How much protein should you eat per day? Do you need to take protein shakes? What if you want to gain muscle, lose fat, or do both at the same time?
To answer these questions, we need to look past personal opinions and experiences. Instead, we must operate off the best available evidence. The research reveals distinct protein targets depending on your training status, body composition, and specific fitness goals.
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The Baseline: Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA)
In Canada and most other parts of the world, the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for protein is set at:
- 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight
- 0.362 grams per pound of body weight
For an individual who weighs 70 kilograms (155 pounds), this comes out to approximately 56 grams of protein per day. To put this into perspective, that daily total can be hit in about two meals consisting of:
- Two eggs
- Two pieces of bread
- Four ounces of chicken breast
- One cup of chickpeas
- One cup of vegetables
Who is the RDA for?
This baseline number is not for individuals looking to maximize muscle development, performance, or anything beyond basic survival. The RDA represents the low end in all scenarios. If you do not exercise and you do not mind your muscle mass wasting away over time, you can eat this amount. However, if you exercise and want to retain your muscle mass, you must look past the RDA.
The Baseline for Novices: 1.6 g/kg (0.7 g/lb)
A number that has gained popularity following a 2018 meta-analysis is 1.6 grams per kilogram (0.7 grams per pound) of body weight. The data showed that exceeding this threshold provided no additional benefit. However, using this number without context means missing two critical details from the paper:
- The study was primarily conducted on untrained individuals. This matters because untrained individuals can generally get away with a lower protein intake than trained individuals. Once you advance past the novice stage of training, your requirements shift.
- The participants were either in an isocaloric diet (maintenance) or a calorie surplus. If you are actively trying to lean out and are operating in a caloric deficit, this specific data does not apply to your situation.
The Takeaway: If you are completely new to training and your goal is either to maintain your current weight or gain weight, 1.6 grams per kilogram (0.7 grams per pound) is a solid starting point.
The Traditional Standard: 1 Gram Per Pound
The recommendation to consume 1 gram per pound of body weight (2.2 grams per kilogram) is highly popular, largely because it is simple to calculate. Multiple research papers demonstrate that for resistance-trained individuals who lift on a regular basis, lower recommendations (like the RDA) are often insufficient.
Benefits of the 1g/lb Rule
- Supports Active Training: It is an effective target for individuals who train regularly and want to either lose fat mass or pack on muscle mass.
- Prevents Undershooting: While 0.7 grams per pound might be okay for some people to build muscle, it is too low for others, causing them to miss out on potential gains. Moving up to 1 gram per pound ensures optimal results.
- Ease of Tracking: It provides a simple, memorable baseline to operate from daily.
The Flaws in Weight-Based Formulas
The primary limitation of calculating protein based entirely on total body weight is that it does not account for fat mass versus lean body mass. Protein requirements are meant to support lean body mass (such as muscle maintenance and hypertrophy), not fat mass.
If a larger individual carries a higher amount of fat mass, using total body weight will significantly overshoot their actual protein needs. While a high protein intake isn’t inherently harmful, overshooting to this degree can introduce specific challenges:
- Dietary Restrictions: It forces you to restrict your intake of carbohydrates or fats to keep total calories in check while hitting a high protein target.
- Digestion Issues: Consuming that volume of protein can cause gastrointestinal (GI) distress for some individuals.
The Advanced Approach: Lean Body Mass Calculations
To get more accurate targets, evidence-based recommendations for individuals who are cutting, maintaining, or trying to pack on lean mass scale between 2.3 to 3.1 grams per kilogram (1 to 1.4 grams per pound) of lean body mass.
Note on Goals: Individuals focused on packing on muscle mass can generally get away with the lower end of this protein range, as their caloric surplus provides ample carbohydrates and fats to accommodate their energy needs.
Putting the Math into Practice
For an individual who weighs 70 kilograms (155 pounds) with a body fat percentage of 20%:
- Their calculated protein target shifts to 124 to 173 grams of protein per day.
How to Find Your Lean Body Mass Easily
You do not need complicated or expensive testing tracking systems like DXA scans, underwater weighing, or skin calipers to find your baseline utility. The easiest method is to look up reference images online for “body fat percentage pictures male” or “body fat percentage pictures female.” Find a reputable site, match your physique honestly to the visual ranges, and use that percentage for your calculation.
Summary of Daily Protein Targets
- The RDA: 0.8 g/kg (0.36 g/lb). Avoid this if you lift weights or want to preserve muscle longevity.
- Total Body Weight Formulas: Remaining between 0.7 grams and 1.0 gram per pound of body weight is sufficient for the majority of people, though limited for higher fat masses.
- Lean Mass Formulas: Targeting 1.0 to 1.4 grams per pound of lean body mass provides the most accurate evidence-based target.
Is a High Protein Diet Dangerous?
A common concern is that high-protein diets cause harm to the kidneys and bones. However, the evidence presents a clear consensus:
- Kidney Health: Unless you have pre-existing, compromised kidney function or a medical condition directly affecting your kidneys, a high-protein diet is highly unlikely to challenge or harm your organs. For the vast majority of healthy individuals, higher intakes are completely safe.
- Bone Health: A high protein intake has no significant negative impact on your bones, provided you do not have underlying compromised health issues. If you do have an underlying condition, always consult a physician.
What Happens to Excess Protein?
If you consume significantly more protein than your body requires or what research recommends, the worst-case scenario for a healthy individual is that the excess is broken down and converted into other energy substrates, transforming into glucose or fat.
If you experience GI distress from a high protein intake, it is typically a result of total protein volume per serving or pushing your absolute protein numbers too high overall. If this occurs, simply titrate your protein numbers down and experiment to find the daily range that works best for your body.
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Watch the Scientific Breakdown
If you prefer to learn through video, watch the complete scientific breakdown here.