Protein calculator

Key takeaways

• Adults who don't exercise need at least 0.8 g of protein per kg a day. That is the minimum to stay healthy, not the amount for building muscle.
• To build muscle, aim for about 1.6 g per kg a day. Going up to 2.2 g per kg gives a little extra for some people.
• When losing weight, more protein (1.8 to 2.4 g per kg) helps you keep muscle while you eat less.
• Spread it across 3 to 5 meals of about 25 to 40 g each, rather than one big meal.

How much protein do I need a day?

How much protein you need depends mostly on your body weight and how you train. These are the ranges the calculator uses:

• Little or no exercise: 0.8 to 1.0 g per kg. For a 70 kg adult, 56 to 70 g a day.
• Active, for health and fitness: 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg.
• Building muscle: 1.6 to 2.2 g per kg. A 2018 analysis of 49 studies by Morton and colleagues found gains in muscle levelled off at about 1.6 g per kg, with 2.2 g per kg as a safe upper target.
• Losing fat and keeping muscle: 1.8 to 2.4 g per kg. Eating less makes muscle easier to lose, and more protein helps protect it.
• Over 65: at least 1.0 to 1.2 g per kg, and more if you train. Older muscles need more protein to respond the same way.

If you carry a lot of body fat, use your goal weight instead of your current weight, or the numbers will come out too high.

How much protein per meal?

Aim for about 0.4 g of protein per kg of body weight at each meal, which for most people is 25 to 40 g. Four meals of that size reach the muscle-building range for most adults.

Your body can digest more than 40 g at once. It just uses a large single dose less efficiently for building muscle than the same protein spread through the day.

How much protein is in Cypriot food?

Most people in Cyprus can reach their target with everyday food plus a shake on training days. Typical amounts:

• Chicken souvlaki, 150 g of meat: about 45 g of protein
• Grilled sea bream, 150 g fillet: about 35 g
• Halloumi, 100 g: about 21 g
• Greek yoghurt (2% fat), 170 g pot: about 17 g
• Lentil soup (fakes), a large bowl: about 18 g
• 2 eggs: about 13 g
• 1 scoop (30 g) of Fuel Sync whey with water: 22 g

A day of eggs at breakfast, souvlaki at lunch, Greek yoghurt as a snack and fish at dinner already gives about 110 g.

When a protein shake helps

A shake is the easiest way to close a gap between what you eat and your target. One scoop of Fuel Sync whey gives 22 g of protein and 112 kcal; with 250 ml of semi-skimmed milk it is about 30 g.

If the calculator says 140 g and your meals give 110 g, one shake with milk covers the difference. You don't need more than one or two a day. For ideas, read 10 protein shake recipes.

Can you eat too much protein?

For healthy people, intakes up to about 2.5 g per kg a day are well studied and safe. Above that, extra protein brings no extra muscle and simply replaces other foods.

Speak to your doctor before raising your protein if you have kidney disease, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, when your needs are different.

Common questions about protein intake

Is 100 g of protein a day enough?

For a 60 to 70 kg person who trains, yes. For someone heavier building muscle, it is likely a little low: an 85 kg person needs about 135 g at 1.6 g per kg.

Do women need less protein than men?

Per kg of body weight, no. Women usually weigh less, so their total in grams is lower, but the g per kg ranges are the same.

Does protein from shakes count?

Yes. Protein from whey counts the same as protein from food. Whey is also high in leucine, the amino acid that switches on muscle building.

Should I count protein on rest days?

Yes. Muscle repair happens over the days after training, so keep your intake steady every day.

Hit your target

Use the calculator above, then fill the gap with Fuel Sync whey protein: 22 g of protein a scoop, in ten flavours. For the best times to take it, read how and when to take whey.