Protein Calculator – Calculate Your Daily Protein Needs

A protein calculator estimates how much protein you need each day from two things: your body weight and the goal you select. Enter your details, choose a goal such as Bulk or Cut, and the calculator returns a protein range in grams per day plus a recommended target — a daily protein calculator that answers the everyday question of how much protein do I need to eat.

The estimate itself depends only on your body weight and your goal. Sex, age, height, and activity level are collected so the form stays consistent with the other calculators on this site, but they do not change the maths. The result is an estimate for generally healthy adults rather than a medically exact requirement.

This page is a free online protein calculator you can rerun whenever your weight or goal changes. It focuses on protein on its own: if you also need a calorie target and a full macro split, pair it with the Macro Calculator, which works as a calorie and protein calculator in one place.

There is no single universal number. Protein needs vary with body weight, activity level, goals, age, and individual circumstances — so the honest answer to how much protein per day is that it depends on you and what you are trying to do.

Goal-based protein ranges

Rather than pretending one figure fits everyone, this calculator applies a range per kilogram of body weight based on the goal you select:

• Cut1.6–2.0 g/kg/day
• Maintain1.2–1.6 g/kg/day
• Bulk1.6–2.0 g/kg/day

The recommended target shown is the midpoint of your goal's range, reported in grams per day so you can see how many grams of protein per day you are aiming for. These are calculator estimates for generally healthy adults — individual needs can vary, so treat the result as a starting point.

Step 1 · Convert your body weight to kilograms

Your body weight is the only measurement the estimate uses. If you enter it in pounds, it is converted to kilograms first, so the calculation always runs in kilograms.

Step 2 · Select the range for your goal

Your goal picks the grams-per-kilogram range: 1.2–1.6 for Maintain, and 1.6–2.0 for both Cut and Bulk.

Step 3 · Multiply weight by the range

Your body weight in kilograms is multiplied by the lower and upper protein targets for that range, giving the low and high end of your daily protein range.

low = weight (kg) × lower target · high = weight (kg) × upper target

Step 4 · Take the midpoint as the recommendation

The midpoint of the low and high ends — their average — is shown as your recommended protein target.

recommended protein = midpoint of the range

Step 5 · Estimate the calories from protein

Your recommended protein in grams is multiplied by 4, because protein provides 4 calories per gram, to show how many calories your protein target contributes.

calories from protein = recommended protein × 4

People cutting calories often set protein relative to body weight toward the higher end, and the Cut goal reflects that: it applies 1.6–2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, above the 1.2–1.6 range used for maintaining. Used as a protein calculator for weight loss, the result is a target you can plan meals around while you manage your overall calorie intake.

A protein calculator for weight loss female or male users get the same mechanics: enter your weight, choose Cut, and the range is applied directly to you — there is no sex-based adjustment. If you are looking for a protein calculator for weight loss and muscle gain at the same time, the same weight-based ranges apply; your overall nutrition and training decide how the two goals combine.

Individual needs can vary with body weight, activity level, and personal circumstances, so treat the number as a starting point rather than a fixed prescription, and revisit it whenever your weight or routine changes.

Building muscle takes more than protein alone: resistance training, enough total calories, and adequate overall nutrition all matter. A higher protein intake sits alongside that work by supplying amino acids, which is why the Bulk goal uses 1.6–2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight per day.

Used as a protein calculator for muscle gain, the tool multiplies your body weight by that range and recommends the midpoint — 1.8 grams per kilogram — so you have a concrete number in grams to aim for each day rather than a rough guess.

The same logic applies if muscle growth is your main focus: a protein calculator for muscle growth should start from your body weight instead of one fixed figure for everyone, and a protein calculator to build muscle works the same way. Pair the target with consistent training and recovery — protein supports muscle growth as part of that bigger picture, but does not cause it on its own.

Protein targets are usually written in grams per kilogram of body weight, which is why your weight drives the result: at the same g/kg rate, a heavier person eats more grams than a lighter person. It also means the target moves when your weight moves — recalculate after a noticeable change to keep it current.

A worked example

A person weighing 80 kg using the Bulk goal gets:

• Daily range (80 × 1.6–2.0)128–160 g/day
• Recommended midpoint (80 × 1.8)144 g/day

The range comes from multiplying the body weight by the low and high ends of the goal's range, and the recommended figure is the midpoint — 144 grams of protein, which is 576 calories at 4 calories per gram.

Enter your own weight above to get the same range and midpoint for each goal, in metric or imperial units.

A protein calculator provides an estimate, not an individualized medical prescription. The ranges are general figures for generally healthy adults, and the result depends on the weight you enter and the goal you select.

Individual protein needs can be shaped by training volume, age, body composition, overall diet, health conditions, and specific nutritional goals — factors a simple weight-based calculation cannot see. Use the estimate as a baseline, then adjust it against how you actually feel, perform, and progress.

If you have a medical condition that affects protein intake, or your diet is being managed by a clinician, seek advice from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional before changing how much protein you eat.