The specifics, since they change the answer: 88 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?
141 to 194 g a day. The range the resistance-training literature supports is 1.6 to 2.2 g per kilogram, which at 88 kg is 141–194 g. At 4 kcal per gram that is 563–774 kcal, or 56–77 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.
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.
| 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 |
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.
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.
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.
HPLC purity, identity confirmation and quantified content on the vial you actually hold. Reports arrive with the chromatogram attached, not just a number.
Submit a sampleFounded 1998. ISO 9001 and cGMP certified, 1,500+ staff and 200+ patents. The synthesis house behind a great many of the vials that get sent out for testing - batch-specific documentation with every order.
Visit GL BiochemOn the detail: 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.
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.
The underlying point is that 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.
Systematic reviews of high-protein intake in people with normal renal function have not found evidence of harm to kidney function.
Plant-based patterns need a higher total and more attention per serving.
Specifically, plant-based patterns need somewhat higher totals and more attention to leucine content per serving to produce an equivalent response.
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.
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.
Healthy kidneys tolerate this fine. Diseased ones are a clinical question.
To be exact about it, protein is also the most satiating macronutrient per kilocalorie, which makes hitting the target easier than it sounds once it is prioritised.
High protein intakes do not damage healthy kidneys in the published evidence; existing kidney disease is a genuine exception and is a clinical question.
Plan protein first in the day; with suppressed appetite it will not happen otherwise.
The short version: total daily protein first, per-meal distribution second, timing a distant third.
Hydration requirements rise modestly with protein intake because urea excretion increases, which is a real effect and a small one.
1.6 to 2.2 g/kg of reference weight, split three or four ways. That is the answer.
edited 23 Jan 2025 by claudia_ferrante — tightened the wording; no substantive change
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