Determine daily protein requirements from body weight, activity and goal.
Protein recommendations depend heavily on both what you're trying to achieve and how hard you train. The WHO minimum for sedentary adults is 0.8 g/kg, but research consistently shows this is insufficient for anyone exercising regularly. For muscle gain, Morton et al.'s 2018 meta-analysis of 49 randomised controlled trials found 1.62 g/kg sufficient to maximise lean mass gains, with higher intakes providing no additional benefit on average — though staying to the upper end insures against individual variation. During a calorie deficit, higher protein (1.8–2.2 g/kg) preserves lean mass and has a stronger satiety effect.
Daily protein target
Protein (g) = Body weight (kg) × Rate (g/kg)
Protein recommendations are population-level estimates and vary with individual metabolism, training history, and health status. This is not medical or dietary advice. Consult a registered dietitian for personalised nutrition guidance.
Yes — protein has the highest thermic effect of any macronutrient (20–30% of its calories are burned in digestion) and it's the most satiating macro. During a deficit, higher protein (1.8–2.2 g/kg) substantially reduces lean mass loss compared to lower intakes.
In healthy individuals, there's no evidence that high-protein diets (up to 3 g/kg) harm kidney function. This concern applies to people with pre-existing kidney disease — they should work with a nephrologist to set protein limits. The 2016 ISSN position stand concludes high protein is safe for healthy adults.
Total daily intake matters most. That said, distributing protein across 3–5 meals of 20–40 g each maximises muscle protein synthesis per dose, since the anabolic response to a single sitting plateaus. Pre-sleep protein (30–40 g casein) is well-supported for overnight muscle repair.