Most adults need between 0.8 and 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day, which works out to roughly 55 to 90 grams for someone weighing 150 pounds. Your exact number depends on your age, activity level, and goals. The newest Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2025-2030) nudged the recommendation upward to 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram for most adults, reflecting growing evidence that the old baseline was set too low for optimal health.
The Baseline for Average Adults
The long-standing Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, or about 0.36 grams per pound. For a 150-pound person, that’s roughly 54 grams a day. For a 180-pound person, about 65 grams. This number was originally designed to prevent deficiency in sedentary adults, not to optimize muscle, metabolism, or long-term health.
That’s why the updated 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines raised the practical target to 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram. For that same 150-pound person, the new range translates to 82 to 108 grams per day. Most nutrition researchers now view this range as a more realistic target for maintaining muscle mass, supporting recovery from daily wear and tear, and keeping you feeling full between meals.
As a percentage of total calories, protein should make up 10 to 35 percent of what you eat each day. Most people land somewhere around 15 to 20 percent without thinking about it, but those aiming for the higher end of the gram range will naturally push toward 25 percent or more.
How Activity Level Changes the Number
If you regularly lift weights, run, cycle, or do other structured training, your protein needs are meaningfully higher than someone who is sedentary. People who strength train or prepare for endurance events need 1.2 to 1.7 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. For a 170-pound person, that’s roughly 93 to 131 grams.
The reason is straightforward: exercise damages muscle fibers, and your body uses amino acids from protein to repair and rebuild them. The more volume and intensity in your training, the more raw material your muscles need. If you’re casually active (walking, yoga, recreational sports a few times a week), the general range of 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram covers you well. If you’re training hard most days, aim closer to 1.5 to 1.7.
Protein Needs for Muscle Growth
Building new muscle requires a surplus of protein above what you’d need just to maintain what you have. Research consistently points to 1.6 grams per kilogram as the minimum daily intake to maximize the muscle-building response from resistance training. Going higher, up to about 2.2 grams per kilogram, may offer a small additional benefit for some people, particularly those training at high volumes.
How you distribute that protein across the day matters too. Your muscles can only use so much protein at once for repair and growth. At rest, roughly 0.24 grams per kilogram per meal (about 20 grams for a 180-pound person) is enough to trigger a strong muscle-building response. After a hard workout involving large muscle groups, that ceiling rises to around 0.40 grams per kilogram, or roughly 40 grams. Spreading your intake across three to four meals rather than loading it all into dinner gives your body more opportunities to use what you eat.
Protein for Weight Loss
When you’re eating fewer calories than you burn, protein becomes even more important. A caloric deficit puts your body in a state where it will break down muscle for energy unless you give it enough protein to protect that tissue. The recommended range during active weight loss is 1.6 to 2.4 grams per kilogram per day, significantly higher than the general population target.
For a 160-pound person cutting calories, that means roughly 116 to 174 grams of protein daily. Research on athletes losing weight found that intakes above 2.4 grams per kilogram didn’t provide meaningful additional muscle-sparing benefits, so there’s a practical ceiling. Combining this higher protein intake with resistance training is the most effective strategy for losing fat while holding onto muscle. Protein also helps with satiety, making it easier to stick with a calorie deficit because you feel less hungry between meals.
Why Older Adults Need More
After about age 50, your body becomes less efficient at using dietary protein to maintain muscle. This gradual loss of muscle mass, called sarcopenia, accelerates with each decade and contributes to falls, fractures, and loss of independence. Researchers recommend that older adults consume 1.0 to 1.2 grams per kilogram per day, notably above the old RDA of 0.8.
For a 140-pound older adult, that’s 64 to 76 grams daily. Older muscles also appear to need a larger dose of protein per meal to trigger the same repair response that younger muscles get from a smaller dose. Where a 25-year-old might fully stimulate muscle repair with 20 grams of protein at a meal, someone over 65 may need closer to 40 grams to get the same effect. This makes meal distribution especially important for older adults: three meals with 25 to 40 grams of protein each is more effective than a low-protein breakfast and lunch followed by a large dinner.
Protein During Pregnancy
Pregnancy increases protein needs to support fetal growth, placental development, and expanded blood volume. The minimum recommended intake during pregnancy is 60 grams per day, accounting for roughly 20 to 25 percent of total calories. Before conception, the standard 0.8 grams per kilogram (with a floor of 40 grams daily) applies.
Protein needs rise most during the second and third trimesters, when the baby is growing fastest. Many pregnant women find it easiest to hit their target by adding a protein-rich snack between meals, such as Greek yogurt, eggs, or a handful of nuts, rather than trying to increase portion sizes at meals when appetite can be unpredictable.
Is Too Much Protein Harmful?
For healthy people with normal kidney function, protein intakes in the ranges described above are safe. The concern about protein damaging kidneys comes from studies of people who already have kidney disease, where the extra filtering work can accelerate decline. If your kidneys are healthy, eating 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram poses no documented risk.
That said, there’s a point of diminishing returns. Pushing well beyond 2.4 grams per kilogram doesn’t appear to build more muscle or preserve more lean tissue during weight loss. Extremely high protein diets can also crowd out other important nutrients, since you’re filling up on chicken and protein shakes instead of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The practical advice from Cleveland Clinic nephrologists: find a balance, and don’t go to extremes.
Quick Reference by Body Weight
To find your range, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to get kilograms, then multiply by the grams-per-kilogram target that fits your situation.
- 130 lbs (59 kg): General health 71-94 g, active/training 71-100 g, weight loss 94-142 g
- 150 lbs (68 kg): General health 82-109 g, active/training 82-116 g, weight loss 109-163 g
- 170 lbs (77 kg): General health 92-123 g, active/training 92-131 g, weight loss 123-185 g
- 200 lbs (91 kg): General health 109-146 g, active/training 109-155 g, weight loss 146-218 g
These ranges use 1.2-1.6 g/kg for general health (per the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines), 1.2-1.7 g/kg for active individuals, and 1.6-2.4 g/kg for those in a caloric deficit trying to preserve muscle. If you’re over 65, aim for at least the middle of the general health range even if you’re not very active.