Protein per Kg Body Weight: How to Calculate Your Daily Target

Calculating protein per kg of body weight is the most practical and scientifically validated method for setting a personalised daily protein intake. Unlike flat gram recommendations — which ignore individual body size — the g/kg formula scales your protein grams to your actual weight and goal. This guide walks through the step-by-step calculation, covers conversion for pounds, and provides a full reference table so you can look up your target directly.

By the FitCalcHub Editorial Team — Updated July 2026 — 7 min read

Why Protein Is Measured in Grams per Kg

Protein requirements are expressed in grams per kilogram of body weight (g/kg) because the body's demand for protein is fundamentally linked to body mass — specifically lean body mass, which includes muscle, organs, and bone. A heavier person with more muscle tissue has a proportionally greater requirement for amino acids to maintain and repair that tissue.

Flat-gram recommendations (such as "aim for 100 g of protein per day") are inherently inadequate because they treat a 50 kg sedentary individual and a 100 kg strength athlete identically. The protein per kg body weight approach eliminates this problem by producing a target that scales linearly with the individual.

For the most precise results, protein should ideally be calculated against lean body mass rather than total weight — since fat tissue has minimal protein turnover requirements. However, for most practical purposes, total body weight is sufficient and is the standard used in major research guidelines (Thomas et al., 2016; Stokes et al., 2018).

Based on: Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. "Nutrition and Athletic Performance." J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016;116(3):501–528. PubMed ↗

How to Calculate Protein per Kg: Step-by-Step

Follow these three steps to calculate your daily protein target in grams per kg body weight:

Find your body weight in kg. If you only know your weight in pounds, divide by 2.205 to convert. For example: 165 lbs ÷ 2.205 = 74.8 kg (round to 75 kg).
Select your target multiplier based on goal (see table below). For example, an active person aiming for fat loss would use 1.8–2.2 g/kg.
Multiply weight × multiplier. For a 75 kg person at 2.0 g/kg: 75 × 2.0 = 150 g of protein per day.

Protein Targets by Goal: Which Multiplier to Use

Goal	Multiplier (g/kg)	Notes
Sedentary (no exercise)	0.8 g/kg	RDA minimum to prevent deficiency
General health & activity	1.2–1.6 g/kg	Recreational exercise, active lifestyle
Fat loss with muscle preservation	1.8–2.2 g/kg	High protein preserves lean mass in deficit
Muscle gain (bulking)	1.6–2.2 g/kg	Adequate protein + calorie surplus for MPS
Seniors (over 50)	1.2–2.0 g/kg	Higher needed due to anabolic resistance

Use the Protein Intake Calculator to calculate your exact protein grams per kg automatically — just enter your weight, activity level, and goal for an instant result.

Reference Table: Daily Protein Grams by Body Weight

The table below shows daily protein targets at three common multipliers — 1.2 g/kg (general activity), 1.8 g/kg (fat loss), and 2.0 g/kg (muscle gain/high performance) — for body weights from 50 to 100 kg:

Body weight (kg)	Approx. lbs	1.2 g/kg	1.8 g/kg	2.0 g/kg
50 kg	110 lbs	60 g	90 g	100 g
55 kg	121 lbs	66 g	99 g	110 g
60 kg	132 lbs	72 g	108 g	120 g
65 kg	143 lbs	78 g	117 g	130 g
70 kg	154 lbs	84 g	126 g	140 g
75 kg	165 lbs	90 g	135 g	150 g
80 kg	176 lbs	96 g	144 g	160 g
85 kg	187 lbs	102 g	153 g	170 g
90 kg	198 lbs	108 g	162 g	180 g
95 kg	209 lbs	114 g	171 g	190 g
100 kg	220 lbs	120 g	180 g	200 g

Converting Pounds to Kilograms for Protein Calculation

If you track your weight in pounds, use the following conversion before applying the protein per kg formula:

Kilograms to pounds: kg × 2.205 = lbs
Pounds to kilograms: lbs ÷ 2.205 = kg

Alternatively, you can use a simplified rule: divide pounds by 2.2 for an approximate kilogram value. This produces a result within 0.2% of the exact conversion for typical body weight ranges, which is negligible for protein target calculations.

Example: A 160 lb person. 160 ÷ 2.2 = 72.7 kg. At 1.8 g/kg for fat loss: 72.7 × 1.8 = 131 g of protein per day.

For a more detailed breakdown of protein intake targets across all goals, age groups, and activity levels, see our complete guide to How Much Protein Do I Need Per Day. For goal-specific guidance when trying to lose weight, see Protein for Weight Loss.

Based on: Stokes T, Hector AJ, Morton RW, et al. "Recent Perspectives Regarding the Role of Dietary Protein for the Promotion of Muscle Hypertrophy with Resistance Exercise Training." Nutrients. 2018;10(2):180. PubMed ↗

Frequently Asked Questions

How much protein per kg of body weight do I need?

It depends on your goal. The standard RDA is 0.8 g/kg for sedentary adults — the minimum to prevent deficiency. For active individuals, the recommended range is 1.2–1.6 g/kg for general fitness, 1.8–2.2 g/kg for fat loss with muscle preservation, and 1.6–2.2 g/kg for muscle gain. Use the Protein Intake Calculator to get your personalised target based on weight, activity, and goal in under 30 seconds.

Is protein per kg based on total body weight or lean mass?

Major research guidelines — including those from the American College of Sports Medicine and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics — base protein per kg recommendations on total body weight for practical simplicity. For individuals with a very high body fat percentage (over 35–40%), using lean body mass as the reference can prevent over-estimating protein needs. For most active individuals, total body weight is accurate enough and is the standard approach.

How do I convert protein per pound to protein per kg?

The most common US recommendation is expressed as grams per pound. The standard conversion: g/lb × 2.205 = g/kg. For example, the often-cited "1 gram per pound" target equals 2.205 g/kg — which is at the high end of evidence-based recommendations and is typically only needed during an aggressive calorie deficit or for competitive bodybuilders. For most people, 0.7–1.0 g/lb (1.5–2.2 g/kg) is the practical range.

How many grams of protein do I need at 70 kg?

At 70 kg, your protein target depends on your goal: sedentary adults need a minimum of 56 g/day (0.8 g/kg), those doing general fitness training should aim for 84–112 g/day (1.2–1.6 g/kg), and those targeting fat loss or muscle gain should aim for 126–154 g/day (1.8–2.2 g/kg). The middle value of 140 g/day (2.0 g/kg) is a practical target for most active adults at 70 kg.

Does protein per kg need to be recalculated as I lose weight?

Yes — as your body weight changes, your absolute daily protein gram target changes accordingly. If you lose 5 kg during a fat loss phase, your total protein target decreases by 5 × your multiplier (e.g., 5 × 2.0 = 10 g less per day). Recalculating every 4–6 weeks, or whenever body weight changes by more than 3–5 kg, keeps your targets accurate. The Protein Intake Calculator makes this recalculation quick and easy.

Is 2 g of protein per kg too much?

No — 2.0 g/kg is well within the range supported by evidence for active adults. Multiple meta-analyses confirm that protein intakes of up to 2.2 g/kg produce benefits for muscle building and fat loss preservation without adverse effects in healthy individuals. Intakes above 2.2–3.1 g/kg provide diminishing returns and are generally only used by competitive strength athletes during aggressive cuts. For healthy adults without kidney disease, 2.0 g/kg is a safe and effective target.

What is protein per kg for a woman trying to lose weight?

Women targeting fat loss with muscle preservation should aim for 1.8–2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight — the same range as men. For a 60 kg woman, this translates to 108–132 g of protein per day. This higher intake (compared to the 0.8 g/kg RDA) ensures the calorie deficit removes predominantly fat rather than muscle, maximises satiety, and supports metabolic rate maintenance throughout the weight loss period.

Can I split protein per kg across multiple meals?

Yes — and research recommends it. Distributing protein evenly across 3–5 meals maximises the muscle protein synthesis response compared to eating the same total protein in 1–2 large meals. Aim for approximately 0.4 g/kg per meal as a practical guideline. For a 75 kg person at 2.0 g/kg (150 g total), that means roughly 30–40 g of protein per meal across 4 meals — entirely achievable without supplements from whole food sources.

This article is part of our complete Nutrition Guide.

Medical Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Individuals with kidney disease, liver conditions, or other medical conditions should consult a registered dietitian or healthcare provider before significantly increasing protein intake.

Scientific References

Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. "Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance." J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016;116(3):501–528. PubMed ↗
Stokes T, Hector AJ, Morton RW, et al. "Recent Perspectives Regarding the Role of Dietary Protein for the Promotion of Muscle Hypertrophy with Resistance Exercise Training." Nutrients. 2018;10(2):180. PubMed ↗
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. PubMed ↗