Protein Intake Guide

Overview

Protein supplies the amino acids your body uses to repair and build tissue, including muscle.

Governments set minimum intakes to prevent deficiency. Those numbers, around 0.75g per kg of bodyweight in the UK, are not the same as the intake that best supports training. Someone lifting three times a week needs meaningfully more than the minimum required to avoid a deficiency disease.

Quick Answer

For people who train, roughly 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day covers essentially all needs. Higher intakes within that range are useful when in a calorie deficit. There is little evidence of further benefit above about 2.2g per kg.

Key Points

1.6 to 2.2g per kg bodyweight per day suits nearly everyone who trains.
Go higher within the range when dieting, not lower.
Spreading protein across three or four meals is slightly better than one or two.
Total daily intake matters far more than timing.
Plant-based diets need slightly more, and more variety of sources.

How much you need

Situation	Protein target
Sedentary, general health	0.8 to 1.2g per kg
Training for muscle gain	1.6 to 2.2g per kg
Training in a calorie deficit	2.0 to 2.4g per kg
Older adults, maintaining muscle	1.2 to 1.6g per kg
Plant-based and training	1.8 to 2.4g per kg

For an 80kg person training regularly, that is roughly 130 to 175g per day. If you are dieting, aim for the top of that.

Distribution across the day

Total daily protein is the dominant factor. Distribution is a refinement worth perhaps a few percent.

Approach	Practical effect
All in one meal	Works, but hard to eat and less optimal
3 to 4 meals of 30 to 50g	The sensible default
6 small feedings	No further advantage, more effort

Three or four meals containing 30 to 50g of protein each is easy to organise and covers what the evidence supports.

Where to get it

Food	Protein per 100g
Chicken breast, cooked	31g
Lean beef mince, cooked	26g
Tinned tuna, drained	25g
Salmon, cooked	25g
Greek yoghurt, 0 percent	10g
Eggs	13g
Cottage cheese	11g
Tofu, firm	16g
Cooked lentils	9g
Whey protein powder	75 to 85g

Whole foods first. Powder is a convenience, not a requirement, though it is a genuinely useful one when a 40g target has to fit around a working day.

Plant-based diets

Plant proteins are generally lower in leucine and often incomplete in their amino acid profile, so aim slightly higher on total intake and vary sources across the day.

Soy, pea protein, tofu, tempeh, seitan, lentils, beans and quinoa between them cover the requirements comfortably. Combining sources across a day, rather than obsessing about combining them within a meal, is sufficient.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Why it causes problems	Better approach
Cutting protein while dieting	Muscle loss and more hunger	Raise protein when calories fall
Counting total food weight as protein	200g of chicken is not 200g of protein	Use protein per 100g figures
Relying entirely on shakes	Poor satiety, worse overall diet quality	Whole food first, powder to top up
Worrying about the anabolic window	It is far wider than marketed	Hit the daily total
Assuming more is always better	No further benefit above about 2.2g per kg	Stop at the top of the range

Frequently Asked Questions

Is high protein bad for your kidneys?

In people with healthy kidneys, higher protein intakes within the ranges discussed here have not been shown to cause damage. People with existing kidney disease should follow medical advice.

Do I need protein straight after training?

No. The window is hours, not minutes. Hitting your daily total matters far more than eating within thirty minutes of finishing.

Can I get enough protein without supplements?

Yes, comfortably, if you plan meals around a protein source. Powder makes it easier, not possible.

How much protein in one sitting can the body use?

More than the commonly repeated 30g. Larger doses are used, just with a slower and more prolonged response. There is no hard ceiling that wastes the rest.