Protein is essential for building and repairing tissues, including muscles, and plays a key role in enzyme and hormone production, immune function, and overall cell structure. It supports muscle growth, tissue repair, and is crucial for bone health, especially as people age.
There is no denying that protein is a hot topic within the fitness industry - everyone is obsessed with getting enough. But there’s lots of conflicting advice out there as to how protein much you need, with the widely accepted fitness industry guidelines sometimes as high as three times the government dietary recommendations. That’s a huge difference, and it’s no wonder most people have no idea how much they should be getting on a daily basis.
I decided to delve a little deeper into the research to decipher where these varying figures have come from, and how things like age, how much body fat you have, your activity levels and what your goals are will influence how much protein you as an individual need.
In this blog post I cover the following areas of research - (click to skip to a section)
Other considerations (how to measure protein intake, too much protein, quality and timing and supplements).

1. Government guidelines (UK)
Protein intake: Around 0.75g of protein per kilogram of body weight (g/kg/day). (1)
For example: For an average person weighing 70kg that equates to 52.5g or protein per day.
The Research:
These figures are provided under the Government Dietary Recommendations and are Reference Nutrient Intakes (RNI) originally derived from a WHO report in 1985, which has remained consistent in updated versions since. The figures indicate the levels required to avoid deficiency for the majority of the population (to be more exact - 97.5% of healthy adults would avoid protein deficiency by consuming this amount). The data is derived from short-term studies of nitrogen balance in young adults, which is a method to estimate how much protein is used by the body.
If you are physically active or have other goals, such as weight loss, muscle building or you engage in endurance exercise then you’ll need to increase your protein intake beyond the RDA to get optimal results. Research has also shown that older adults have reduced efficiency for protein usage and obtain physical or metabolic benefits with protein intakes above the RDA (2).

2. Older adults (Post menopause)
Protein intake: 1 – 1.6 g/kg/day.
For example: For a 70 kg person, this means 70-112 grams of protein daily.
The Research
Protein needs for postmenopausal women are slightly higher compared to younger adults due to changes in muscle mass, bone health, and metabolism. The general minimum recommendation is around 1.0 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for healthy aging and to minimise muscle loss (sarcopenia) associated with menopause (3).
Some experts suggest up to 1.2–1.6 g/kg/day for women over 50, especially if strength training or staying physically active.
If you are actively trying to build or maintain muscle through resistance training, or engaging in endurance activity, then read below to see if higher goals may be more optimal for you.

3. Endurance Athletes (Running, Cycling, etc.)
Protein intake: 1.2–2.0 g/kg/day. (4)
For example: For a 70 kg person, this means 84–140 grams of protein daily.
The Research:
There is a general consensus across sports nutrition bodies of a daily protein requirement of 1.2-2.0 (e.g. American College of Sports MedicineCSM and Dietitians of Canada), although the International Society of Sports Nutrition, put the range at 1.4-2.0 grams per kilogram per day – with the higher end of the scale during peak training.
This has been established through reviewing the available evidence, which includes studies examining the protein needs of endurance athletes in real-world settings.
One such study by Kato et al (2016) studied male endurance athletes and looked at amino acid oxidations (an alternative method to the nitrogen test mentioned earlier, to measure how much protein the body is using) which demonstrated requirements on higher volume training days to be between 1.65-1.83g.
The role of protein for endurance athletes is primarily related to improvements in recovery. Protein supplementation during exercise doesn’t appear to improve immediate performance when carbohydrates are equated, but it does improve post exercise recovery which can benefit future training performance.

4. Muscle Building
Protein intake: 1.6–2.2 g/kg/day.
For example: For a 70 kg person, this translates to 112–154 grams of protein per day.
The Research:
In a large meta-analysis (a review of all the relevant studies in a given area), protein intake was shown to promote additional gains in lean body mass (LBM) beyond those observed with resistance training alone. These effects are greatest with an intake of 1.6 g/kg body mass per day and up to as high as 2.2 g/kg/day. Beyond this amount there appears to be little additional benefit.
Protein intake must be combined with a resistance training programme in order to provide the required stimulus for muscle growth.
It’s also beneficial to spread your protein intake throughout the day, with around 20–30 grams per meal, to keep muscle protein synthesis active. Although total protein intake appears to be the most important factor.
5. Weight Loss (With Resistance Training)
Protein intake: 1.2–3 g/kg/day to preserve muscle mass during a calorie deficit.
For example: A 70 kg person may need 126–210 grams per day.
The Research:
During energy balance, as discussed above, daily protein intakes of 1.6 g/kg/day maximize muscle protein synthesis when combined with resistance training. However under energy-restricted conditions – i.e. when trying to lose body fat through a caloric deficit - a greater relative proportion of amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) are used up for energy production, resulting in fewer amino acids available for muscle building and maintenance.
Studies have shown that overweight participants were able to maintain lean body mass during a period of resistance training and caloric deficit with protein intakes of 1.2g/kg of bodyweight. While those consuming 2.4g/kg of bodyweight were able to increase LBM during the same exercise period (5).
A meta-analysis demonstrated that leaner subjects with resistance-training experience were more likely to lose lean body mass than those newer to training, and those with a higher body fat percentage. As such, individuals who tend to be leaner than the general population, and who have more training experience, may benefit from consuming protein intakes up to 3 g/kg/day in an attempt to prevent LBM losses during energy restriction (6). An example would be a bodybuilder during a ‘cut’ (diet phase) who needs to maintain as much muscle mass as possible.
6. Other considerations
How do you calculate how much protein you are getting?
You can use nutrition tracking apps like MyFitnessPal to log the foods you eat. This does require you to measure your portions (ideally by weight for accuracy) but it will give you a fairly accurate figure for your daily calories and macros, including protein. You don’t have to do this forever - Tracking for about 3 days will give you a pretty good indication of your average intake and then you can simply adjust your protein intake from there if needed.
Alternatively you can look at the nutritional information on the back of food packets, making sure to adjust it to the serving size you are consuming. For unpackaged fresh foods (e.g. from a market, butcher, fish monger) you can find the relevant figures online with a simple search. Make sure to include all foods you consume, not just “typical” protein sources (like meat and dairy), as many grains, vegetables and even things like biscuits contain some protein which will contribute to your total.
Can you consume TOO MUCH protein?
Healthy individuals: For people with healthy kidneys, there is little evidence that high protein intake (up to 3g/kg/day) leads to kidney damage.
Those with pre-existing kidney conditions: If you already have kidney issues, high protein intake can accelerate kidney function decline by increasing the workload on the kidneys. Always take precaution and talk to a medical professional if you are unsure.
Protein Timing:
Post-Workout: Consuming 20–40 grams of protein within 30 minutes to 2 hours after a workout can optimise muscle repair and growth, particularly in older females.
Daily Distribution: It’s also beneficial to spread your protein intake throughout the day, with 20–30 grams per meal, to keep muscle protein synthesis active. Although total protein intake appears to be the overall more important factor.
Quality of Protein:
Focus on high-quality protein sources like:
Animal Proteins: Lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy
Plant Proteins: Lentils, quinoa, tofu, soy, and plant-based protein powders for vegetarians and vegans.
You can get all the protein you need from plant based sources, as long as you eat a wide variety to ensure you get the correct combination of essential amino acids.
Supplements:
If you struggle to meet your protein goals with whole foods alone, then supplements such as whey protein powder or vegan protein powders can be a useful tool when used in addition to a well-balanced whole foods diet.
Remember that whole foods contribute more than just protein. They provide essential nutrients such as healthy fats, carbohydrates, fiber, and micronutrients that are missing from supplements, and therefore whole foods should be prioritised first and foremost.
Still confused?
If you're not sure where to go from here when it comes to protein intake feel to drop me a message with a question, or DM me on social media
Sources
(1) World Health Organization. Energy and Protein Requirements: Report of a Joint FAO/WHO/UNU Expert Consultation. WHO Technical Report Series No. 724. Geneva: World Health Organization, 1985.
(2) Phillips et al., 2020. Optimizing adult protein intake during catabolic health conditions. Adv. Nutr., 11 (2020), pp. S1058-S1069
(3) Bauer, J., et al. "Evidence-Based Recommendations for Optimal Dietary Protein Intake in Older People: A Position Paper From the PROT-AGE Study Group." Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, vol. 14, no. 8, 2013, pp. 542-559
(4) Vitale, Kenneth, and Andrew Getzin. "Nutrition and Supplement Update for the Endurance Athlete: Review and Recommendations." Sports, vol. 8, no. 1, 2020, Article 13
(5) Stokes, Tanner, Amy J. Hector, Robert W. Morton, Chris McGlory, and Stuart M. Phillips. "Recent Perspectives Regarding the Role of Dietary Protein for the Promotion of Muscle Hypertrophy with Resistance Exercise Training." Nutrients, vol. 10, no. 2, 2018, Article 180
(6) Helms E.R., Zinn C., Rowlands D.S., Brown S.R. A systematic review of dietary protein during caloric restriction in resistance trained lean athletes: A case for higher intakes. Int. J. Sport Nutr. Exerc. Metab. 2014;24:127–138. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2013-0054
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