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How Much Protein Should I Be Eating? Ask a PT

In our last article, we talked about box jumps and whether they were a good choice of exercise or not. I argued that most people would be better off without them, as they have highly specific benefits and the risk/reward ratio does not favour the average gym-goer. In this week’s article, we’re answering the question “How much protein should I be eating?”.

How Much Protein Should I Be Eating Each Day?

Question: How much protein should I be eating each day? Does the amount of protein change based on my goals?

Answer: Protein has many benefits. Not only is it crucial for building muscle, but it can also help with weight loss – by slightly increasing your metabolism and keeping you fuller for longer.

This has led to a situation where people believe there is no upper limit to how much protein they can eat each day.

It is certainly true that the average person who doesn’t go to the gym could probably do with increasing their protein intake. But most people who consciously follow a high-protein diet are easily hitting their targets, and many may be eating more protein than is necessary.

Why the Confusion?

A lot of confusion stems from the very different targets that people are given.

• British Heart Foundation – recommends 0.75 grams of protein per kg of body weight [1]. This works out to 60 grams per day for an 80kg man.

• Natural bodybuilding guidelines – recommend 2.3–3.1 grams per kg of lean body mass (LBM). So, that same 80kg man, with 15% body fat (~68kg LBM), would be advised to consume 156–210 grams of protein per day.

As you can see, the differences are huge! 60 grams per day is nowhere near 210 grams per day. So who is correct?

Protein Needs Based on Your Lifestyle

The truth is, both can be correct – it all depends on your activity level and your goals [2].

• Non-exercisers (weight loss or maintenance): ~1 gram per kg

• Regular exercisers (but not bodybuilding): 1.5–1.8 grams per kg

• Natural bodybuilders: 1.8–2.5 grams per kg

👉 Example for an 80kg person:

• 80 grams per day if sedentary

• Up to 144 grams per day if training regularly

• Up to 200 grams per day if bodybuilding

Should Protein Change if You’re Gaining or Losing Weight?

You can keep your protein target the same whether you are looking to increase your weight, lose weight, or maintain your weight.

All you have to do is adjust your carbohydrate and fat intake to change your overall calories.

• To lose weight: reduce carbs and fats while keeping protein steady.

• To gain weight: increase carbs and fats while keeping protein steady.

Simple Ways to Hit Your Protein Target

If you’re struggling with your protein intake, here are some easy options:

• Protein shakes – 20–25g per serving

• Meal shakes (e.g., Prime Male T-Shake) – ~35g per serving

• Protein bars – 10–15g per bar

These can help you stay consistent without having to overhaul your whole diet.

Learn more about pre-workout nutrition here

Final Thoughts

So, how much protein should I be eating?

• 1g per kg if you don’t exercise

• 1.5–1.8g per kg if you train regularly

• 1.8–2.5g per kg if bodybuilding

Protein is your baseline. Once that’s set, simply adjust carbs and fats depending on whether you want to lose, gain, or maintain weight.

Getting your protein right doesn’t have to be complicated – just pick the right target for your lifestyle and build around it.

References

[1] https://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritional-information/protein/

[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35187864/

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