How much protein do women actually need?

Short answer: if you lift, about 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight a day, which is roughly 0.7 to 1 gram per pound. If you don't, a bit less. Here's where those numbers come from and how to hit them without it feeling like a chore.

The RDA is a floor, not a target

The official recommended intake is 0.8 g per kg of bodyweight. For a 150 lb (68 kg) woman that's about 54 g a day. That number was set to prevent deficiency in sedentary adults. It was never meant to describe the intake that best supports building or keeping muscle.

What research on lifters shows

The most-cited analysis here pooled 49 resistance-training studies and found that extra protein stopped producing measurable extra muscle gain at around 1.6 g per kg per day. Because people vary, the authors suggested 2.2 g per kg as a reasonable upper end for anyone who wants to be sure they're covered. The research pool is mostly men, but the handful of studies that included women found the same relationship once you account for bodyweight — needs scale with muscle, not sex.

The International Society of Sports Nutrition lands in a similar place, recommending 1.4 to 2.0 g per kg for most people who exercise.

When you need more

While losing fat

In a calorie deficit your body is more willing to break down muscle for energy. Higher protein, combined with lifting, is one of the most reliable ways to protect it. Aim for the upper half of the range while cutting. Most people do well with 2.0 to 2.4 g per kg.

Around perimenopause and after

Declining estrogen is linked to faster muscle and bone loss, and to a blunted response to a given dose of protein — the same "anabolic resistance" seen with aging in general, just earlier. The practical fix isn't a huge daily total; it's making each meal count. Getting 30 to 40 g at each of three or four meals, paired with resistance training, works better than a small breakfast and a giant dinner, and helps protect both muscle and bone.

When you need less than you think

If you're carrying a lot of extra weight, multiplying total bodyweight by 2.2 gives a number that's hard to eat and higher than you need, since fat tissue doesn't need protein to maintain. Base your target on your goal weight, or on a weight that puts you around a BMI of 27. Our calculators do this automatically.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Both raise protein needs somewhat, and this isn't the place to run a calorie deficit. If that's you, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian for numbers tailored to your situation — this guide and our calculators are built for the non-pregnant, non-breastfeeding case.

Is high protein safe?

For people with healthy kidneys, intakes in these ranges haven't been shown to cause harm. If you have kidney disease, diabetes with kidney involvement, or have been told to limit protein, follow your doctor's guidance instead of any calculator.

Hitting your number without living on shakes

• Build each meal around a protein. Decide the chicken, beef, fish, eggs or tofu first, then add the rest.
• Learn a few anchors. 6 oz of cooked chicken breast is about 53 g. A cup of nonfat Greek yogurt is about 23 g. Three eggs are about 19 g. A can of tuna is about 26 g.
• Use dairy as snacks. Greek yogurt and cottage cheese are cheap, need no cooking, and pack 20+ g per serving.
• Keep one shake in reserve. One scoop of unflavored whey isolate is about 24 g and covers most shortfalls.