How much protein per day? Calculate your range and per-meal target from your weight, age, training profile and goal.
Protein repairs and builds muscle. The right intake depends on your weight, training type and goal — not on a single number.
Expected benefit: a number-backed daily range and a per-meal target, to truly cover your needs without overdoing it.
120–135 g / day
Per meal
30–45 g your total split over 3 to 4 meals (more meals = less per serving)
The “1 g per pound” rule is an outdated shortcut: your needs depend on your training type and your goal. A strength athlete on a cut needs far more than a runner in maintenance — and an athlete over 60 more still. Reasoning in g/kg matched to your situation avoids both under-dosing (which slows recovery) and pointless excess.
The literature (ISSN, ACSM) puts an athlete’s needs between 1.4 and 2.0 g/kg/day, up to ~2.2 g/kg in strength training, and higher in a calorie deficit (cut) to preserve lean mass. Past ~60, anabolic resistance raises the floor. Muscle protein synthesis is maximised per meal around 0.4 g/kg, hence the value of spreading intake over 3 to 4 servings rather than one large meal.
Sources : ISSN — Protein and exercise (2017)
Start at the lower end of your range and adjust to your recovery and how you feel. Spread it across 3 to 4 balanced servings rather than loading it all at dinner: more effective for muscle protein synthesis. Favour complete sources (rich in leucine) around your sessions. And remember the range is a training target, not a survival minimum — no need to exceed it “just in case”.