How Much Protein to Build Muscle: The Numbers

To build muscle, target 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. For a 75 kg person that is 120–165 g daily — roughly double the standard dietary RDA. This range is where the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) and the bulk of the randomised controlled trial (RCT) literature converge for muscle hypertrophy in people doing resistance training.

Why 1.6–2.2 g/kg — and Not More or Less

The 0.8 g/kg Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) set by the National Academy of Medicine was designed to prevent protein deficiency in sedentary adults — not to optimise muscle gain. When you train, muscle protein breakdown increases; you need enough dietary amino acids to reverse that breakdown and tip the net protein balance positive. Below 1.2 g/kg, muscle protein synthesis (MPS) is routinely limited by substrate availability, not by the anabolic stimulus from training.

A 2017 meta-analysis by Morton et al. in the British Journal of Sports Medicine pooled 49 RCTs (1,800 participants) and found a clear dose-response relationship between protein intake and lean mass gain — with the curve flattening at approximately 1.62 g/kg per day. The ISSN 2017 position stand extended the practical recommendation to 2.2 g/kg to account for individual variation, higher training volumes, and calorie-restriction phases where amino acid oxidation competes with MPS.

The Math: What Your Target Looks Like in Practice

Body weight	1.6 g/kg target	2.2 g/kg target	Example daily sources
60 kg	96 g	132 g	2 eggs + 200 g chicken + 200 g Greek yoghurt + 1 scoop whey
75 kg	120 g	165 g	3 eggs + 250 g salmon + 250 g cottage cheese + 1 scoop whey
90 kg	144 g	198 g	200 g beef + 200 g tuna + 300 g lentils + 2 scoops whey

Each whole egg provides roughly 6 g of protein; 100 g of cooked chicken breast roughly 31 g; 100 g of Greek yoghurt roughly 10 g. Whole-food sources also supply leucine — the specific branched-chain amino acid that acts as the primary trigger for MPS. Aim for at least 2–3 g of leucine per meal (roughly 25–40 g total protein per meal from most mixed animal-source foods) to fully activate MPS each time you eat.

Use the CalEye protein calculator to get a personalised daily target based on your current body weight and training frequency.

Calories Still Matter: You Cannot Grow Muscle in a Severe Deficit

Protein is necessary but not sufficient. Muscle hypertrophy requires a positive net protein balance and enough total energy to fuel synthesis. In a severe calorie deficit (greater than 500 kcal/day below maintenance), the body increasingly oxidizes dietary amino acids for energy via gluconeogenesis rather than routing them to MPS — blunting hypertrophy even when protein intake is adequate.

For most people aiming to build muscle while minimising fat gain (“lean bulk”), a modest calorie surplus of 100–300 kcal above TDEE is sufficient. This keeps amino acid utilisation directed toward muscle tissue rather than fuel. If you are in a cut phase, prioritise the upper end of the 1.6–2.2 g/kg range to preserve as much lean mass as possible while in deficit.

For a full breakdown of how deficit size affects body composition, see how to calculate your macros.

Distribution: Spread Protein, Do Not Front-Load It

Total daily protein matters most, but distribution amplifies the signal. Areta et al. 2013 (Journal of Physiology) found that spreading 80 g of protein across 4 meals of 20 g each produced significantly greater 12-hour MPS rates than 2 meals of 40 g or 8 meals of 10 g — because the smaller doses did not reach the leucine threshold and the larger doses exceeded the ceiling for a single MPS bout.

Practical take: eat 3–5 meals containing 30–40 g of protein each. Breakfast is the meal most commonly undershot — two eggs and toast delivers only 14–16 g. A calorie tracker that logs protein per meal (not just per day) makes this pattern visible and easy to correct.

How to Apply It

1. Find your target. Multiply your body weight in kg by 1.6 (minimum) and 2.2 (upper limit). Use the CalEye protein calculator to get a precise split across meals.
2. Anchor each meal. Plan a protein source of 30–40 g for every main meal before adding carbohydrates or fats.
3. Check totals daily. Protein is the one macro where consistency compounds — hitting the target 6 out of 7 days outperforms perfect one day and low the next.
4. Adjust for training intensity. On high-volume training days or during a calorie cut, target the higher end of the range (2.0–2.2 g/kg).

Photograph your plate and let CalEye log the protein in seconds — so the math works for you, not the other way around.