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How much protein you need to build muscle

About 1.6 g per kg of bodyweight a day captures most of the muscle-building benefit, and more while dieting. What the evidence says, with its limits.

By the Laroa team, checked against Laroa’s evidence base. Updated . 3 minute read.

How much protein per kg do you need?

A meta-regression of 49 resistance-training trials found that extra lean mass levels off at around 1.6 g of protein per kg of bodyweight a day. The upper confidence limit sat near 2.2 g/kg. The ISSN position stand recommends 1.4–2.0 g/kg a day for most people who exercise.

Going higher is safe for healthy people. It just isn’t needed for muscle. If you have kidney disease, your clinician’s target replaces these numbers.

What that looks like at 80 kg

Say you weigh 80 kg. At 1.6 g/kg that’s 128 g a day, and at 2.2 g/kg it’s 176 g. Anywhere in that band is reasonable while you’re building muscle.

Over four meals, that’s roughly 24–32 g a meal. It’s the 0.3–0.4 g/kg per meal pattern the ISSN describes as practical.

Protein on a cut

Higher protein cuts how much lean mass you lose while dieting, especially if you’re lean, trained or running a bigger deficit. During fat loss, Laroa works within about 1.8–2.7 g/kg of bodyweight. That’s 2.3–3.1 g/kg of fat-free mass.

So the same 80 kg lifter on a cut would aim for roughly 144–216 g a day.

Does protein timing matter?

When total intake is matched, protein timing has little to no effect on muscle growth. Protein within an hour of training is fine. Missing that window costs you nothing if your normal meals sit around your training.

The idea that your body can only use about 30 g a meal is out of date too. A 2023 trial found a single 100 g dose gets used as well, just over a longer time. So splitting protein across meals is convenient. It isn’t required.

Protein after 65

Older adults need more, not less. The PROT-AGE group recommends at least 1.0–1.2 g/kg a day for healthy adults over 65, and 1.2 g/kg or more for those who exercise, to limit age-related muscle loss.

Where Laroa comes in

Laroa sets your protein target inside these ranges for your goal, and Food puts the emphasis on protein. Per-meal advice uses the 0.3–0.4 g/kg range and names your next meal. If a day’s log is incomplete, Laroa says so instead of counting the missing meal as zero.

Common questions

Is 1 gram of protein per pound too much?

One gram per pound is about 2.2 g/kg, the top of the range that covers nearly everyone building muscle. It’s safe for healthy people, but more than most need. Around 1.6 g/kg gets you most of the benefit.

Do I need a protein shake after training?

No. A shake is an easy way to hit your daily total, but the total matters far more than when you drink it.

Should protein be based on bodyweight or lean mass?

The ranges here use total bodyweight, which is what most of the research reports. On a cut, the fat-free-mass equivalent is about 2.3–3.1 g/kg.

The evidence behind this guide

Each claim above traces to an entry in Laroa’s evidence base (version 2026-10-16.2), which summarises position stands, guidelines and meta-analyses and grades how strong each one is.

Sources

  1. Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(6):376-384. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608
  2. Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:20. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8
  3. Helms ER, Aragon AA, Fitschen PJ. Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2014;11:20. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-11-20
  4. Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA, Krieger JW. The effect of protein timing on muscle strength and hypertrophy: a meta-analysis. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013;10:53. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-10-53
  5. Aragon AA, Schoenfeld BJ. Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window? J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013;10:5. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-10-5
  6. Trommelen J, van Lieshout GAA, Nyakayiru J, et al. The anabolic response to protein ingestion during recovery from exercise has no upper limit in magnitude and duration in vivo in humans. Cell Rep Med. 2023;4(12):101324. doi:10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101324
  7. Bauer J, Biolo G, Cederholm T, et al. Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people: a position paper from the PROT-AGE Study Group. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2013;14(8):542-559. doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2013.05.021

General information for healthy adults, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or have pain or warning symptoms, ask a clinician.

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