Protein Per Kilo: The Simple Formula That Works

Here is the entire thing. Take your body weight in kilograms and multiply it by 1.6. That number, in grams, is a strong daily protein target for building and keeping muscle. If you weigh 70 kilograms, that is 70 times 1.6, which is 112 grams of protein a day.

The 1.6 is not a random figure. It comes from a large 2018 review that pooled 49 studies on protein and training. The muscle-building benefit of extra protein climbed until about 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, then flattened out. In other words, 1.6 is roughly the point where you are getting the muscle payoff without wasting food on protein your body cannot use for that purpose.

If you would rather not do the sums, here is the formula worked out across common body weights. The middle column is your main target. The right column is the higher end you might use during fat loss.

The single figure of 1.6 is your anchor, but people differ, and so do goals. That is why the practical advice is a band of 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight rather than one exact value. Where you sit in that band depends mostly on what you are trying to do.

1. Building or maintaining muscle. Around 1.6 grams per kilogram is plenty. This is the default for most people who train.
2. Losing fat. Move toward the higher end, roughly 1.8 to 2.2 grams per kilogram. More protein protects muscle while you eat fewer calories and keeps you fuller, so the diet is easier to hold.
3. Not training and not chasing a change. You do not need the high end. Somewhere between the 0.8 minimum and about 1.2 grams per kilogram is a comfortable, health-supporting zone.

Going well above 2.2 grams per kilogram is not harmful for healthy people, it simply stops adding muscle and starts crowding out other foods and calories you may not need. There is little reason to chase very high numbers unless a specific goal calls for it.

For most people, use your current body weight and you will be fine. The one situation where that breaks down is if you carry a large amount of excess fat. Protein needs track more closely with lean mass, the muscle and organs, than with fat. So a very high body weight can push the formula to a number that is bigger than you actually need.

The simple fix is to calculate from a realistic goal weight, or a value near it, rather than your current scale weight. For example, someone at 120 kilograms aiming for around 90 might build their target from 90 kilograms. This keeps the number sensible instead of inflated, and you can adjust as your weight changes.

Knowing the target is easy. Hitting it is where people fall down. The trick is to divide your daily number across your meals rather than staring at one big total. Split it into three or four meals of roughly 25 to 40 grams each, and each meal becomes a small, achievable goal.

Anchor every main meal with a palm-sized portion of a protein-rich food such as eggs, dairy, fish, poultry, meat, tofu, tempeh, beans, or lentils. If you eat plant based, the formula does not change: a bean chilli or a tofu stir-fry hits the same target, and soy yoghurt or a soy shake fills any gap. Plant sources are a little less protein-dense, so eating slightly larger portions, about 10 to 20 percent more, and mixing sources closes it. If you come up short, close the gap with a simple snack like Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, or a protein shake. You do not need a supplement to reach the number, but a scoop of protein powder is a cheap, convenient way to top up when whole food is inconvenient.