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Daily Protein from Lean Mass Calculator

Set your daily protein target from lean body mass

How it is calculated

The calculation is a single multiplication: Protein (g/day) = lean body mass (kg) × intake (g per kg of lean mass). Lean mass is your total weight minus fat mass, in kilograms. If you do not know it, a body-composition scan or a body-fat estimate is needed first: lean mass = weight × (1 − body-fat fraction). The intake is the grams of protein per kilogram of lean mass that you choose; the tool does not pick a value for you or judge whether it is suitable. Both numbers must be above zero. The result is rounded to a whole number of grams per day. Individual needs depend on age, health, kidney function and training, so for medical conditions follow the advice of a doctor or dietitian rather than this figure.

Worked example

A person weighs 80 kg with 22% body fat, so lean mass = 80 × (1 − 0.22) = 62.4 kg. They choose an intake of 1.8 g per kg of lean mass. Protein = 62.4 × 1.8 = 112.32, which the tool rounds to 112 g per day. Spread over four meals, that is roughly 28 g per meal.

Try this example →

Common mistakes

  • Entering total body weight in the lean mass field. This overstates the target, most for people with higher body fat, and defeats the purpose of the method.
  • Using pounds for lean mass while the intake is per kilogram. Divide pounds by 2.2046 first.
  • Typing body-fat percentage instead of lean mass; lean mass is the weight left after removing fat, not a percentage.
  • Applying a per-kilogram figure meant for total body weight to lean mass, or the opposite. Values quoted for total weight are lower numbers than those quoted for lean mass, so check which one a source uses.
  • Reading the result as a fixed prescription. It is a daily target and should be adjusted to how you feel, what you eat and your professional advice.

Sources

About this calculator

This calculator multiplies your lean body mass by a chosen protein intake level, in grams per kilogram of lean tissue, rather than using total body weight, because fat tissue barely needs any protein to maintain itself.

It's the method preferred by bodybuilders, physique competitors and dietitians working with higher body-fat clients, since basing intake on total weight would overstate protein needs for someone carrying more fat mass; anchoring to lean mass gives a target that actually tracks the tissue doing the work. Note that the familiar 1.6–2.2 g/kg range for muscle building is usually quoted per kilogram of total body weight, so when you apply it to lean mass only, expect to choose a somewhat higher per-kg value to reach a similar total.

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Comments (1)

  • Editorial team

    To compare this figure with advice quoted per kilogram of total weight, divide the result by your full body weight. In the 62.4 kg lean example at 2.2 g per kg, the tool gives 137 g, which works out to about 1.7 g per kg of an 80 kg body. That makes it easy to see where a lean-mass target sits against other recommendations. Which per-kilogram value do you use, and do you base it on lean or total weight?

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