Most people looking to build muscle need between 1.4 and 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. For a 180-pound (82 kg) person, that works out to roughly 115 to 164 grams of protein daily. That range, established by the International Society of Sports Nutrition, covers the vast majority of people doing regular resistance training. Where you fall within it depends on your age, whether you’re cutting weight, and how hard you’re training.
The Daily Target for Most People
The 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg range translates to about 0.6 to 0.9 grams per pound of body weight. If you weigh 150 pounds, aim for roughly 90 to 135 grams per day. At 200 pounds, you’re looking at 120 to 180 grams. The lower end of this range suits people newer to strength training or those maintaining muscle they’ve already built. The higher end is better for people training intensely several days a week or actively trying to add size.
There is some evidence that going above 3.0 g/kg per day may help resistance-trained individuals lose fat while maintaining muscle, but for most people, pushing past 2.0 g/kg offers diminishing returns. Your body doesn’t just switch off its ability to use protein at a precise cutoff, but the muscle-building benefits taper off as intake climbs higher and higher.
How to Spread Protein Across the Day
Eating your protein in roughly even portions throughout the day matters more than most people realize. The general recommendation is 15 to 30 grams of protein per meal across three to four meals. Consuming more than about 40 grams in a single sitting doesn’t appear to boost muscle building beyond what 30 grams achieves, at least for fast-digesting protein sources like whey.
That said, whole-food protein sources like meat, eggs, beans, and dairy digest more slowly, which means the old “your body can only absorb 25 grams at once” rule doesn’t strictly apply to a real meal. Your body will absorb the protein. The issue is that cramming your entire day’s worth into one or two meals leaves long stretches where your muscles aren’t getting the building blocks they need. Spreading intake across the day keeps the repair-and-build process running more consistently.
What Changes When You’re Losing Weight
If you’re eating in a calorie deficit while trying to hold onto muscle, your protein needs go up, not down. Recommendations for athletes cutting weight range from 1.6 to 2.4 g/kg per day, with some research on resistance-trained individuals suggesting up to 2.7 g/kg may be warranted. For a 170-pound person dieting down, that could mean 175 grams or more per day.
The reason is straightforward: when your body is short on energy, it’s more willing to break down muscle tissue for fuel. Higher protein intake acts as a buffer, giving your body enough amino acids to preserve lean mass while you lose fat. Going above roughly 2.4 g/kg per day during a deficit is unlikely to provide additional muscle-sparing benefit, so there’s a practical ceiling here.
Protein Needs After Age 50
Older adults face a challenge called anabolic resistance, where muscles become less responsive to the protein you eat. In younger adults, about 20 grams of protein after a workout is enough to maximize the muscle repair response. In adults over 50, research shows muscles respond better to higher doses of 40 grams per serving. This means older adults often need to eat more protein per meal and per day to get the same muscle-building effect a younger person gets from a smaller amount.
For people over 60 who are strength training, aiming for the higher end of the daily range (closer to 2.0 g/kg) and making sure each meal contains at least 30 to 40 grams of protein is a practical strategy to overcome this resistance.
Animal vs. Plant Protein
Animal protein sources tend to have a more complete amino acid profile and are generally considered stronger stimulators of muscle building. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that protein source didn’t significantly affect total lean mass or muscle strength overall, but animal protein did show a slight advantage for percentage lean mass. In younger adults under 50, the difference was more pronounced: those consuming animal protein gained an average of about 0.4 kg more lean mass than those on plant protein.
If you eat a plant-based diet, you can absolutely build muscle, but you may need to be more intentional. Combining different plant protein sources (rice and beans, for example) helps cover gaps in amino acid profiles. You may also benefit from eating slightly more total protein, since many plant sources are lower in the specific amino acids that trigger muscle repair. The key amino acid involved needs to reach roughly 2.5 to 3 grams per meal to fully activate muscle protein synthesis, and plant proteins are typically lower in this compound than animal proteins like whey, eggs, or chicken.
The Post-Workout Window Is Wider Than You Think
The idea that you need a protein shake within 30 minutes of your last set has been largely overstated. Current evidence suggests the window for maximizing muscle growth extends to about 5 to 6 hours surrounding your training session, not just the hour after. If you ate a meal with protein an hour or two before training, you’re already covered. Your pre-workout meal is doing double duty.
The timing matters most when you train fasted, such as first thing in the morning without eating. In that case, getting protein soon after your workout becomes genuinely important because your body has been without amino acids for an extended period. For everyone else, simply hitting your daily protein target across regular meals is more impactful than stressing over the exact minute you eat after training.
How to Calculate Your Personal Target
If you’re at a relatively normal body fat percentage, multiply your body weight in pounds by 0.7 to 0.9 to get a daily gram target. A 160-pound person would aim for 112 to 144 grams per day. If you carry a significant amount of excess body fat, basing the calculation on your goal weight or estimated lean mass gives a more practical number, since body fat doesn’t require protein to maintain.
Divide that total across three to four meals, making sure each one contains at least 20 to 30 grams. Track your intake for a week or two to calibrate your sense of portions. Most people are surprised to find their breakfast is protein-light, with most of their intake crammed into dinner. Balancing that distribution is one of the simplest changes you can make to support muscle growth without eating any more food overall.