Protein Needs Calculator

📋 What Your Result Means

For educational purposes only — not medical advice.

For muscle building with resistance training, the ISSN recommends 1.6-2.2 g/kg of body weight per day. Evidence suggests diminishing returns above 2.2 g/kg in most individuals, though higher intakes (up to 3.1 g/kg) can be useful during aggressive fat loss to preserve lean mass.

The leucine threshold matters. Each meal should contain a leucine-rich protein source providing at least 2.5 g of leucine to maximally stimulate muscle protein synthesis (Norton & Layman 2006, DOI: 10.1093/jn/136.2.533S). Distribute your protein across 3-5 meals of 30-50 g each.

Older adults (50+) need more. Age-related anabolic resistance means adults over 50 should aim for at least 1.2 g/kg as a minimum to prevent sarcopenia, with 1.6+ g/kg recommended for those who are active (Bauer et al. 2013, DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2013.05.021).

Timing is overrated — total daily intake is king. The post-workout "anabolic window" is much wider than the 30-minute myth suggests. A systematic review found that total daily protein intake is a far stronger predictor of muscle gain than meal timing (Schoenfeld et al. 2013, DOI: 10.1186/1550-2783-10-53). Focus on hitting your daily target consistently rather than stressing about exact timing.

Want to learn more? Read our in-depth article: How Much Protein Do You Need to Build Muscle? →