Determining Appropriate Protein Consumption Levels
Published 2022-12-20
We're all different in terms of our own protein requirements. Age, weight, activity level, and fitness goals all play very important roles in determining the right amount of protein to consume in our diets. In this post, we lay out some high level guidance to help you determine your own protein requirements.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the minimum recommended protein an average sedentary adult should consume to prevent deficiency is 0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight (e,g., a 75kg individual should consume at least 60 grams of protein). More broadly you should aim for anywhere between 10% to 35% of your total calories to come from protein. So if you’re aiming to consume 2,000 calories that would be about 50-175 grams of protein (200-700 calories). The exact amount is going to depend on unique circumstances including age and activity level.
Once you reach 40–50 you begin naturally losing muscle mass as part of the aging process. To help prevent this, your intake of protein should increase to at least 1.0 to 1.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight (e.g., 75–90 grams per day for a 75-kilogram person). If you exercise regularly, you should also consume more with 1.1 to 1.7 grams per kilogram recommended (if you regularly lift weights or do strength training, then aim for the higher end of the range). If you are looking to add significant muscle mass (in conjunction with strength training) then consuming 2 grams or more per kilogram of bodyweight may be recommended. We’ve put together a simple table of suggested protein intake by body weight for reference below.
| Daily Protein Intake Guidance (g) | ||||
| Kg | Min | 40+ Yrs | Active | Strength |
| 50 | 40 | 50–60 | 44–68 | 100 |
| 60 | 48 | 60–72 | 53–82 | 120 |
| 70 | 56 | 70–84 | 62–95 | 140 |
| 80 | 64 | 80–96 | 70–109 | 160 |
| 90 | 72 | 90–108 | 79–122 | 180 |
| 100 | 80 | 100–120 | 88–136 | 200 |