Protein is the most critical nutritional variable for building muscle. You can train perfectly, sleep well, and take every supplement on the market — but if you're not eating enough protein, muscle gain will be slow or non-existent.

This guide covers how much protein you actually need, the best food sources to hit your targets, and the fastest way to track your protein intake every day.

How Much Protein Do You Need to Build Muscle?

The research-backed recommendation for muscle gain:

0.7–1g of protein per pound of bodyweight per day

(1.6–2.2g per kilogram)

Bodyweight Minimum (0.7g/lb) Optimal (~1g/lb)

60kg (132 lbs) 92g 132g

75kg (165 lbs) 116g 165g

90kg (198 lbs) 139g 198g

100kg (220 lbs) 154g 220g

The upper limit: A 2018 meta-analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that protein intakes above 1.62g/kg/day produced no additional muscle gain benefit.…