How Much Protein Do You Actually Need Per Day?

Ask five people how much protein you need and you'll get five different answers — anywhere from the bare government minimum to numbers that sound more like a competitive bodybuilder's meal plan. Here's how to land on a number that actually fits you.

Why the RDA Isn't the Right Target for Training Adults

The RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) for protein — roughly 0.36g per pound of bodyweight — is calculated to prevent deficiency in a sedentary person, not to optimize performance or muscle growth. It's a floor, not a target, for anyone who trains regularly.

What the Research on Trained Individuals Actually Shows

For people doing regular resistance training, research generally supports a range of roughly 0.7 to 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight per day for maximizing muscle protein synthesis and supporting recovery. Going meaningfully above this range hasn't shown much additional benefit for muscle building in most studies — more isn't necessarily better past a certain point, though it's also generally not a concern for people with healthy kidney function.

Does Your Goal Change the Number?

Building muscle (surplus or maintenance): aim for the middle-to-upper end of that range, around 0.8–1g per pound.

Cutting / fat loss: protein needs actually go up, not down, during a calorie deficit — research suggests up to 1g per pound or slightly higher helps preserve lean muscle mass while losing fat.

General health / recreational training: the lower end of the range, around 0.6–0.7g per pound, is generally sufficient.

Do You Need to Hit It Perfectly Every Day?

No. Total protein intake averaged across a week matters more than nailing an exact number every single day. Getting close on most days will get you the vast majority of the benefit.

A Simple Way to Estimate Yours

Take your bodyweight in pounds and multiply by 0.8 as a solid, evidence-backed starting point for anyone training regularly. A 180lb person training 3–5x a week would land around 144g of protein per day — spread across 3–5 meals of roughly 25–40g each for the best absorption and muscle protein synthesis response.

The Bottom Line

Forget the extremes on either side. For most people training regularly, somewhere around 0.7–1g of protein per pound of bodyweight, spread across a few meals a day, is a well-supported, practical target — no need to overthink it further than that.