Find out exactly how much protein you need every day — based on your weight, body composition goal, and activity level. No generic advice. Your number.
The answer depends on four things: your body weight, your goal, your activity level, and your age. Generic recommendations like “0.8g per kg” are designed for sedentary people trying to avoid deficiency — not for anyone who exercises, wants to lose fat, or is trying to build muscle.
For active people, research consistently shows that 1.6–2.2g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight is the optimal range. At the lower end you maintain muscle during a cut. At the higher end you maximize muscle protein synthesis during a bulk. The calculator above uses these evidence-based ranges and adjusts based on your specific goal.
Protein is also the most satiating macronutrient — gram for gram, it keeps you fuller longer than carbs or fats. This is why high-protein diets tend to result in naturally lower calorie intake even without strict tracking.
Timing matters less than total daily intake, but spreading your protein across 3-4 meals is more effective than eating most of it in one sitting. Your muscles can only use roughly 0.4g per kg of bodyweight per meal for muscle building purposes — anything beyond that is still used for other functions but doesn’t add extra muscle-building benefit.
A practical approach: aim for 30-50g of protein per meal across 3-4 meals. This hits your daily target while keeping each meal within the optimal absorption range. Post-workout protein within 2 hours of training is useful but not the magic window it was once believed to be — what matters most is hitting your daily total.