How much protein you actually need
, 2 minute read
The official figure is a floor. Most active people do better above it.
The reference intake for adults is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. For someone who weighs 70 kilograms that is 56 grams. It is the amount that keeps most healthy adults out of deficit. It was never meant as a target for training, ageing well or losing weight.
Who needs more
People who exercise regularly, people over about 65 and people cutting calories on purpose tend to keep more muscle with a higher intake. Sports nutrition bodies suggest 1.2 to 2.0 grams per kilogram for those who train. For the same 70 kilogram person that is 84 to 140 grams a day.
Spread it out
Three meals with 25 to 40 grams each work better than one large dinner. It is easier on the appetite and gives muscle something to build with through the day.
About 25 grams of protein looks like this:
- a palm-sized piece of chicken or fish
- a tin of tuna
- four eggs
- 250 grams of Greek yogurt
- a cup and a half of cooked lentils
Is more harmful
In people with healthy kidneys, intakes toward the top of that range have not been shown to cause damage. If you have kidney disease the answer is different, and you should ask your doctor before changing anything.
The short version
- Minimum for adults0.8 g per kg a day
- If you train or are over 651.2–2.0 g per kg
- Per meal25–40 g
Sources
US National Academies, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (2005).
Jäger R. et al., International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise (2017).