Your body needs protein every single day. Protein rebuilds muscle tissue, supports your immune system, makes hormones and enzymes, and keeps you full between meals. Daily protein intake refers to the total grams of protein you eat in a day. Most people need between 0.8 and 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight, but that range shifts based on your age, how active you are, and what you want to accomplish with your fitness.

This article breaks down exactly how much protein you need per day. You’ll learn how to calculate your personal protein target using your body weight, see specific ranges for different ages and activity levels, discover which foods pack the most protein per serving, and avoid the common mistakes that hold people back. Whether you’re just starting your fitness journey or you’ve been training for years, you’ll walk away with a clear number to aim for and a simple plan to hit it.

Why daily protein intake matters

Protein keeps your body running every single day. Your muscles, bones, skin, hair, and internal organs all depend on a steady supply of amino acids (the building blocks of protein) to repair damage, grow stronger, and function properly. When you skip protein or eat too little, your body breaks down muscle tissue to get the amino acids it needs for vital processes. That means you lose strength, slow your metabolism, and feel hungry more often because protein signals fullness better than carbs or fat.

Muscle maintenance and growth

Your muscles need protein to rebuild after any physical stress. Every time you work out, walk up stairs, or carry groceries, you create microscopic tears in muscle fibers. Protein supplies the raw materials to repair those tears and make the tissue stronger. Without enough daily protein, your body stays in a constant state of breakdown instead of building up. Adults over 40 lose muscle mass faster than younger people, which makes hitting your daily protein target even more important as you age.

Eating enough protein every day is the foundation of maintaining your strength and independence as you get older.

Hunger control and metabolism

Protein keeps you full longer than other nutrients. When you eat protein with each meal, you naturally control your appetite and reduce cravings between meals. Digesting protein also burns more calories than digesting carbs or fat, which supports a healthy metabolic rate and makes managing your weight easier over time.

How to calculate your daily protein needs

You can figure out how much protein per day you need with simple math based on your body weight and activity level. The most common method uses kilograms instead of pounds because research studies measure protein this way. Converting your weight from pounds to kilograms takes one quick division: divide your weight in pounds by 2.2. A person who weighs 165 pounds divides 165 by 2.2 to get 75 kilograms. Once you have your weight in kilograms, you multiply it by a protein factor that matches your lifestyle.

The basic formula

Multiply your body weight in kilograms by 0.8 to 1.6 grams depending on how active you are. The lower end (0.8 grams per kilogram) works for people who sit most of the day and do little exercise. Someone who weighs 75 kilograms and stays sedentary needs about 60 grams of protein per day (75 x 0.8). The upper end (1.6 grams per kilogram) fits people who train hard multiple times per week. That same 75-kilogram person who lifts weights or runs regularly would need about 120 grams per day (75 x 1.6). Most people fall somewhere in the middle of this range based on their daily movement and exercise habits.

Calculating your protein needs starts with your body weight in kilograms, then adjusting the multiplier based on your activity level and goals.

Adjusting for your goals

Your fitness goals change your daily protein target. Someone trying to build muscle needs more protein than someone just maintaining their current physique. Aim for 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram if you want to add muscle mass through strength training. Fat loss goals also benefit from higher protein because it preserves muscle while you cut calories. Target the same 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram range when you’re losing weight to protect your lean tissue. Older adults (over 65) should aim for at least 1.2 grams per kilogram even without intense exercise because aging naturally speeds up muscle loss. Athletes doing endurance sports or training for competitions need about 1.2 to 1.7 grams per kilogram to support recovery and performance.

Daily protein ranges by age and activity

You need different amounts of protein depending on how old you are and how much you move. Your age affects how fast your body builds and breaks down muscle tissue, while your activity level determines how much repair work your muscles need each day. The base recommendation of 0.8 grams per kilogram covers basic survival needs for a sedentary adult, but it doesn’t account for the extra demands of exercise, aging, or building muscle. Most people who train regularly or want to stay strong as they age need significantly more than this minimum amount.

Age-based protein requirements

Adults between 18 and 40 years old can maintain muscle mass with 0.8 to 1.0 grams per kilogram if they don’t exercise much. A 70-kilogram person in this age range needs about 56 to 70 grams per day for basic health. Once you cross 40 years old, your body starts losing muscle faster through a process called sarcopenia, which means you need at least 1.0 to 1.2 grams per kilogram even without intense training. That same 70-kilogram person now needs 70 to 84 grams daily to fight age-related muscle loss. Adults over 65 years old face even greater muscle breakdown and should target 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram (84 to 112 grams for a 70-kilogram person) to maintain strength, mobility, and independence.

Your protein needs increase with age because your body becomes less efficient at building and keeping muscle tissue after 40.

Activity level adjustments

Your training intensity and exercise frequency push your protein needs higher than age alone suggests. People who work out 3 to 5 times per week with moderate intensity (jogging, cycling, group fitness classes) need about 1.2 to 1.4 grams per kilogram. Someone lifting weights seriously 4 to 6 times per week and trying to build muscle should eat 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram to support recovery and growth. Competitive athletes training multiple hours daily fall into the same 1.6 to 2.2 gram range but might push toward the upper end during intense training blocks. Pregnant and breastfeeding women need an extra 25 to 30 grams per day on top of their baseline to support the baby’s growth and milk production. The question of how much protein per day you specifically need combines both your age category and your activity level to give you a personalized target range.

Healthy protein sources and timing

You can hit your daily protein target through whole foods, protein supplements, or a combination of both. Whole foods provide complete nutrition with vitamins, minerals, and fiber alongside protein, while supplements offer convenience when you need quick protein or struggle to eat enough food. The best approach focuses on quality protein sources spread evenly throughout your day rather than loading up all your protein in one meal.

Best whole food protein sources

Animal proteins deliver all nine essential amino acids your body cannot make on its own. A 3-ounce chicken breast packs about 26 grams of protein, while the same portion of salmon gives you 22 grams. Greek yogurt provides 17 grams per 6-ounce serving, and a single large egg contains 6 grams. Plant-based eaters can build complete protein meals by combining different sources: one cup of cooked quinoa (8 grams) with half a cup of black beans (8 grams) and 3 ounces of tofu (9 grams) delivers 25 grams total. Nuts, seeds, lentils, and tempeh all contribute solid protein amounts when you eat them regularly. Your body absorbs and uses animal proteins slightly more efficiently than most plant proteins, but eating a variety of plant sources throughout the day gives you all the amino acids you need.

Optimal protein timing

Spreading your protein intake across three to four meals works better than eating most of it at dinner. Your muscles can only process about 25 to 40 grams of protein per meal for building and repair, so eating 100 grams at once wastes the excess your body cannot immediately use. Aim for 20 to 30 grams at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, then add a snack with 10 to 20 grams if your daily total requires it. Eating protein within two hours after strength training supports recovery, but the total amount of how much protein per day you consume matters more than precise timing around workouts.

Distributing your protein evenly throughout the day maximizes muscle protein synthesis better than eating it all in one sitting.

Common protein mistakes and myths

You likely hear conflicting advice about protein that makes it harder to figure out how much protein per day actually works. Some people think eating too much protein destroys your kidneys, while others believe you need to down a shake immediately after your workout or your muscles will shrink. Understanding the real science behind protein helps you avoid wasting money on unnecessary supplements and stressing about perfect timing that doesn’t matter as much as you think.

Eating all your protein in one meal

Many people save most of their protein for dinner and eat very little at breakfast or lunch. Your body can only use 25 to 40 grams of protein per meal to build muscle, so eating 100 grams at dinner wastes most of it because your body cannot store excess protein for later use. The unused protein gets converted to energy or fat instead of building the muscle you want. Spreading your intake across three to four meals throughout the day keeps your muscles in a constant state of repair and growth instead of one brief window after your biggest meal.

The kidney damage myth

Healthy kidneys handle high protein intake without problems. Research shows that eating 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram does not damage kidney function in people without existing kidney disease. This myth started because doctors recommend lower protein for patients who already have compromised kidneys, but that restriction does not apply to healthy people.

High protein diets do not harm healthy kidneys, but people with existing kidney disease should work with their doctor to determine safe protein levels.

Key takeaways

You need between 0.8 and 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram based on your age and activity level. Most people training regularly should aim for 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram, while serious lifters need 1.6 to 2.2 grams. Calculating how much protein per day you need takes two minutes with the basic formula, and spreading that amount across three to four meals maximizes results. Track your intake for one week to see where you stand, then adjust your portions to hit your target. For more practical guidance on building muscle, visit Body Muscle Matters.