Key takeaways
- Most people who lift need 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight per day.
- Spread it over 3–5 meals of roughly 0.4 g/kg each.
- During fat loss, stay at the upper end to protect muscle.
- Food is enough. Protein powder is a convenience, not a requirement.
How much protein per day to build muscle?
The largest meta-analysis on the question (Morton et al. 2018) pooled 49 randomised trials in which people did resistance training with or without extra protein. Gains in lean mass improved with protein up to about 1.6 g/kg per day, after which the extra benefit levelled off. The upper end of the confidence interval was about 2.2 g/kg, so that range is a sensible target.
| Situation | Protein per day |
|---|---|
| Adult, no regular strength training | about 0.8 g/kg |
| Lifting to build muscle | 1.6–2.2 g/kg |
| Lifting in a calorie deficit | 2.0–2.4 g/kg |
| Older lifter (65+) | at least 1.6 g/kg, with larger servings per meal |
Example: an 80 kg lifter needs roughly 130–175 g of protein a day. If you carry a lot of excess body fat, base the number on your goal weight or an adjusted weight; otherwise it gets inflated, because fat tissue does not need protein the way muscle does.
Protein alone does not build muscle, though. Training is the signal, and that signal has to grow over time. See Progressive Overload: How to Keep Getting Stronger and How Many Sets per Week per Muscle to Build Muscle?.
Is more protein better?
Not really. Above 2.2 g/kg there is little evidence of extra muscle gain when you eat enough energy. Higher intakes have not looked harmful in healthy people in research, but they crowd out carbohydrates, which fuel hard training, and fats, which you need for hormones and general health. Protein is also usually the most expensive part of the shopping basket.
The exception is dieting: in a calorie deficit, extra protein helps you hold on to muscle and keeps hunger in check.
How to spread protein across meals
Your daily total matters most. Distribution still helps, because muscle protein synthesis responds to each sufficiently large serving. Schoenfeld and Aragon (2018) suggest a practical target of about 0.4 g/kg per meal across four meals, which gives 1.6 g/kg a day. To reach 2.2 g/kg, raise each serving to about 0.55 g/kg.
- For most people that means 25–45 g of protein per meal.
- Keep 3–5 hours between meals. You do not need to chase a narrow "anabolic window" after training.
- A 30–40 g serving of slow-digesting protein before bed, such as quark or cottage cheese, is an easy way to raise your daily intake.
Example day for an 80 kg lifter
| Meal | Food | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Porridge (60 g oats) with 200 g quark | about 30 g |
| Lunch | 150 g chicken breast, rice and salad | about 35 g |
| Snack | 250 g skyr with berries | about 25 g |
| Dinner | 150 g salmon, potatoes and vegetables | about 30 g |
| Evening snack | 200 g cottage cheese on rye bread | about 30 g |
That adds up to about 150 g, or 1.9 g/kg, without any protein powder.
Protein during fat loss
When you eat less than you burn, your body breaks down some muscle protein for energy. A review by Helms et al. (2014) concluded that lean, resistance-trained people in a deficit do well on 2.3–3.1 g per kg of fat-free mass. Expressed per kg of total body weight, that is roughly 2.0–2.4 g/kg for most people.
- The leaner you are and the bigger the deficit, the more protein matters.
- Keep lifting heavy. Training, not protein, is your main protection against muscle loss on a diet.
- Protein is filling, which makes a deficit easier to stick to.
Protein sources: how much per 100 g?
Values are approximate and refer to raw or as-sold products. Cooking removes water, so cooked chicken breast has about 30 g per 100 g. Check the label for exact numbers.
| Food | Protein per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Chicken breast | 22–23 g |
| Tuna in water | 24–26 g |
| Salmon | about 20 g |
| Lean beef mince (10% fat) | about 20 g |
| Eggs (about 7 g per egg) | 12–13 g |
| Quark (Finnish rahka), fat-free | 11–12 g |
| Cottage cheese | 12–13 g |
| Skyr | 10–11 g |
| Oats (dry) | 12–13 g |
| Tofu | 12–15 g |
| Lentils, cooked | about 9 g |
| Chickpeas, cooked | 8–9 g |
| White cheese (feta or Persian panir) | 12–17 g |
| Strained yoghurt (mast-e chekide) | 8–10 g |
| Whey protein powder | 70–80 g |
Persian cooking makes it easy too: joojeh kabab (marinated chicken), kabab koobideh, adas polo (lentil rice), chickpea stews and strained yoghurt on the side. With about 150 g of meat on the plate, one meal covers a quarter of the day.
Plant protein
You can build muscle on a vegetarian or vegan diet as long as the total is right. Plant proteins tend to contain fewer essential amino acids, especially leucine, so:
- aim for the upper end, about 1.8–2.2 g/kg
- combine legumes and grains over the day
- lean on soy, tofu and soy or pea protein, which have good amino-acid profiles.
Protein supplements, honestly
Protein powder is food in powder form. It does not build muscle better than quark or chicken, but it is a cheap and quick way to close a gap. Whey digests fast and casein slowly; next to your daily total, the difference is small. Pick a product that has been tested by an independent third party.
Creatine is not a protein, but it is the best-studied supplement for strength training (3–5 g a day). Amino-acid drinks such as BCAAs add nothing if your protein intake is already adequate.
How SimuFit sets your protein target
SimuFit's optional nutrition mode uses the same evidence: 1.8–2.2 g/kg, capped at 2.2 g/kg, based on an adjusted weight when your BMI is over 30. The calculation is deterministic, so the same profile always gives the same numbers, and no AI is involved. You also get targets for calories, fat, carbs, fibre and water, plus a route: lean bulk, recomposition or fat loss. AI then suggests meals in your own cuisine and diet type, respecting your allergies. See nutrition mode or read the health information and limits.
Questions and answers
How much protein do I need per day to build muscle?
For most people, 1.6–2.2 g per kg of body weight per day. A 75 kg person needs roughly 120–165 g. In a calorie deficit, aim for the upper end.
Can I eat too much protein in one meal?
Your body uses all of it, but for muscle growth about 0.4–0.55 g/kg per meal is a practical serving. Spreading protein over 3–5 meals works better than one huge meal.
Do I need protein powder?
No. Quark, skyr, cottage cheese, chicken, fish, eggs and legumes are enough. Powder is handy when food alone falls short.
Is a high-protein diet bad for your kidneys?
In healthy people, the intakes used in research have not been shown to be harmful. If you have kidney disease, talk to your doctor about how much protein is right for you.
Sources
- Morton RW et al. (2018) 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. Br J Sports Med 52(6):376–384. doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608
- Jäger R et al. (2017) International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 14:20. doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8
- Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA (2018) How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 15:10. doi.org/10.1186/s12970-018-0215-1
- Helms ER et al. (2014) A systematic review of dietary protein during caloric restriction in resistance trained lean athletes: a case for higher intakes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 24(2):127–138. doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2013-0054