How much protein do you need to build or keep muscle?
The minimum to stay healthy and the amount that helps you build muscle are very different numbers. Here's what the research says, and what it looks like on a plate.
Protein is the one macro almost everyone agrees on. It builds and repairs muscle, keeps you full, and costs your body more energy to digest than carbs or fat. The question is how much is enough.
The minimum versus the useful amount
Australia’s Nutrient Reference Values set a recommended intake of about 0.84 g per kg of body weight a day for men and 0.75 g per kg for women. That’s the amount that covers basic needs for nearly everyone. It isn’t designed for people trying to build muscle or hold on to it while dieting.
For people who lift weights, the best evidence comes from a 2018 meta-analysis that pooled 49 trials with 1,863 participants. Extra protein improved gains in muscle and strength, but the benefit levelled off at around 1.6 g per kg a day. The upper end of the statistical range was about 2.2 g per kg, so going a bit above 1.6 is a sensible buffer.
Eat more when you’re cutting
When you eat below your maintenance calories, your body is more willing to break down muscle for energy. Higher protein helps prevent that. A review of evidence for lean people dieting while lifting suggested around 2.3 to 3.1 g per kg of lean body mass, which for most people works out near 2 to 2.4 g per kg of total body weight.
That’s why Logpulse sets protein a little higher on a fat loss goal:
| Goal | Protein a day |
|---|---|
| Lose fat | 2.2 g per kg |
| Build muscle | 2.0 g per kg |
| Maintain | 1.8 g per kg |
For an 80 kg person losing fat, that’s about 175 g a day.
If you carry a lot of body fat, base the maths on a goal weight instead of your current weight, or the number gets unrealistically high.
Spread it across the day
Your muscles respond best to protein in decent servings spread through the day. A study comparing ways to eat 80 g of protein over 12 hours found four servings of 20 g every three hours beat both eight small serves and two large ones for muscle building.
A practical target from a 2018 review is about 0.4 g per kg per meal across at least four meals. For our 80 kg person, that’s roughly 30 to 35 g per meal.
What 30 grams looks like
Roughly 30 g of protein:
- 130 g raw chicken breast
- 300 g high protein Greek yoghurt
- 5 eggs (more than most people want, so pair 2 eggs with something else)
- 200 g firm tofu plus a glass of soy milk
- A 185 g tin of tuna, drained
- A scoop of whey protein in milk
Most people find breakfast is where they fall short. Swapping toast and jam for eggs, yoghurt or a protein shake fixes a lot.
Is a high protein diet safe?
For healthy adults, intakes in these ranges are widely used in sports nutrition and are considered safe. If you have kidney disease or another medical condition, talk to your doctor before raising your protein.
The easy way to hit it
You don’t need to be perfect every day. Hit your target most days, and get a solid serve at each meal. Logpulse shows how much protein you’ve got left after every log, translated into real food, so you know whether dinner needs to do some heavy lifting.
This is general information drawn from published research, not personal medical or dietary advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, or have a history of disordered eating, speak to your GP or an Accredited Practising Dietitian first. For support with eating concerns, the Butterfly Foundation helpline is 1800 33 4673.
Sources
- National Health and Medical Research Council. Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand: Protein. Updated 2017.
- Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2018;52(6):376 to 384.
- Helms ER, Aragon AA, Fitschen PJ. Evidence based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2014;11:20.
- Areta JL, Burke LM, Ross ML, et al. Timing and distribution of protein ingestion during prolonged recovery from resistance exercise alters myofibrillar protein synthesis. Journal of Physiology. 2013;591(9):2319 to 2331.
- Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA. How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle building? Implications for daily protein distribution. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2018;15:10.