How Much Protein Do You Really Need Per Day?
The RDA is a floor, not a target. How much protein you actually need for muscle, fat loss and satiety, in grams per kilo by goal, with simple ways to hit it.
Protein is the most talked-about macro for good reason: it builds muscle, keeps you full, and is the nutrient least likely to end up stored as fat. How much you need depends on your goal: about 1.2g per kg of bodyweight for general health, 1.6–2.2g per kg if you are losing fat and want to keep muscle, and 1.6–2.0g per kg to build it. The official 0.8g is a floor, not a target.
The RDA is a minimum, not a goal
The Recommended Dietary Allowance is about 0.8g per kg of bodyweight — enough to prevent deficiency in a sedentary person. It was never meant to optimize muscle, satiety or fat loss. Treating it as a target sells most people short.
Targets that actually help
- General health: ~1.2g per kg.
- Fat loss (preserving muscle): 1.6–2.2g per kg.
- Building muscle: 1.6–2.0g per kg.
- Older adults: higher end, to counter age-related muscle loss.
A simple shortcut many people use is one gram per pound of goal bodyweight — close enough and easy to remember.
Why the higher targets
In a deficit, protein keeps muscle and keeps you full — the high-protein diet post goes through those benefits and the easy ways to eat more. When you eat it matters far less than how much: spread it over the day if that is convenient, and stop there.
Key takeaways
- The 0.8g/kg RDA is a floor, not an optimum.
- Aim for 1.6–2.2g/kg for fat loss or muscle gain.
- Older adults sit at the top of the range.
- How much matters far more than when.
This article is general information, not medical advice.