Aim for about 1.6 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (roughly 0.7 g per pound), and go up to 2.0 g/kg if you want a buffer. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) calls 1.4–2.0 g/kg/day sufficient for most people who exercise, and a 2018 meta-analysis found that gains in fat-free mass stopped improving beyond about 1.62 g/kg/day. Past that point you’re not buying any more muscle, unless you’re cutting.
How much protein do you need per day to build muscle?
The first number comes from the ISSN position stand on protein and exercise (Jäger et al., 2017): a daily intake of 1.4–2.0 g of protein per kg of body weight is sufficient for most exercising individuals. That’s your working range.
The second comes from Morton and colleagues in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (2018), who pooled the trials in which healthy adults added protein on top of a resistance training program. Their meta-regression found a breakpoint at 1.62 g/kg/day: beyond it, extra protein gave no further gains in fat-free mass.
What about “1 gram per pound”?
A common gym convention is one gram of protein per pound of body weight. That works out to about 2.2 g/kg, right on the upper edge of Morton’s 95 % confidence interval for the breakpoint (1.03 to 2.20 g/kg/day). It isn’t wrong, just generous.
For a 75 kg (165 lb) lifter, “a gram per pound” means 165 g a day versus 120 g at 1.6 g/kg. That’s 45 g of extra protein to buy, cook and eat every day, for a muscle gain the data don’t show. If 165 g comes easy, fine. If it’s a daily grind, 0.7 g/lb already covers Morton’s breakpoint.
How much protein per meal?
The ISSN also gives a per-serving figure: 0.25 g of high-quality protein per kg of body weight, or an absolute dose of 20–40 g.
The simplest way to use it: split your daily total into servings that each clear that bar. For 120 g a day, that’s anywhere from three 40 g servings to six 20 g servings. Four servings of about 30 g is usually the easiest to fit around a workday.
How much protein is that for your body weight?
The 1.6 g/kg column rounds Morton’s breakpoint.
| Body weight | 1.4 g/kg (~0.6 g/lb) | 1.6 g/kg (~0.7 g/lb) | 2.0 g/kg (~0.9 g/lb) | Per serving (0.25 g/kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 84 g | 96 g | 120 g | 15 g |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 98 g | 112 g | 140 g | 17.5 g |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | 112 g | 128 g | 160 g | 20 g |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 126 g | 144 g | 180 g | 22.5 g |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | 140 g | 160 g | 200 g | 25 g |
If you’re on the lighter side, 0.25 g/kg falls under 20 g, and the absolute 20–40 g dose becomes the easier rule of thumb. One practical convention that keeps all this sustainable: aim for a weekly average rather than nailing the number to the gram every day.
Does protein matter more than your training?
No. Here’s what Morton’s meta-analysis measured when people added protein to a lifting program:
| Outcome | Average effect of supplementing | Reported range |
|---|---|---|
| Fat-free mass | +0.30 kg (0.7 lb) | 0.09 to 0.52 kg |
| 1RM strength | +2.49 kg (5.5 lb) | 0.64 to 4.33 kg |
Both effects are statistically significant (p = 0.007 for fat-free mass, p = 0.01 for strength), and both are small. About 300 g of fat-free mass and roughly one 2.5 kg (5 lb) jump on the bar: that’s what protein adds on top of training, not instead of it.
The engine is the training, as long as it keeps progressing. The American College of Sports Medicine’s 2009 position stand puts novices at 8–12 RM loads, 2–3 days a week, and hypertrophy work at 6–12 RM with 1–2 minutes of rest and multiple sets. Plotkin and colleagues (PeerJ, 2022) followed 38 trained lifters for 8 weeks: progressing the load and progressing the reps produced similar hypertrophy. Either works, as long as something moves.
New to lifting? Start with our beginner training guide. Not sure what to load on the bar? Learning how to choose your working weight is a better use of your time than comparing whey brands.
Should you eat more protein when cutting?
Yes, and this is where the high numbers belong. The ISSN notes that intakes of 2.3–3.1 g/kg/day may be needed to maximize the retention of lean body mass in resistance-trained people during hypocaloric periods.
For a 75 kg (165 lb) lifter, that’s 173–233 g a day (2.3 × 75 ≈ 173; 3.1 × 75 ≈ 233).
Read the fine print: people who already train, eating in a calorie deficit, trying to hang on to their muscle. It isn’t a year-round target, and it isn’t a shortcut to building muscle faster. When the cut ends, drift back to 1.6–2.0 g/kg. It’s also proof that the rest of the plate matters: how much protein you need depends on whether you’re eating enough overall.
Worked example: 120 g a day for a 75 kg (165 lb) lifter
Take a 75 kg lifter running a three-day full-body program, trying to add muscle, not cutting.
- Daily target: 1.6 × 75 = 120 g. With a buffer: 2.0 × 75 = 150 g.
- Per-serving floor: 0.25 × 75 = 18.75 g, rounded up to at least 20 g per meal.
- Split: four servings of about 30 g = 120 g, each between 20 and 40 g.
| Meal | On the plate | Protein (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 3 scrambled eggs + a 5.3 oz (150 g) cup of plain Greek yogurt | ~33 g |
| Lunch | Chicken wrap with 4 oz (about 115 g) cooked chicken breast | ~34 g |
| Afternoon snack | 3.5 oz (100 g) canned tuna on crackers | ~25 g |
| Dinner | Lentil chili with 60 g (about 1/3 cup) dry lentils, topped with a 150 g cup of Greek yogurt | ~30 g |
| Total | ~122 g |
Food values are everyday label and food-table approximations, not figures from the studies cited in this article. The tortilla, crackers and rice add a few grams the table doesn’t count, so there’s no need to hit 120 g to the gram.
What he does next week: he keeps the four-serving structure, logs his food for three or four days to check he’s averaging around 120 g, and puts most of his attention on his sessions: one more rep, or 2.5 kg (5 lb) more on his main lifts, whenever the last set allows it. If he cuts later, that’s when he moves up toward 173–233 g, not before.
What protein won’t do
- It won’t replace training. Every number here comes from people who lift. Nothing in these sources shows an effect of protein without the sessions behind it.
- The ceiling is an average. With a range of 1.03 to 2.20 g/kg/day, your individual requirement can’t be pinned down to the gram.
- Above 3 g/kg isn’t “more muscle”. The ISSN mentions evidence that intakes above 3.0 g/kg/day may have positive effects on body composition in resistance-trained individuals. Body composition isn’t the same thing as muscle mass.
- The evidence is thinner for older lifters. In Morton’s analysis, the effect on fat-free mass shrank with age, and the authors note limited research in older adults.
- This isn’t medical advice. Kidney condition, any other medical condition, or pregnancy: talk to a doctor or a registered dietitian before changing your protein intake.
Where EXE comes in
EXE is an AI coach for athletes, and its free tier has no time limit. On the nutrition side, it builds daily meal plans and macro targets (calories, protein, carbs, fat), with ingredients from the CIQUAL food database. On the training side, it suggests working weights from your logged history starting with your second session, then suggests +1.25 or +2.5 kg, a hold, or a deload based on your recent sessions. A tailored program and nutrition plan take about 3 minutes: see how EXE works.
FAQ
Can you eat too much protein?
For muscle, Morton’s meta-analysis found no further average gain in fat-free mass beyond about 1.6 g/kg/day, so the surplus mostly costs you money and room on your plate. On health, this article doesn’t take a position: with a kidney condition, any other medical condition, or pregnancy, ask a doctor or a registered dietitian.
Do you need protein powder?
No. A shake is just a convenient way to hit your total. Morton’s meta-analysis looked specifically at protein supplementation, and the average effect was modest: +0.30 kg of fat-free mass. If your meals already get you to your target, these data give you no reason to expect more from a scoop of whey.
Should you cut back on protein during a deload week?
The ISSN ranges are daily intakes, and none of the sources cited here suggest lowering them for a lighter week. The simplest move is to keep the same target. For when and how to back off, read do you need a deload week?.
Do protein needs change with age?
The data cited here can’t settle it. In Morton’s analysis, the effect of supplementation on fat-free mass decreased with age, and research in older adults is limited. If you’re an older lifter, a doctor or a registered dietitian is better placed than a blog post to set your target.
Sources
- International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise — Jäger et al., 2017: the 1.4–2.0 g/kg/day range, per-serving dose, the range in a deficit, and intakes above 3.0 g/kg/day.
- 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 — Morton et al., 2018: the 1.62 g/kg/day breakpoint, effects on fat-free mass and 1RM, and the age effect.
- Progression Models in Resistance Training for Healthy Adults — ACSM, 2009: load, frequency and rest guidelines.
- Progressive overload without progressing load? The effects of load or repetition progression on muscular adaptations — Plotkin et al., 2022: load or rep progression, similar hypertrophy.
