Calculator
Protein reference
Turn a body weight into total dietary protein using the adult RDA, or show the quoted range for athletes.
This shows a published reference. It is not a dose to take and it is not personal medical advice.
Questions
Is this how much protein powder to use?
No. The grams are total dietary protein from food.
How this number is made
What this result means
The adult figure is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight a day, times the weight you enter. The athlete figure is a range, 1.2 to 2.0 grams per kilogram. Both are total protein from food, not an amount of powder.
Formula and methodology
Pounds are converted at 0.45359237 kilograms per pound. The adult result is weight in kilograms times 0.8. The athlete result is the same weight times 1.2 and times 2.0. No other activity multiplier is used.
Worked example
70 kilograms at the adult RDA is 56 grams a day. The same weight on the athlete range is 84 to 140 grams a day.
Assumptions and limitations
The 0.8 g/kg figure is the RDA for healthy adults quoted by the NIH ODS exercise fact sheet. The 1.2 to 2.0 g/kg span is the athlete range on that same page. This tool does not invent a sedentary, moderate, or very-active multiplier.
Who should not rely on the result
Anyone who wants a powder dose, or who has been told by a clinician to use a different protein amount, should not treat this result as that instruction.
Sources
- NIH ODS, Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance, health professional. Accessed 2026-10-05.
- National Academies DRI table, total water and macronutrients. Accessed 2026-10-05.