The Protein Intake Calculator estimates your daily protein needs based on your body weight, activity level, and fitness goal — whether you want to build muscle, lose fat while preserving lean mass, or simply maintain your current body composition.

How to Use This Calculator

1. Enter your body weight (kg or lbs).
2. Select your activity level.
3. Select your primary goal: muscle gain, fat loss, or maintenance.
4. Click Calculate.

Protein Needs by Goal

• Sedentary adults (minimum): 0.8 g per kg body weight (RDA)
• Recreational exercisers: 1.1–1.4 g/kg
• Endurance athletes: 1.2–1.6 g/kg
• Strength/muscle building: 1.6–2.2 g/kg
• Fat loss (preserve muscle): 1.8–2.7 g/kg
• Maximum studied benefit: ~2.2 g/kg — more doesn’t increase muscle further

Why Protein Matters

Protein provides amino acids — the building blocks your body uses to repair and build muscle tissue after exercise. Without adequate protein, strength training produces little muscle growth. Protein also has the highest thermic effect of food (20–30% of its calories are burned in digestion), making it the most satiating macronutrient — a key advantage for fat loss.

During a calorie deficit, high protein intake (1.8–2.7 g/kg) prevents muscle loss (catabolism). This is why high-protein diets outperform low-protein diets for body recomposition even at identical calorie intakes.

High-Protein Food Sources

• Chicken breast (100g): 31g protein, 165 calories
• Canned tuna (100g): 25g protein, 116 calories
• Greek yogurt (200g): 20g protein, 130 calories
• Eggs (2 large): 12g protein, 140 calories
• Lentils (100g cooked): 9g protein, 116 calories
• Whey protein shake (30g scoop): 22–25g protein

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I eat too much protein?

For healthy adults with normal kidney function, high protein intake (up to 3.5 g/kg) appears safe. The concern about protein harming kidneys applies to people with pre-existing kidney disease — not healthy individuals. However, exceeding 2.2 g/kg provides no additional muscle-building benefit, so there is no practical reason to go higher.

Does protein timing matter?

Spreading protein across 3–5 meals (20–40g each) maximizes muscle protein synthesis throughout the day. A pre-bed protein source (like cottage cheese or casein) shows modest benefits for overnight muscle repair. However, total daily protein matters far more than timing for most people.