How Much Protein Do You Really Need? A Pharmacist Explains

The short answer: if you are active and exercising regularly, you need 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. That is the range supported by the vast majority of sports nutrition research. For a 170-pound person, that translates to roughly 120 to 170 grams daily. But the real answer depends on your specific goal, your training intensity, your age, and whether you are in a calorie deficit or surplus. As a pharmacist who reviews clinical evidence for a living, I want to walk you through exactly how to dial in your protein intake — no guesswork, no bro-science.

Why Protein Intake Matters So Much

Protein is made up of amino acids — the building blocks your body uses to repair muscle tissue, produce hormones and enzymes, support immune function, and maintain healthy skin, hair, and nails. Of the 20 amino acids, 9 are essential, meaning your body cannot make them on its own. You have to get them from food. When you exercise, especially resistance training, you create microscopic tears in muscle fibers. Protein provides the raw material for repair and growth. Without enough of it, recovery slows, strength stalls, and your body starts breaking down existing muscle to meet its needs.

Protein also has the highest thermic effect of food among the three macronutrients. Your body burns roughly 20 to 30 percent of protein calories just digesting it, compared to 5 to 10 percent for carbs and 0 to 3 percent for fat. This means higher protein diets naturally increase your daily energy expenditure slightly, which compounds over time during a fat-loss phase. On top of that, protein is the most satiating macronutrient — it keeps you full longer, which makes sticking to a calorie deficit far easier.

Protein Needs by Goal

Fat Loss (Cutting)

When you are in a calorie deficit, your body is primed to break down both fat and muscle for energy. Higher protein intake acts as a shield for lean mass. Research consistently shows that eating 0.9 to 1.2 grams per pound of body weight during a cut preserves significantly more muscle compared to lower intakes. The leaner you are, the more protein you need to protect what you have. If you are dieting aggressively (a deficit greater than 500 calories), err toward the higher end of this range.

Muscle Gain (Bulking)

During a calorie surplus, your body is in a growth-friendly environment. You do not need as much protein to protect muscle because the surplus itself is anti-catabolic. 0.7 to 1 gram per pound is the sweet spot for most people in a lean bulk. Multiple meta-analyses have found that going above 0.82 grams per pound provides no additional muscle-building benefit in a surplus. Save your macro budget for carbs — they fuel training performance and drive recovery.

Maintenance

If you are eating at maintenance calories and training regularly, 0.7 to 0.9 grams per pound is sufficient to maintain muscle mass and support recovery. This is the range recommended by the International Society of Sports Nutrition for active individuals who are not actively trying to change their body composition.

Protein Needs by Age

As you age, your body becomes less efficient at using dietary protein to build muscle — a phenomenon called anabolic resistance. Starting around age 40 and accelerating after 60, you need more protein per meal to trigger the same muscle protein synthesis response that a younger person gets with less.

• Ages 18–40 — Standard recommendations apply. 0.7–1g per pound depending on goal.
• Ages 40–60 — Aim for the upper end of your range. Per-meal intake of 30–40g becomes more important to overcome anabolic resistance.
• Ages 60+ — Research supports 1.0–1.2g per pound for active older adults to fight sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss). Combine with resistance training for the best outcome.

Plant Protein vs. Animal Protein

Animal proteins — meat, fish, eggs, dairy — are considered "complete" because they contain all nine essential amino acids in sufficient quantities, particularly leucine, the amino acid that triggers muscle protein synthesis most powerfully. Plant proteins can absolutely support muscle growth, but most individual plant sources are lower in one or more essential amino acids. The fix is simple: combine sources. A pea-rice blend, for example, creates a complete amino acid profile comparable to whey.

Plant proteins also tend to have lower digestibility scores (measured by the DIAAS scale), meaning your body absorbs slightly less usable protein from them. If you eat exclusively plant-based, consider increasing your total daily protein by 10 to 15 percent to compensate. This is not a disadvantage of plants per se — just a practical adjustment to ensure you are hitting effective doses.

Protein Timing: Myths vs. Reality

The "anabolic window" — the idea that you must slam a protein shake within 30 minutes of training or lose your gains — is one of the most persistent myths in fitness. The reality is far more forgiving. A 2013 meta-analysis found that total daily protein intake was the dominant factor in muscle growth, not timing. The post-workout window is real, but it is roughly 4 to 6 hours wide, not 30 minutes.

What does matter is distribution. Spreading your protein across 3 to 5 meals with 25 to 40 grams per sitting appears to be slightly more effective for muscle protein synthesis than eating the same total in one or two meals. This is because there is a ceiling to how much protein your body can use for muscle building in a single sitting — roughly 0.2 grams per pound of body weight per meal. Beyond that, the extra protein is used for energy or other metabolic processes, not wasted, but not driving additional muscle growth either.

Common Protein Mistakes

• Relying on the RDA of 0.36g per pound — The Recommended Dietary Allowance is the minimum to prevent deficiency in sedentary people, not the optimal amount for anyone who exercises. Active adults need roughly double this amount.
• Front-loading all protein at dinner — Eating 80 grams of protein at one meal and 15 grams at the other two is suboptimal. Your body can only use so much per meal for muscle synthesis. Spread it out.
• Ignoring protein during a cut — This is when protein matters most. Reducing calories without increasing protein is a recipe for muscle loss.
• Choosing supplements over whole food — Protein powder is a supplement, not a replacement for food. Whole foods provide fiber, micronutrients, and satiety that a shake cannot match.
• Obsessing over protein quality rankings — Yes, whey has a higher biological value than rice protein. But total daily intake and consistency matter far more than the PDCAAS score of any single food. Eat a variety of protein sources and you will be fine.

Looking for halal-checked options? See our Halal Protein Guide →

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The Bottom Line

Protein is not complicated once you know your number. For most active adults, 0.7 to 1 gram per pound of body weight per day is the evidence-based target. During a fat-loss phase, push toward the higher end. During a bulk, the lower end is fine. Spread your intake across multiple meals, prioritize whole-food sources, and use supplements to fill gaps — not replace real food.

If you are unsure where to start, use our free Protein Calculator to get a personalized target based on your body weight and goal. Then check our protein powder comparison if you need help choosing a supplement. Your muscles will thank you.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before making significant changes to your diet, especially if you have kidney disease or other pre-existing conditions.