How Much Protein Do You Actually Need?
The number most people use is too low, especially if you’re over 50, on a GLP-1, or rebuilding after an injury. Here’s what the evidence says, and how to hit it without overthinking every meal.
The short answer
The government RDA, 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, is the amount needed to avoid deficiency in an average sedentary adult. It was never meant to be the target for someone training, aging, or protecting muscle. For that, the research consistently points higher: roughly 1.2 to 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight per day (about 0.55-0.9 g per pound).
| Who you are | Daily protein target |
|---|---|
| Active adult building strength | 1.4-2.0 g/kg |
| Adult over 50 (protecting muscle) | 1.2-1.6 g/kg, higher end with training |
| On a GLP-1, losing weight | 1.5-2.0 g/kg to defend lean mass during loss |
| Coming back after injury / PT | 1.6-2.0 g/kg to support rebuilding tissue |
Quick math: a 175 lb (79 kg) person aiming for 1.6 g/kg needs about 125 g of protein a day, roughly 30-35 g across four meals.
Why protein, specifically
Muscle is in constant turnover, built up and broken down every day. Protein, and specifically the amino acid leucine, is the signal that flips muscle building on. Miss the threshold at a meal and you mostly maintain; hit it (about 25-40 g of quality protein, ~2.5-3 g leucine) and you drive synthesis. That’s why spreading protein across meals beats loading it all at dinner. After about 50, muscle becomes “anabolically resistant”, it takes more protein to get the same signal, which is exactly why the target goes up, not down, with age.
Are you actually getting enough?
Run this quick self-check. If you answer “no” to two or more, you’re likely under-eating protein:
- Breakfast: Does it have 25+ g of protein, or is it mostly coffee, toast, or cereal?
- Every meal: Is there a palm-sized (or larger) protein source at each one?
- After training: Do you get protein within a couple hours of a session?
- Recovery/strength: Are you gaining strength, or feeling weaker despite showing up?
Do this today, the 3 easy wins
You don’t need to weigh food. Start here:
- Anchor breakfast. Add 25-30 g of protein to your first meal (eggs, Greek yogurt, a shake). This is the meal most people miss.
- Palm rule. A palm-sized portion of protein at every meal gets most people close without tracking.
- Bridge the gap. If a day runs short, a simple protein shake covers 25-30 g in seconds.
Do this for a week and most people add 40-50 g/day without changing much else.
Track these
- Grams per day for one honest week, most people are shocked how low they start.
- Protein at breakfast, the single highest-leverage meal to fix.
- Strength trend, going up on the same effort is the real proof it’s working.
When to check with your doctor first
If you have kidney disease or a medical condition affecting how your body handles protein, talk to your physician before raising intake, protein targets are individual, and a Registered Dietitian can build yours safely around your labs and history. This guide is general education, not a personal prescription.
What the evidence shows
The PROT-AGE expert group (Bauer et al., 2013) recommends 1.0-1.2 g/kg for healthy older adults and 1.2-1.5 g/kg or more for those who are active or managing illness, well above the RDA. A large meta-analysis (Morton et al., 2018, British Journal of Sports Medicine) found protein intake up to ~1.6 g/kg maximizes gains in muscle and strength from resistance training. And during rapid weight loss, including on GLP-1 medications, higher protein plus resistance training is what preserves lean mass, so what you lose is fat, not the muscle that keeps you strong.
How we handle this with you
When you train at Redefine, protein isn’t a guess. Your program is built with input from a Registered Dietitian, your intake gets a real target based on your body and goals, and we track it in-app alongside your training and reassess on a set cadence. Assessed, not guessed, on your plate too.
FAQs
Can you eat too much protein?
For healthy people, high-protein diets (up to ~2 g/kg and beyond) are well tolerated in the research. The bigger risk for most people is eating far too little. If you have kidney disease, targets are different, check with your doctor or a Registered Dietitian.
Do I need a shake, or can I get it from food?
Food first is ideal, eggs, chicken, fish, Greek yogurt, lean beef, tofu, legumes. Shakes are simply a convenient way to close the gap on busy days, not a requirement.
Does protein timing matter?
Total daily protein matters most. That said, spreading it across meals (25-40 g each) and getting some after training helps you hit the muscle-building threshold more often than back-loading it all at dinner.
Want the food side handled for you? Redefine’s RD-Led Nutrition coaching is built one-on-one by a Registered Dietitian around your health history, goals, and training.
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This is what we build programs around every day.
Education, not medical advice. Redefine Fitness Specialists are not licensed medical providers; nutrition care is provided by a Registered Dietitian within her licensed scope. This guide does not replace evaluation by your physician or a Registered Dietitian.