Protein Per Kg of Body Weight Calculator
Enter your body weight in kilograms and your goal to get your daily protein target in grams, using evidence-based grams-per-kilogram ranges.
CarbMeNot logs the protein in every meal from a photo — so you reach your target automatically. Free on iOS & Android.
How much protein per kg of body weight?
| Goal | Protein (g/kg/day) |
|---|---|
| General health (sedentary) | 0.8 – 1.2 |
| Active / general fitness | 1.2 – 1.6 |
| Losing fat (preserve muscle) | 1.6 – 2.0 |
| Building muscle | 1.6 – 2.2 |
| Athlete / hard training | 1.8 – 2.4 |
| Adults 50+ (modifier) | add ~0.1 |
Why protein research is written in kilograms
Every major protein guideline — the WHO/RDA baseline, the ISSN position stand, sports nutrition trials — doses protein in grams per kilogram of body weight. If you think in metric, you get to use the research numbers directly, no conversion drift: read a study that says “1.6 g/kg,” multiply by your weight, done. This page is the metric-native version of our protein tools — kilograms in, grams out.
The g/kg ladder, with worked examples
Three bodyweights, straight multiplication — this is the entire method:
| Intake level | 60 kg | 80 kg | 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.8 g/kg — RDA floor | 48 g | 64 g | 80 g |
| 1.2 g/kg — light activity | 72 g | 96 g | 120 g |
| 1.6 g/kg — training / cutting | 96 g | 128 g | 160 g |
| 2.0 g/kg — hard deficit / building | 120 g | 160 g | 200 g |
| 2.2 g/kg — upper athletic | 132 g | 176 g | 220 g |
One nuance the table hides: if you carry significant body fat, these multipliers overshoot slightly, because fat tissue needs far less protein than muscle. Practical fix — calculate from a healthy reference weight rather than your current weight, or just use the calculator's goal presets, which already lean conservative.
Converting g/kg ↔ g/lb without mistakes
The two systems describe the same targets; the constant is 2.205. Common equivalents worth memorizing:
- 0.8 g/kg ≈ 0.36 g/lb — the RDA minimum.
- 1.6 g/kg ≈ 0.73 g/lb — the “training floor” you'll see everywhere.
- 2.2 g/kg ≈ 1.0 g/lb — the famous “1 gram per pound.”
That last line explains a lot of internet arguments: “1 g per pound” and “2.2 g per kg” are the same recommendation, but people quote them as if they disagree. And a common unit blunder — applying a per-pound number to kilograms — will overshoot your target by 2.2×. If a protein number ever looks absurd, check the units first.
From g/kg to your plate (keto-friendly)
An 80 kg person cutting at 1.8 g/kg needs 144 g/day — call it four 36 g doses. In food: eggs + Greek yogurt in the morning, a chicken breast at lunch, tuna or cottage cheese mid-afternoon, fish or steak at dinner. All of it near-zero carb, which is why hitting metric protein targets on keto is easier than people expect. Log a couple of days in CarbMeNot (photo → grams) to confirm your real intake matches the math.
Who should be careful
Ranges assume healthy kidneys and liver. With kidney disease, liver disease, or pregnancy, get an individual target from your doctor or dietitian rather than a population formula.
Methodology & sources
Targets come from your body weight in kilograms multiplied by an evidence-based grams-per-kilogram range for your goal — not a single one-size figure. General health uses the DRI/RDA floor of ~0.8 g/kg; active, fat-loss, and muscle-building ranges follow the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) position stand of roughly 1.4–2.2 g/kg for people who exercise, with the upper end for a calorie deficit or hard training. Adults 50+ get a small upward adjustment for age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia).
Sources: U.S. Dietary Reference Intakes (protein RDA), the ISSN Position Stand on protein and exercise, and USDA FoodData Central for the protein content of foods. This tool is educational and not medical advice — if you have kidney disease or another condition, check with your doctor before raising protein substantially.
Frequently asked questions
- How many grams of protein per kg of body weight?
- General health needs about 0.8–1.2 g/kg. Active people need 1.2–1.6 g/kg, and those losing fat or building muscle need 1.6–2.2 g/kg — athletes up to 2.4 g/kg. Multiply your weight in kilograms by the range for your goal.
- What is 1.6 g per kg in grams?
- Multiply your body weight in kg by 1.6. A 70 kg person at 1.6 g/kg needs 112 g of protein per day; an 80 kg person needs 128 g. The calculator does this for any weight and goal instantly.
- How much protein for 100 kg?
- At 100 kg: about 80–120 g/day for general health, 120–160 g for active or fat loss, and 160–220 g for building muscle. Pick your goal above to narrow it down.
- How do I convert g/kg to grams per pound?
- Divide the g/kg figure by 2.205. So 1.6 g/kg ≈ 0.73 g/lb, and 2.2 g/kg ≈ 1.0 g/lb. The tool has a lb/kg toggle if you prefer pounds.
Related tools
Skip the multiplication
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