, so the middle row is their answer too. Each total is for the whole day, from all foods and drinks together.1

Turning a day into meals

The calculator gives a daily total. How that splits into meals is a separate question, and the research gives amounts per serving as well.

For people who train, the ISSN suggests about 0.25 g of high-quality protein per kg of body weight per serving, or 20 to 40 g, containing 0.7 to 3 g of leucine.2

The ISSN suggests spreading protein across the day in servings every 3 to 4 hours.2

A meta-analysis of randomized trials found that protein taken within an hour before or after exercise did not significantly add strength or muscle size; total daily protein was the strongest predictor of muscle gain.1,5

Upper limit and who should ask first

No tolerable upper intake level has been set for protein, because the risk of harm from protein in food is very low. NIH still advises caution with high intakes from foods and supplements combined, since data are limited, and reports no safety concerns up to about 2.0 g per kg a day.1

High-protein diets of two to three times the RDA do not appear to harm kidney function, bone health or hydration in healthy people, and trained adults eating up to about 3.3 g per kg a day for up to a year showed no change in kidney or liver markers. People with severely reduced kidney function may need to limit protein.1,2,4

The calculator shows the amounts used in studies. It is not advice for you.

  • You have kidney disease or have been told to limit protein.
  • You are pregnant, nursing or under 18.
  • You are allergic to milk, soy, peanuts, peas, lentils or other legumes, or to yeast, and your protein is made from them.
  • You take levodopa or an MAO inhibitor.

Questions people ask

Does the answer include protein from food?

Yes. The amounts are totals from all foods and drinks, powders included. The RDA, for example, is 0.8 g per kg of body weight a day from all foods.1

Which of the four amounts should I use?

The RDA is the amount for healthy adults, and the ISSN says it is not enough for people in regular training, who are advised 1.4 to 2.0 g per kg. Adults over 65 are advised at least 1.0 to 1.2 g. The 1.6 g line shows where added gains stopped in trials, not a target.2,3,4

Is more protein always better?

No. In pooled training trials, protein supplements added no more lean mass once total intake passed about 1.6 g per kg a day, and NIH sees no benefit in eating more than the recommended amounts.3,6

Can I use it if I have kidney disease?

Ask your doctor first. People with severely reduced kidney function who are not on dialysis may need to limit protein.1,4

See what we make

Every product shows its whole label and what its lab report covers. The store opens soon.

See the Full Measure line

Sources

  1. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated April 1, 2024. Opened 2026-10-07.
  2. Jäger R, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:20. Opened 2026-10-01.
  3. Morton RW, et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(6):376-384. Opened 2026-10-01.
  4. Bauer J, Biolo G, Cederholm T, et al. Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people: a position paper from the PROT-AGE Study Group. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2013;14(8):542-559. Opened 2026-10-07.
  5. Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA, Krieger JW. The effect of protein timing on muscle strength and hypertrophy: a meta-analysis. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013;10(1):53. Opened 2026-10-07.
  6. Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance: Fact Sheet for Consumers. Updated March 22, 2021. Opened 2026-10-07.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.