The specifics, since they change the answer: 62 kg · 1,000 kcal.
I would rather understand the derivation than memorise the outcome.
Two people I asked gave two answers that differ by a factor of ten, which is suggestive.
Can someone show the working rather than just the answer?
99 to 136 g a day. The range the resistance-training literature supports is 1.6 to 2.2 g per kilogram, which at 62 kg is 99–136 g. At 4 kcal per gram that is 397–546 kcal, or 40–55 per cent of a 1,000 intake — which is why protein has to be planned first at this energy level rather than fitted in afterwards. Split it across three or four servings; roughly 0.4 g/kg per meal saturates the synthetic response and the surplus in one large serving does not carry over.
Answer first: aim for 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of reference body weight per day, distributed across three or four servings, and treat it as the first constraint on the day rather than the last.
The leucine threshold for triggering the response is around two and a half to three grams per meal. Thirty grams of most animal protein reaches it; thirty grams of many plant proteins does not, which is why plant-based targets run higher.
| Method | Measures | Sensitive to | Least significant change |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEXA | Three-compartment by attenuation | Hydration, positioning | ~2–3 % regional lean |
| BIA (consumer) | Impedance, modelled | Hydration, food, temperature | Not usable at this timescale |
| Air displacement | Two-compartment by density | Lung volume, hair, clothing | ~1–2 % fat mass |
| Tape and scale | Circumference, mass | Technique | Surprisingly usable as a trend |
A practical construction: 30 to 40 grams at each of three meals plus a 20 to 30 gram snack covers most targets without any protein powder at all.
Meta-analytic estimates place the plateau of the dose-response for lean-mass retention with resistance training around 1.6 g/kg, with a confidence interval extending to about 2.2.
1.6 to 2.2 g/kg of reference weight, split three or four ways. That is the answer.
Analytical standards and reagents with traceable certificates. Every quantitative result you read inherits the accuracy of the standard behind it.
Shop standardsThe honest answer is that most people in a deficit fall well short, and closing that gap matters more than any refinement above it.
Use reference or adjusted body weight rather than total weight where adiposity is substantial: a common approach is ideal body weight plus a quarter of the excess, which avoids targets that no one could eat.
Older adults need more per meal to overcome anabolic resistance, with 1.2 to 1.5 g/kg daily commonly quoted for maintenance and more in a deficit.
The caveat is that anyone with chronic kidney disease has a genuinely different protein calculation and needs it done by a clinician.
Per-meal saturation is real. One enormous serving does not do the job of three.
The underlying point is that the relevant physiology is the per-meal saturation of the synthetic response, which is why one large serving does not substitute for three moderate ones.
Per meal, roughly 0.4 grams per kilogram saturates the synthetic response in most adults, which is about 30 to 40 grams for a typical person. Beyond that the surplus is oxidised or used for other purposes rather than adding to synthesis.
The relevant detail is that appetite suppression makes protein-rich foods harder to eat because they are satiating. Liquid protein and leaner, less voluminous sources are the usual practical workaround.
Plant-based patterns need a higher total and more attention per serving.
edited 28 Mar 2026 by sian_llewellyn — fixed an arithmetic slip in the third paragraph
This is one of the better-evidenced areas in nutrition and the disagreements are about the top of the range, not the bottom.
High protein intakes do not damage healthy kidneys in the published evidence; existing kidney disease is a genuine exception and is a clinical question.
Systematic reviews of high-protein intake in people with normal renal function have not found evidence of harm to kidney function.
Plan protein first in the day; with suppressed appetite it will not happen otherwise.
Put another way, plant-based patterns need somewhat higher totals and more attention to leucine content per serving to produce an equivalent response.
Hydration requirements rise modestly with protein intake because urea excretion increases, which is a real effect and a small one.
Nothing here is dietetic or medical advice.
Healthy kidneys tolerate this fine. Diseased ones are a clinical question.
Ask PeptideStack is a static archive. Posting is closed, but the norms are worth stating: answer the question that was asked, show your working, cite the trial or the certificate, and say plainly where the evidence runs out.