A bodybuilder and a marathon runner might weigh the same, but their nutritional needs are drastically different. Use this specialist tool to adjust your protein intake based on whether you want to Build Muscle, Burn Fat, or Maintain.
Hypertrophy vs. Fat Loss Optimization
Range: 0 - 0g
Select a goal to see your personalized breakdown.
That's roughly 4 meals of 40g protein.
Have your number? Now optimize your timing.
Calculate Meal DistributionSelect a goal and enter weight to calculate.
Many people mistakenly believe protein intake should be static. However, nutritional science shows that your intake should scale dynamically based on the metabolic demands you place on your body.
To build new tissue, you need a surplus of amino acids. Research by Morton et al. (2018) indicates that for most natural lifters, benefits plateau around 1.6g per kg of body weight. Our calculator sets a range slightly above this (up to 2.2g/kg) to ensure you are never the limiting factor in your own growth.
This is where most people get it wrong. When you cut calories to lose weight, your body looks for energy sources. Without sufficient protein, it will break down muscle tissue for fuel. To prevent this "catabolism," protein needs must rise significantly—often higher than what is needed for muscle gain—to spare lean mass while you burn fat.
If you are happy with your current physique and performance, you don't need to force-feed protein. A moderate intake of 1.0–1.2g/kg is sufficient to replace daily nitrogen losses and keep you healthy without unnecessary dietary stress.
If you are within 20lbs of your target, use your Current Weight. If you are significantly overweight (BMI > 30), use your Goal Weight to avoid over-calculating protein needs, as fat tissue does not require as much protein as lean mass.
Yes. Muscle repair and growth happen 24-48 hours after the workout. keeping protein consistent on rest days ensures your body has the materials to rebuild while you recover.
