The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans set a protein goal of 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. If you weigh 150 pounds (68 kg), that is roughly 82 to 109 grams. Here is how to find your own number, why exercisers and older adults sit toward the top of the range, and what the research can and cannot tell you.[1]
Find your number
Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to get kilograms, then multiply by 1.2 and by 1.6. That gives you a low and a high target for the day.
- 150 lb (68 kg): about 82 to 109 g a day
- 180 lb (82 kg): about 98 to 131 g a day
- 200 lb (91 kg): about 109 to 145 g a day
The guidelines frame this as a serving goal to adjust for your individual calorie needs, not a hard rule.[1] Treat the range as a starting point and see how it fits your appetite, your training and your budget.
Why people who lift sit near the top
The International Society of Sports Nutrition reviewed the protein research for healthy, exercising people. Its position is that 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg/day is enough for most exercising individuals to build or maintain muscle.[2] That overlaps with the top of the federal range and runs a little above it.
There is also a ceiling effect. A meta-analysis of 49 trials with 1,863 adults found that protein supplementation added small gains in strength and fat-free mass during resistance training. Past a total intake of about 1.62 g/kg/day, extra protein did not add further fat-free mass gains.[3] The average gain was 0.30 kg of fat-free mass, so this is a modest effect, and it was smaller in older participants.
The practical read: if you lift regularly, aim for the upper half of the range. Going far beyond about 1.6 g/kg is unlikely to build more muscle in that research, though the trials looked at supplementation over weeks to months, not decades.
If you are over 65
The PROT-AGE expert group recommends that adults over 65 average at least 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg/day, and at least 1.2 g/kg/day if they exercise or are otherwise active. Most older adults with acute or chronic disease may need 1.2 to 1.5 g/kg/day.[4] Older bodies respond less to the same dose of protein, which is part of why the target creeps up with age.
This is a position paper based on expert review, not a single trial, and it covers people over 65. For ages 40 to 64, there is no matching age-specific recommendation, so the federal range and your training are the guide.
Spread it across the day
The same sports nutrition review suggests about 0.25 g of high-quality protein per kilogram of body weight per meal, or an absolute dose of 20 to 40 g, spaced roughly every 3 to 4 hours.[2] For a 68 kg person that is about 17 g per meal by the per-kilogram rule, and the 20 to 40 g range is a fair target for a full meal. The evidence on exact timing is mixed, so do not stress over the clock.
- Build each meal around a protein food first: eggs, fish, poultry, Greek yogurt, tofu, beans or lentils.
- Write down what you eat for three days to see where your protein gaps are.
- Fix the smallest gap first rather than overhauling every meal.
Who should check with a clinician first
The PROT-AGE paper names severe kidney disease as the main exception. If you have severe kidney disease, you may need to limit protein, so talk to your clinician before raising your intake. The same goes if you have any condition where your doctor has set a diet for you.
What we do not know
- The 1.2 to 1.6 range is a guideline for generally healthy adults, not a personalized prescription.
- The muscle-gain trials mostly looked at supplementation during lifting for a few months, so they say little about long-term outcomes.
- Strength training drives muscle growth. Protein supports it but does not replace it.
References
[1] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030. Population: general U.S. population. Source: https://cdn.realfood.gov/DGA.pdf (linked from dietaryguidelines.gov). Finding as used: “Protein serving goals: 1.2-1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, adjusting as needed based on your individual caloric requirements.” ↑︎
[2] Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2017;14:20. Population: healthy, exercising individuals (position stand). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8. Finding as used: 1.4-2.0 g/kg/day is sufficient for most exercising individuals; per-serving guidance of 0.25 g/kg or an absolute 20-40 g, evenly distributed about every 3-4 hours; timing recommendations are mixed. ↑︎
[3] Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med, 2018;52(6):376-384. Population: 49 randomized trials, 1,863 healthy adults. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608. Finding as used: supplementation increased fat-free mass by 0.30 kg (95% CI 0.09-0.52) and 1RM strength by 2.49 kg; the effect on fat-free mass was reduced with increasing age; beyond total protein intakes of 1.62 g/kg/day there were no further gains in fat-free mass. ↑︎
[4] Bauer J, Biolo G, Cederholm T, et al. Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people: a position paper from the PROT-AGE Study Group. J Am Med Dir Assoc, 2013;14(8):542-559. Population: adults over 65 (expert position paper). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2013.05.021. Finding as used: average intake of at least 1.0-1.2 g/kg/day for older adults; at least 1.2 g/kg/day for those exercising; 1.2-1.5 g/kg/day for most with acute or chronic disease; severe kidney disease (eGFR under 30, not on dialysis) is an exception where protein may need limiting. ↑︎
Kurt Greiner
Kurt is a digital strategist and IT professional blending emerging technology with practical application, exploring how individuals can leverage modern tools to navigate the second half of life with purpose.
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