Protein needs: how much you require when you train
An adult who trains regularly needs about 1.4 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, according to the position stand of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. For someone weighing 80 kilograms, that is 112 to 160 grams. The often-quoted 0.8 grams per kilogram is the minimum that prevents deficiency in a sedentary adult, not the amount that supports training. How the protein is distributed matters as well: aim for about 0.25 grams per kilogram, or 20 to 40 grams, at each meal, spread fairly evenly across the day rather than concentrated at dinner. Ordinary food covers it without supplements: eggs, fish, poultry, dairy, legumes and lean meat. People with kidney disease should take medical advice before raising their intake.
Your daily protein range
Enter your body weight. If you carry a lot of excess fat, enter the weight you are aiming for.
- Minimum for a sedentary adult (0.8 g/kg)
- 64 g per day
- Range for people who train (1.4 to 2.0 g/kg)
- 112 to 160 g per day
- Per meal (about 0.25 g/kg)
- 20 g, at least
Ranges from the International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand. Not for people with kidney disease without medical advice.
Two numbers that are often confused
The recommended dietary allowance of 0.8 grams per kilogram per day is the intake that meets the needs of almost all healthy sedentary adults. It is a floor. It was not designed for people who lift weights, run, or are trying to keep their muscle while losing fat.
For those people, the International Society of Sports Nutrition concluded in its 2017 position stand that a daily intake of 1.4 to 2.0 grams per kilogram is sufficient for building and maintaining muscle in most exercising individuals. The joint position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada and the American College of Sports Medicine gives a similar range of 1.2 to 2.0 grams.
Where you sit in the range depends on what you are doing.
- Lower end: endurance training, weight stable.
- Middle: regular strength training.
- Upper end: losing weight while trying to keep muscle, or past 60, when muscle responds less readily to a given dose.
The calculator above gives the three figures for your weight. If you carry a great deal of excess fat, use the weight you are aiming for rather than your current one.
Distribution across the day
The body does not store protein for later use the way it stores fat or carbohydrate. Muscle protein synthesis is stimulated by each meal that contains enough protein, and the effect of a single very large dose is not proportionally larger.
The position stand suggests about 0.25 grams of high-quality protein per kilogram per meal, or an absolute dose of 20 to 40 grams, every three to four hours. In practice this means three or four meals of comparable protein content.
The typical pattern of a working day is the opposite: coffee and a pastry in the morning, a light lunch, and most of the day's protein at a late dinner. Correcting breakfast is usually the single most useful change.
What 30 grams looks like
- 150 grams of chicken breast, fish or lean beef.
- Five eggs, or three eggs with a pot of Greek yoghurt.
- 250 grams of cottage cheese or skyr.
- 300 grams of cooked lentils or chickpeas, with a grain to complete the amino acid profile.
- 400 millilitres of milk with a scoop of whey.
Animal sources contain all the essential amino acids in proportions close to human needs. Plant sources do too when varied through the day, though larger portions are needed for the same effect.
Around training
The idea of a thirty-minute "window" after training, outside which the session is wasted, is not supported by the evidence. What matters first is the total for the day, then the distribution. A meal containing protein within a couple of hours before or after a session is sufficient.
One situation is worth planning for: training early and fasted. Eat a protein-containing meal reasonably soon afterwards rather than running through the morning on coffee. See intermittent fasting.
Supplements
Protein powder is food in a convenient form. It is useful when travelling, after an early session, or for people who struggle to eat enough. It is not superior to the same amount of protein from a meal, and it is not necessary.
Choose a product that has been tested by an independent programme for contaminants if you compete in a tested sport. Otherwise, a plain whey or a pea and rice blend without added sugar does the job.
Common questions about safety
- Kidneys. In healthy adults, intakes within the range above have not been shown to harm kidney function. People with existing kidney disease are in a different position and need individual medical advice.
- Bones. Higher protein intakes, with adequate calcium, are associated with better rather than worse bone health.
- Weight. Protein is the most satiating macronutrient, which helps when the aim is to eat less without being hungry. See calorie needs.
At business meals and on the road
Order the protein first and build the meal around it: grilled fish or meat, eggs, a legume dish. The cuisines described in the Mediterranean diet make this easy, and they are on most menus in the Gulf. Hotel breakfasts offer eggs, yoghurt, smoked fish and cheese alongside the pastries. On a flight, the protein portion of the meal is usually the part worth eating.
After 40
Muscle responds less readily to protein with age, so the amount per meal matters more: 30 to 40 grams rather than 20. Combined with two strength sessions a week, it is the most effective protection against the gradual loss of muscle described in strength after 40.
Individual needs vary with age, health and goals. A registered dietitian, working with your coach, can set a figure that fits your case.
Questions
How much protein do I need per day to build muscle?
About 1.4 to 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, combined with regular resistance training, according to the International Society of Sports Nutrition. For a person of 75 kilograms, that is 105 to 150 grams. Going far beyond the top of the range has not been shown to build more muscle in people who eat enough overall.
Is too much protein bad for the kidneys?
In healthy adults, protein intakes of up to about 2 grams per kilogram per day have not been shown to damage kidney function. The situation is different for people who already have kidney disease, for whom a high intake can accelerate the decline. If that applies to you, or you are unsure, ask your physician before changing your diet.
Do I need a protein shake after training?
No. A shake is a convenient source of protein, not a requirement. What counts is the total for the day and a fairly even distribution across meals. If you eat a normal meal containing 20 to 40 grams of protein within a couple of hours of training, a shake adds nothing. It is useful when a meal is not possible.