Calculator
Protein calculator
Your daily protein range in grams, based on bodyweight and whether you lift, plus how much to aim for at each meal.
Fill in the fields and press Calculate to see your estimate.
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Most men who lift weights need 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight a day, which is 145 to 200 grams for a 90 kg (198 lb) man. If you don’t strength train yet, Health Canada’s adult minimum of 0.8 g/kg is the floor, and anything up to 1.6 g/kg is reasonable. The calculator above turns your weight and training into a daily range and splits it across your meals.
Where the numbers come from
There are three anchor points, all per kilogram of bodyweight per day:
| Rate | Source | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 0.8 g/kg | Health Canada’s recommended dietary allowance for men 31–70 | Enough to prevent deficiency, set for the general population |
| 1.6 g/kg | Breakpoint in a meta-analysis of 49 trials (Morton et al., 2018) | Above this, extra protein added no further muscle gain on average |
| 2.2 g/kg | Upper end of that estimate’s 95% confidence interval | The authors suggest it for anyone wanting to cover the high end |
The calculator uses these as three ranges:
- Not strength training yet: 0.8–1.6 g/kg.
- Strength training 2+ times a week: 1.6–2.2 g/kg, aiming around the middle.
- Strength training and losing fat: 1.6–2.2 g/kg, aiming for the upper half, because protein helps protect muscle while calories are low.
The same meta-analysis found that protein supplements did less for muscle gain as participants got older. That isn’t a reason for men over 40 to eat less protein. It’s a reason to make sure the lifting is in place, since training is what the protein supports.
A worked example
A 46-year-old at 90 kg who lifts three times a week, eating four times a day:
| Step | Working | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Low end | 90 × 1.6 | 144 g |
| High end | 90 × 2.2 | 198 g |
| Shown as | rounded to the nearest 5 | 145–200 g a day |
| Per meal | ÷ 4 meals | about 35–50 g each |
If the same man weighed 120 kg with a goal of 95 kg, the calculator would use 95 kg and give about 150–210 g instead of 190–265 g, a number he can actually eat.
How to hit it
Spread protein across the day. Most men eat a small, carb-heavy breakfast and a big dinner, so the gap is almost always in the morning. Three or four meals of 35–50 g each is easier than trying to catch up at night. For meal ideas, see high-protein eating made simple, and if you’re wondering whether a shake is worth it, read do you need protein powder.
Set your total calories first with the calorie calculator for men over 40. At 170 g, protein supplies 680 calories, about a quarter of a 2,600-calorie day, so it needs to fit inside your target.
Limitations
The ranges are for healthy adults. They don’t adjust for body composition beyond the goal-weight option, and they’re daily averages, so one low day doesn’t undo anything. The 1.6 g/kg breakpoint came from trials that combined protein with resistance training; without the training, the higher range has much less to work with. The longer read on needs by age is how much protein a man over 40 needs.
When to check with a doctor
If you have kidney disease, or a doctor has told you to limit protein, follow their advice rather than this calculator. The same goes if you have diabetes and are changing your diet substantially; a registered dietitian can fit protein to your medication.
Next step
Knowing the number is the easy half. Hitting it on a Tuesday with back-to-back meetings is where most men slip, and building meals around your week is part of monthly 1:1 coaching.
Questions people also ask
How many grams of protein per pound of bodyweight?
1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram works out to about 0.7 to 1.0 gram per pound. The minimum for adults, 0.8 g/kg, is about 0.36 g per pound.
Should I use my current weight or my goal weight?
Current weight works for most men. If you have a lot of fat to lose, using your goal weight gives a more realistic number, because fat tissue doesn't need the extra protein that muscle does.
Is it bad to eat more protein than the calculator says?
For healthy men, going somewhat over isn't harmful, but the meta-analysis behind the range found no further muscle gain above about 1.6 g/kg on average. Extra protein mostly adds calories and cost.
Do I need protein powder to hit my number?
No. Powder is a convenience, not a requirement. If you're short at breakfast or after training, a shake is an easy fix; otherwise whole food covers it.