Daily protein target calculator

Protein math — bodyweight × goal multiplier, in grams per day

The single most-cited number in fitness — "1 gram per pound of bodyweight" — is right for hypertrophy and wrong for everyone else. Real protein needs scale with goal, not bodyweight alone.

Evidence-based ranges (g/lb bodyweight)

• Sedentary: 0.36 g/lb (RDA + small buffer)
• General active / maintain: 0.5-0.7 g/lb
• Cutting (fat loss in deficit): 1.0 g/lb — highest because muscle preservation in caloric deficit needs the most protein per unit of bodyweight
• Building (hypertrophy): 0.7-0.9 g/lb. Meta-analyses (Morton et al. 2018) cap meaningful return at ~1.6 g/kg = 0.73 g/lb; we use 0.85 for buffer
• Endurance athlete: 0.6-0.8 g/lb (volume-driven recovery, not muscle-building)

Per-meal distribution matters

Muscle protein synthesis (MPS) maxes out at ~30-40g of protein per meal in most adults. Splitting into 3-5 meals beats slamming 100g once. The leucine threshold (~2.5-3g leucine per meal) is the gating factor — that's roughly 25-30g of high-quality protein.

Why lean mass shows up

For people with significant body fat (>25% men, >32% women), gross bodyweight overestimates needs. Using lean body mass × 1.0-1.2 g/lb is more accurate. The calc shows both numbers so you can decide which is more relevant to your situation.