Protein Intake Calculator

How Much Protein Do You Actually Need?

The research is clear: strength athletes need significantly more protein than sedentary individuals. The general recommendation of 0.8 g/kg is the minimum to prevent deficiency — it's nowhere near optimal for building or maintaining muscle. For active lifters, 1.6-2.2 g/kg (0.7-1.0 g/lb) is well-supported by research for muscle protein synthesis.

After 40, protein requirements increase further due to anabolic resistance — your muscles become less responsive to the amino acid signal that triggers protein synthesis. This means masters athletes need higher per-meal protein doses (40-50g vs. 20-30g for younger lifters) and more total daily protein to maintain the same muscle mass. The calculator above adjusts ranges based on your training goal, but erring on the higher end is rarely a mistake for strength athletes.

Distribution Matters as Much as Total

Eating 200g of protein in two meals is not the same as spreading it across four or five. Each protein feeding triggers a muscle protein synthesis response that lasts roughly 3-5 hours. To maximize the number of MPS spikes per day, distribute your protein across 4-5 evenly spaced meals. The most important feedings: breakfast (breaking the overnight fast), post-workout (within 2 hours of training), and before bed (casein or a slow-digesting protein to feed muscles during sleep). This distribution strategy becomes more critical as you age — at 57, meal timing and per-meal protein thresholds are non-negotiable parts of the nutrition plan.