How Much Protein Per Day? A Simple Guide by Bodyweight
Short answer: For active people, the research range is about 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. A 175-pound person lands around 120 to 175 grams. Spread it across three to five meals, and use a shake only to fill the gap that food leaves.
Where the numbers come from
The most cited figure in sports nutrition is 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram per day for people doing resistance training, from a 2018 meta-analysis of 49 studies in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. In pounds that is roughly 0.73 to 1 gram per pound. The "one gram per pound" rule you hear on social media sits at the very top of that range. It was popularized by bodybuilders decades before the research existed, as a hedge during contest prep. For most people in maintenance it is more than the studies show benefit for, though it is not harmful for healthy adults.
The target by goal
- Sedentary adult: about 0.36 g per pound. The RDA floor, enough to avoid deficiency, not a performance dose.
- Active adult, general health: 0.55 to 0.73 g per pound.
- Resistance training, building muscle: 0.73 to 1 g per pound.
- Cutting on a calorie deficit: 0.9 to 1.1 g per pound, because protein protects lean mass while calories are low.
- Adults over 65: 0.55 to 0.73 g per pound as a minimum, with more if you train. Older muscle needs a bigger per-meal dose to respond, which is why the floor goes up, not down.
For a 180-pound person training hard, that is about 130 to 180 grams a day, not 200 to 250.
How to split it across the day
Muscle protein synthesis responds to a per-meal threshold of roughly 25 to 30 grams of complete protein, which delivers about 2.5 to 3 grams of leucine. Hit that three to five times a day and you have done the useful part. Spreading 150 grams across four meals does more than the same 150 grams in two, because the body has an upper limit per sitting.
- Breakfast: 30 g
- Lunch: 30 g
- Post-training shake or snack: 25 g
- Dinner: 40 g
- Optional before bed: 25 g
Breakfast is where most people fall short. Toast and coffee is close to zero protein.
Where a shake fits
Whole food should cover most of your target. A powder is for convenience and for clearing the per-meal threshold when food is not practical: after training, on busy weekdays, when traveling. One scoop of our whey protein is 24 grams, which clears the threshold on its own and is roughly the same muscle-building dose as a 4-ounce chicken breast. Whey isolate is the pick if lactose sits heavy or you want the leanest scoop, and pea and rice protein delivers 22 grams per scoop with 4 grams of fiber if you skip dairy.
Does more protein strain the kidneys?
For people with healthy kidneys, intakes in this range have not been shown to cause harm in the research. Anyone with a known kidney condition should set their target with their doctor.
Frequently asked questions
How much protein per day? About 0.7 to 1 gram per pound of bodyweight for active people, toward the top end when cutting or training hard.
Can I eat too much protein? Past the top of the range, extra protein is usually just expensive. Hit your number and spread it out.
Do I need a shake? Only to fill the gap food leaves. It is convenience, not magic.
Does timing matter? Total daily intake matters most. A few hours around training is a wide enough window; see when to take protein.
Get your number for your bodyweight and goal with the protein intake calculator, then compare tubs by what matters with the cost per gram calculator.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.