🇺🇸 US RDA 0.8g/kg 🇪🇺 EFSA 0.83g/kg 🌍 WHO 0.66g/kg 💪 ISSN Sport 1.6–2.2g/kg
Protein Calculator
How much protein you need depends heavily on your goal. The US RDA (0.8 g/kg) is a minimum to prevent deficiency — active people and those building muscle need 2–3× more.
Quick Answer
Protein needs by goal (per kg body weight): General health: 0.8–1.0 g/kg (US RDA). Fat loss: 1.2–1.6 g/kg. Muscle gain: 1.6–2.2 g/kg (ISSN). Endurance sports: 1.2–1.4 g/kg. For a 75 kg person: that's 60g (maintenance) to 165g (serious muscle building). EFSA (Europe) uses 0.83 g/kg; WHO minimum is 0.66 g/kg.
Protein RDA by Country / Authority
| Authority | Recommended | For 70 kg Adult |
|---|---|---|
| 🌍 WHO Minimum (average requirement) | 0.66 g/kg/day | 46 g/day |
| 🇺🇸 USA — DRI (RDA) | 0.80 g/kg/day | 56 g/day |
| 🇬🇧 UK — SACN / COMA | 0.75 g/kg/day | 52 g/day |
| 🇨🇦 Canada — Health Canada (DRI) | 0.80 g/kg/day | 56 g/day |
| 🇦🇺 Australia — NHMRC | 0.84 g/kg/day | 59 g/day |
| 🇯🇵 Japan — MHLW | 0.66–0.90 g/kg/day | 46–63 g/day |
| 🇪🇺 EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) | 0.83 g/kg/day | 58 g/day |
| 💪 ISSN (sport — muscle gain) | 1.6–2.2 g/kg/day | 112–154 g/day |
| 🏃 ACSM (endurance sport) | 1.2–1.4 g/kg/day | 84–98 g/day |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 0.8 g/kg protein enough for muscle building? ▾
No. The US RDA of 0.8 g/kg is the minimum to prevent deficiency in the general population — it's not optimized for muscle building. A 2017 meta-analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (Morton et al., n=1,800) found that protein intakes above ~1.62 g/kg/day provided no additional benefit for muscle gain during resistance training. The ISSN recommends 1.6–2.2 g/kg for muscle building. For a 75 kg person lifting weights: aim for 120–165g protein/day.
Should I spread protein evenly across meals? ▾
Yes — protein distribution matters. A 2012 study in Nutrition & Metabolism found that consuming protein evenly across 3–4 meals (25–40g per meal) stimulated muscle protein synthesis more effectively than skewing intake to one large meal. The leucine threshold (~2–3g per meal) is key for muscle protein synthesis. Both ACSM and ISSN sport nutrition guidelines recommend spreading protein across 3–5 meals throughout the day.