Most people benefit from eating 0.7 to 1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. That range covers the majority of goals, from building muscle to losing fat. The right number within that range depends on how active you are, your age, and what you’re trying to accomplish.
The official minimum, known as the Recommended Dietary Allowance, is much lower: just 0.36 grams per pound. For a 170-pound person, that works out to about 61 grams per day. But that number represents the bare minimum to prevent deficiency in a sedentary adult, not the amount that optimizes body composition, athletic performance, or healthy aging.
Protein for Building Muscle
If your goal is adding muscle, aim for 0.7 to 1.0 grams per pound of body weight daily. A 180-pound person would target roughly 126 to 180 grams per day. Spreading that across meals matters too. Consuming 20 to 40 grams per meal gives your body a steady supply of amino acids to repair and build muscle tissue throughout the day.
Going above 1.0 gram per pound hasn’t been shown to produce meaningfully better results for most people. There’s no harm in it for healthy individuals, but the extra protein doesn’t translate into extra muscle. Your body can only synthesize muscle protein at a certain rate, and flooding it with more raw material doesn’t speed up the process.
Protein for Losing Weight
Protein becomes even more important when you’re eating fewer calories than you burn. In a calorie deficit, your body doesn’t just break down fat for energy. It also breaks down muscle, especially if protein intake is too low. Eating 0.7 to 1.0 grams per pound helps preserve lean tissue so that more of the weight you lose comes from fat rather than muscle. A 150-pound person cutting calories should aim for 105 to 150 grams of protein daily.
Some experts recommend going even higher during aggressive fat loss phases, up to about 1.05 grams per pound. The logic is straightforward: the deeper the calorie deficit, the more your body looks to muscle as a fuel source, and the more protein you need to counteract that. Higher protein intake also helps with appetite. Protein is the most satiating nutrient, keeping you fuller longer on fewer total calories.
Protein for Athletes
Athletes of all types need more protein than sedentary people, but the specific amount depends on the type of training. A widely accepted range for both endurance and strength athletes is 0.5 to 0.8 grams per pound per day. That’s lower than the muscle-building recommendation because it reflects maintenance needs rather than maximum growth.
Athletes who are simultaneously training hard and trying to lose body fat need the most protein of any group. Dr. Stuart Phillips at McMaster University recommends 0.8 to 1.23 grams per pound for athletes in a calorie deficit who want to lose fat while gaining or preserving muscle. This higher range compensates for the dual stress of intense training and restricted calories.
Protein for Adults Over 65
Aging muscles become less efficient at using protein. The same amount that maintains muscle in a 30-year-old may not be enough for a 70-year-old. This gradual loss of muscle mass, called sarcopenia, is one of the biggest threats to independence and quality of life in older adults.
Current recommendations for older adults are 0.45 to 0.55 grams per pound, which translates to roughly 1.0 to 1.2 grams per kilogram. For a 160-pound person, that means 72 to 88 grams daily. Pairing adequate protein with resistance exercise is especially important after 65, since neither works as well alone. The one exception: people with kidney disease should talk to their care team before increasing protein, since the kidneys handle the byproducts of protein metabolism.
Plant-Based vs. Animal Protein
Not all protein sources are created equal. Animal proteins (meat, fish, eggs, dairy) contain a complete set of essential amino acids and are more easily digested. They’re particularly rich in leucine, the amino acid that plays the biggest role in triggering muscle growth. Plant proteins tend to be lower in leucine and lysine and are less digestible overall.
This doesn’t mean you can’t build muscle on a plant-based diet, but it does mean you may need to eat slightly more total protein to get the same effect. Aiming for the higher end of whatever range applies to your goal is a practical strategy. Combining different plant sources throughout the day, such as grains with legumes, helps fill in the amino acid gaps that any single plant food might have.
Quick Reference by Goal
- Sedentary adult (minimum): 0.36 g/lb
- Older adults (65+): 0.45–0.55 g/lb
- Active adults and athletes: 0.5–0.8 g/lb
- Muscle building: 0.7–1.0 g/lb
- Fat loss (preserving muscle): 0.7–1.0 g/lb, up to 1.05 g/lb in aggressive deficits
- Athletes cutting weight: 0.8–1.23 g/lb
These numbers are based on total body weight. If you carry a significant amount of excess body fat, using your lean body mass or your goal weight as the basis for calculation gives a more realistic target. A 300-pound person at 40% body fat doesn’t need 300 grams of protein per day. Using a goal weight of 200 pounds and multiplying by 0.8 grams would give a more practical target of 160 grams.